Hello! A very happy 2026 to everyone!

I have a 2019 E450 Wagon with 60K miles on it.

Every morning these days, with temperatures in upstate NY ranging around 5-20 F (-15 - -5 C), soon after I start the car, I get a dashboard error saying “Stop Vehicle Leave Engine Running”. I did not face this error so frequently last year, though it is true that the temperatures have been low this year.

1. Is this an indication that my battery is getting weaker and that I should get it replaced?

2. How bad is it if I do not follow the advice in the error and just keep driving? I am usually in a rush in the mornings and have just kept driving.

I am the second owner and don’t believe that the original battery has been replaced yet.

 

Recommend using a battery maintainer first then try to aim to drive the car on the highway 45-60 minutes and avoid short trips if possible. If in a secure location such as inside the garage, turn on standby mode.

 

I would bite the small bullet and buy a new 🔋 Best to have someone code it to your car for best performance, or so i heard. Without a new one, the current battery will likely leave you flat one morning.

 

When I got that message, I bought a new battery and installed it. I read conflicting instructions as to whether a special process is needed. I just replaced it like a normal battery in a normal car, and everything is fine AFAIK.

 

I have a 2017 with the same original battery. During COVID I received the same error due to the fact that the car wasn’t being driven frequently. I purchased a trickle charger and did a battery recondition and keep it on when I don’t plan on driving for a couple days especially in colder months. My car now has approximately 46K miles and have not had any issues. Do what you think is best for you, even with a new battery a trickle charger is still relevant depending on where you live and how frequently you drive the car

Trickle charger, jump starter, alternator checker

3a/25a/75a Battery Charger & Maintainer
Automatically Selects Charge Rate & Adjusts From Rapid Charge To Trickle Charge To Maximize Battery Life
75a Patented Engine Start To Jump-Start A Vehicle In 90 Sec
Alternator Check Indicates Potential Alternator Issues
Battery Reconditioning Technology Helps Reverse Sulfate Buildup On Battery Plates To Improve Charging Carrying Capability & Extend Battery Life
LCD Screen With Easy-To-Read Icons
Reverse-Polarity Protection
Includes Heavy-Duty Cables, Metal Clamps

 

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. Ot is all very helpful.

I would like to share a bit about my driving frequency:
I drive the car from NYC to the Catskills and back, around 400 miles, almost over the weekend. The car remains in a garage during the week. In the 18 odd months I have had the car, I have put on 23K miles.

The error appeared for the first time this week even though I have been driving it everyday to the ski mountain since the last 12 days. That is about 20 miles in each direction.

I am strongly considering the trickle charger. Would I have to pull the battery out of the car to charge it with the trickle charger or could I do it in its place, while keeping the hood open?

 

No need to remove the battery, just slide the positive battery terminal cover down to expose the charging terminal and attach the red cable, then attach the black to the ground location, see attached. Leave the hood open while connected. I live in NJ so similar weather, I’m also on an elevation so also 5+ degrees colder than a half mile down the hill.

Trickle charger connected

 

You could also add a pigtail to your battery, that way the charger just plugs into that. Be careful not to drive off with it still attached.

 

Can you please explain how and why not use the factory specific charging ports?

 

I get this now each morning. I just drive around and ignore this message. I figure it will soon be spring and the cold weather will go away and so will the error message. The car drives fine… not even an inkling of a slow or trouble starting despite the message. I wont buy a new battery just cos. I have an SLK with 135K miles and didn’t need a new battery until well past 100K miles. A trickle charger is a good idea and investment as a fall back option.

 

I had a low oil message but figured if I waited long enough the message would disappear! No way was i going to be fooled into buying more oil.

 

Whatever… this is as dumb as dumb gets.

 

I'm pretty sure he was making a joke. The OP has a six-year-old battery, and the messages indicate that it is in declining health. A trickle charger will probably help ensure the driver doesn't get stranded before the battery is changed, but it is a patch and not a repair.

 

The OP’s car has only 60K miles and this error message started during the low temp days this winter while he hasn’t been doing much driving. I have the exact same issue. My 2020 has 54K miles and has been largely sitting on my driveway with minimal driving the last couple weeks during the cold spells we have experienced here in Maryland. Are car batteries dying at 50-60K miles? I don’t believe so. Like I posted above my current SLK, a 2013MY with >135K miles and still going strong needed a new battery at >100K miles. I don’t believe our car’s AUX battery need replacement at <100K miles. Not my driving experience. The 12V battery, otoh, is a whole other issue.

Trickle charging the battery especially during the cold winter months if the car sits in a cold garage or driveway with little driving to maintain a good charge for the battery is a great idea, and I said so in my post above.

 

Trickle charger is good start. If you still get warning after a good charge the battery may be toast, and 300 bucks will seem like a good deal to avoid getting stuck somewhere one night. Maybe I'll buy a a few onces of oil too!

 

I'm not an expert, but I don't think battery life is based on mileage. It's more based on age. IME, 6-7 years is a pretty good lifetime for a battery. If the driver wants to wait until it's definitely non-functional, that's fine. I prefer to replace it before it completely stops working.

I can agree with using a charger on a car that sits a lot, but the OP stated that he was using the car regularly.

 

Trickle charger is good start. If you still get warning after a good charge the battery may be toast, and 300 bucks will seem like a good deal to avoid getting stuck somewhere one night. Maybe I'll buy a a few onces of oil too!

 

The average life span for an automotive battery is ~5-6 years. You could get more or less depending on numerous factors. Strong short burst of power to start a car are possible even with a battery on its way out. But you're on borrowed time if it's a 2019 mfr date.

Also, coding the car for a new battery is wise for battery longevity. It lets the car know it doesn't need to run the alternator at the same duty cycle it did with the last battery that was requiring more of it.
You can pick up a OBD2 Bluetooth dongle at Harbor Freight for $50 that will allow you to code the car to the new battery. It also resets service intervals and reads DTCs. Worth its price to keep in the glovebox until needed.

 

A quick update:
I charged the battery with a trickle charger for a few hours a few days ago and the error has disappeared for now. Given that the holidays are over, I have also reverted to some long-distance highway driving. Moreover, the warmer weather may also have some impact. As of now, there is no more error and I am not planning to act any further.
Thank you all for your valuable insights and generous info sharing!

 

Great discussion and you can’t go wrong having one anyway. Glad the error message is gone for now

 

I have also installed a pigtail to make it easier to connect/disconnect my trickle charger. It’s only one connection to unplug versus two when you are clamping onto the positive and negative charge points. It’s a small time saver, but a time saver.

The battery cover actually has a little slot already cut out in it from the factory for you to run the pigtail cable through and leave it there next to the bottom of the hood strut - the engineers thought of everything!

Some people have run their pigtails into the tray below the wipers or even to the front grill so they don’t have to open the hood - but like mine under the hood - so I am forced to close the hood after I disconnect the trickle charger - it ensures that I’m not going to accidentally back out of my garage and drag the charger with me…

Check out posts 6 and 18 in this thread for more info:

Battery Maintainer - W213

 

Thank you for your explanation, can you please provide photos of your setup so others can see and benefit from it if they decide on going that route. Appreciated

 

I just edited my prior post to include link to a thread discussing this topic with several pictures and other discussion around how to do this and what chargers people have purchased.

I am using a Battery Tender branded charger that I have had for years and also use for other equipment - just make sure it’s compatible with AGM batteries.