MomsBenz

So first off I want to say that I have made it a whole year on the 2009 GL without a single problem (an awesome feeling compared to my 2008) until this morning. I jumped in to pull it out of the garage and I got a "SRS malfunction" message in the DIC and the truck would not start. So I hit the wrench button and talked to a tech who advised me to pull out the keyless go button and try starting it with the key. When I did that, the whole system went dead and now there is no power to the vehicle what so ever, just a clicking noise if I try and start it.

There is a roadside tech on the way to the house now, anyone have any ideas or insight?

StevethePilot

Dead battery?

Max Blast

Random error codes and a lightshow in the dash are signs of a bad battery. Have you measured the voltage?

MomsBenz

The roadside tech just left. He said I had a defective battery and replaced it. He measured the voltage and said it was charging fine.

I got the error codes, then lost all power. The weird thing is when he got here power had returned, but it would still not turn over, just click. All seems fine now with the new battery. It is no longer showing an error code either. Anyone else have a defective battery? I am just a tad skeptical after all I went through on the '08 GL.

justthebest

My 2009 550 has been 100% fine since I took delivery in May

ddcha

I actually had to get my battery replaced after 17k miles. It wouldn't charge. They replaced it and no problems for the last 1000 miles.

MomsBenz

That is good news! My GL just turned 22K and never had an issue with the battery before today. I hope my luck is as good as yours

Josey92

I've had the battery icon pop up everyday for the past 2 weeks. After finally having the service department call me back (left 3 messages over a 1 week period), they informed me that I may have a bad secondary battery. They've ordered one for me and they're supposed to replace it this week. I was lead to believe that this is a common problem. Then again, I hear a lot of things from this service department.

Glad to hear it was an easy fix for you Kaila.

MomsBenz

That's a bummer, I am sorry to hear that. I never saw the battery icon, weird huh? I pray is was an easy fix and I will have no further issues! Good luck, hope yours is repaired soon!

Stigzmate

It is possible to display battery voltage on the multifunction display by entering the diagnostic/service mode and this may by helpful in investigating battery problems. On my non-key less go car this mode is accessed by turning the key to position 1 or 2 then pressing the "R" reset button at the top center of the instrument cluster 3 times. I think battery voltage is the first information item displayed and it is possible to see other service related information by scrolling with the menu buttons on the steering wheel.

My battery voltage shows around 12.5 V and I would think anything in the range of 12.0 to 14.0 V would be considered normal. If your reading is below 11.0 V then that suggests a battery that needs charging or is failing to hold a charge.

Note that the voltage displayed is the no-load battery voltage and is of limited use in determining the health of the battery. A test with a significant current load is the best way to check on battery condition.

StevethePilot

Wow, there really is no consistency with how we're treated from dealership to dealership! I don't think I'd have had to wait a day for at least a call back to say "we're trying to figure out what the problem could be"! Whatever problems I've had with my aught-7 320, my service guy isn't one of 'em.

STP

Josey92

Believe it or not, I actually went crying to my dealer about this consistent problem and he actually had the service department "assign" the AMG-specific service advisor to me and so far, so good. I guess since he has less cars to cover, due to the AMG lines' more limited production, he will have more time to call me back. I think it's a great fix for me, but it still begs the question why a service department can't give me a call back within a reasonable timeframe?

Devil Red

Our 2009 GL 550 has been fine since May 2009 except one drained battery (thankfully in the garage). The service came from the dealer 10 minutes away and jumped it and it's been fine the last 3 months. IMO, one of a car's biggest sins is to leave you stranded so here's hoping the battery thing doesn't get too many of us.

43221B

Same thing happened to me with my 09 last year. What did they say was the cause Devil Red? Was it after a service? Mine was a day or two after a service where a software update was performed and I was told that the battery drain was due to a bad relay. In about 15 minutes, they "pulled a relay off of a new car on their lot" and installed it on my GL. There was no paperwork signed. I've been wondering if they really replaced a relay since I didn't sign paperwork. Does a dealership get paid by Mercedes if they don't have customer signed paperwork? I didn't buy my GL at the servicing dealership so they didn't owe me any special treatment (and trust me, my other bills prove they don't think they owe me anything). I've been wondering if they installed old SAM software or did something else to cause the battery drain. No problems since.

lkchris

You have to drive them to keep the battery charged.

Mercedes sells (as do others) a trickle charger to attach if you're not going to be driving for a while.

asg

I had to have the battery on my 2008 replaced after about 25,000 miles.

MomsBenz

ikchris- I drive about 100-200 miles per day I am pretty sure that's enough I do agree though, they do need to be driven a distance long enough for the battery to charge.

asg-Thanks for the reasurrance. Like I said earlier, after everything I went through with my 2008 GL, I am a bit nervous. The truck ran great today, no warning messages, no signs that the battery was compromised. Keeping my fingers crossed!!

Columbia GL450

My '08 450 wouldn't start a few weeks ago, while we were out running errands. Roadside assistance came out and replaced the battery, and after the weekend I drove the car to the dealer to have the charging system checked out. During testing, they found that the electrical resistance was out of spec (too high) in the cable leading from the alternator to the battery. It was apparently not enough to set off any warning lights, but just enough to slowly allow the battery to drain under normal use. They didn't say whether it was a problem with corrosion, the cable itself, or the connectors at either end, but they said it hadn't been damaged, it was defective. They replaced the cable under warranty.

Alex

StevethePilot

[quote=Josey92;3984830... and he actually had the service department "assign" the AMG-specific service advisor to me ...[/quote]

Hey, at least they responded to you! Mercedes Benz dealers are supposed to respond, in theory, to their customers. No?

Devil Red

I wasn't home but my wife said all they did was jump the car in the garage, so I'll assume no fuses were pulled or anything. It happened sometime after the car was in to replace a faulty map light passenger rear that wouldn't turn off. I pulled the bulb when it first happened so it wouldn't drain the battery. It actually took them 2 days to fix because "we didn't have the right part", even though they knew why it was coming in. No foul because my wife had a nice little red C300 loaner she liked for 2 days. We didn't even buy the GL from them, nor did they know at the time she was going to be a stay-over, so their service treats us well. I do think there are "electrical issues" widely ranging on GL's that give various problems to us owners.