Hello,

We have a 2014 GL450. Has been great until starting issues began a few weeks ago. At random times it would only "click" when going to start. Electrical systems would work, but engine would not turn over. Took it in to our neighborhood shop (not a MB specialist) and was told battery was shot and that they suspected starter was bad as it was pulling 500 amps during starting sequence. They said to replace it, they would have to remove the entire engine and we would be looking at $2200 for labor plus cost of refurbished started. They did admit that they werent very familiar with those vehicles and recommended we take it somewhere else for second opinion. Since replacing battery has been better, but has still clicked a few times. This morning I had to let it sit about 5 minutes before trying again.

I called the MB dealer today and they said we are looking at 7 hours labor and about $1000 for a refurbished starter which they would have to order. They also recommended we check with another shop to see if they have one in stock. Waiting for them to call me back...

Questions:

• If we are leaving on spring break tomorrow should we be ok to get through next 10 days? New battery cant be drained that quickly right? Will bring a power pack and jumper cables just to be safe.
• For the actual starter, is this the right part: https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/...06%7CL3*15663?
• What have others paid to get the starter replaced?

Thanks,
Coley

 

By having an experience of pulling engine out i will confirm - your starter won't be replaced without taking bunch of shields, engine support and downpipe off. Which is possible only by removing engine.
Your battery won't drain over a week, unless you have a shortage somethere.
Do not buy refurbished starter. With the cost of taking engine off would be biggest mistake if it will fail within a month. And don't use places like autozone or advance auto parts - they overcharge big time for no reason. For an example same starter as u mentioned goes much cheaper on amazon The only different starter model required for cars with ECO mode (shutdown on traffic stop and so on) so you good

 

I have learned a few things from running a battery down inadvertently. I had an incorrect battery installed in my GL (X164), I am sure that contributed to my experience. Your mileage may vary with the below observations/recommendations. Feel free to take any or all of my lessons to heart.

1. Get a AAA membership. It is well worth the small investment. I believe even the lower tier covers battery jumps. They will jump you with a heavy duty booster capable of turning semi truck engines. More than enough to get the GL going again.
2. Do not use accessories while your motor is off for prolonged periods while your starter is in need of replacement. Or better yet, don't run them at all while your motor is off. Heated/ventilated seats, entertainment system, REST, etc. will tax the battery. That's how I ran myself in trouble. 15 min or so running REST on a cold day for the first time and I was done.
3. Jumper cables are always good to have, but you will need to find a booster vehicle with a similar size battery/engine to boost you. I tried with a Honda Civic, and while the driver was maintaining 2000 RPM, the Benz did not budge. 1.8L vs 5.5L engine. You get the idea. You could ask someone to stay around for a bit to give the battery a bit of a charge and hope it will be enough to jump you, but that might be a big ask to a stranger who's on the road.
4. Make sure your booster pack is tried and tested with your car. Fairly obvious, but will mention it anyway. You may need to jump the truck more than once or twice before being recharged and the booster should be able to handle multiple boosts on your GL w/o recharging.

Edit:
You could try recharging the booster via the 120V plug in the cargo area (do the X166 have that?), but be sure that the booster wattage will not exceed the max wattage of the inverter in your GL or you'll have a whole lot of other problems to deal with, which you will not want to.

 

Nothing seems to be easy on these motors