bha1980

The last time I drove was on Wednesday. Today is Saturday and I went to unlock my car and nothing. No beeping or unlocking. I had to open it manually by taking the key out of the fob. Wouldn't start neither. I thought it was the keyfob but then I tried my other key and still the same problem.

I called my insurance company and they came and gave me a jump. I just replaced my 5 year old battery 6 months ago. They said I should call Benz and see if the car is charging properly. It's also very hot and humid here for the last week or so. Could it be that coupled with the fact that I didn't drive in only 3 days?

If it happens again I guess I would need to visit Benz but have a feeling they would gouge me. There were never any check engine lights or anything. Always properly maintained at Benz. Maybe the battery is bunk but it's been running fine until now.

Anyone have any ideas? It's a 2010 GLK with 57,000 kms 2.2 diesel.

Thanks.

super7pilot

Batteries are electrical devices. They can and do sometimes fail quickly. An internal battery plate may have not been attached properly and came loose breaking the connection. Your dealer or most any auto shop can do both a battery load test and check out your charging system very easily.

bop11

Where did you get the battery? Hot or cold, the battery should not discharge in 3 days. Go back to supplier and have him replace it. If your alternator was not charging, you would have thrown a code and a trouble light on the dash.

bha1980

I'm going to Benz tomorrow to see what they say. The battery was bought from a 3rd party dealer so if that's the issue, will call them to replace it. It's only been 6 months.

Also, the check engine light has been on ever since the jump but there are no warning messages. I've been driving it for the past 4 days and there were no other issues other than the light.

Hopefully this will be an easy fix.

Thanks for the responses.

eki912

The battery shouldn't go empty in 3 days ! Except if it is bad one.
Get it checked and tested.

No lamps or similar were left on ?

For example, I left our GLK in our garage for about 8 weeks, did some travelling & vacationing... and came back, it started like normal. No issues, no hick ups, nothing.
I opened the doors, climbed in, and started and drove away.

bha1980

So I had Benz check it out. Absolutely nothing wrong with the car; they just reset the light. They said that the only possibility was that the blackbox camera in my car didn't turn off. However, this always automatically turns off when I shut down the ignition (I don't even know how to leave it on when the car is off). They said that I should always unplug it if I leave the car for an extended period of time which will be a pain but better safe than sorry.

Nothing wrong with the battery neither.

super7pilot

Black box camera

bha1980

Sorry, it's a 'dashcam'. They call it a blackbox here in Korea

It's connected to the battery.

bop11

Black box wired into aux 12V as are the 12v outlets goes off with the key. I would be suspect of that battery. The only other thing is if the under hood temp got so hot that the fans turned on, but this would probably show other problems like melted dash. It wasn't parked in direct sunlight with 120°F air temp? I know Seoul get hot but not that hot.

bha1980

No it was parked in a humid underground garage with the temperature at around 35 degrees celcius. They tested the battery and said it was fine but if it happens again will have to give them a call.

MBKLUE

I seriously doubt the dashcam would drain a good battery in three days. I CAN see the possibility of getting your vehicle jumped causing electrical damage to something (and thus the Check Engine light) and now that "something" is drawing excess current

Did your insurance agent or a "proper" mechanic jump the vehicle? When you HAVE the option, and the time, you should always charge a discharged battery when it's disconnected from the vehicle. More important now than with older vehicles.

super7pilot

And as I have been to Korea & rode on what we military call the "Kimchi express" Which was a bus chartered by the military during team spirit exercises to take us around the country. I can see why you would have a dash cam. That driver was nuts & He would pass cars in corners. I think we aged a few years in that 3 hour ride.

bop11

Only other thought is check the fluid in the battery. Sometimes batteries are stored dry. The shop puts the acid in and then gives them a fat charge which can boil the electrolyte out or down. If the cells are low, then the capacity is reduced, but I hope the dealer checked this when they tested the bat.

bha1980

Yes, a guy came with a truck and all the equipment and jumped it within 5 minutes. I'll remember your advice for next time. Thanks.

bha1980

Yeah, tell me about it. It's absolutely essential here in Korea. One time, a bongo truck (ghetto Korean pickup truck) backed into me and tried to drive away. Another time my car was parked and someone hit me. She called (phone number is on the dash) and told me she hit my car. I thanked her for her honesty and she told me she had no choice as there was a dashcam. It was off though

NYCGLK

Your battery is getting old. I have 2010 and killed battery by 2 hours of hazards. I think computer senses lower voltage and disables pretty much everything even if there is some juice. After battery was connected to road side assistance car for 5 min or so it came back to life and started the car.

FOR US OWNERS. If you want new MB battery, call roadside assistance for a jump and they can install new battery free of charge. My road assitance guy had 4 batteries in the trunk. One for GLK is 180 bucks, which is cheaper than what I've seen online and they don't change for installation.

bha1980

I just changed the battery 6 months ago.

1Fisherman

I have a 1992 190e with same issue. I am going to check all the ground connections first to see if I have a loose wire connection on a ground.


The next thing you could do is pull the fuses one at a time and look for a short. I took the + terminal off and clipped a 12V light to the battery and + cable to determine if I have a short. I do have a possible short or it could be as easy as a loose ground wire on my 190e. I have posted a new post to see what other 190e owners have done with the battery drain issue.


Phil

MBKLUE

Shorts cause fuses to blow. That's their purpose in life. If a fuse is blown it's already the same thing as if you were to pull it - it's not conducting current.

The proper first step would be to measure the current draw at the battery with the vehicle shut off, doors closed to ensure the interior lights are off etc. Then compare that figure to what's expected or compare to the reading of a similar GLK without battery problems.

mjhawkins2346

These batteries are starved electrolyte Absorbed Glass Mat batteries.
You can boil off the limited amount of Sulfuric Acid - and there is less, but it takes heavy overcharging to boil it off and it's not replaceable. It's a sealed cell with a one way valve.

You can't add distilled water or H2SO4