Long Crank at Cold Start
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Mercedes-Benz GLK350 4Matic and Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTEC
Long Crank at Cold Start
Hello
The past few weeks as it has gotten colder here in VA, my 2010 GLK350 has began having a rough time starting. It always starts on one try, but the cranks seem to be longer than before. I have never replaced the battery in my GLK, and it is going on 8 years old this year. This morning was the worst crank as it took about 4-5 seconds to start. Later this afternoon it was rougher to start than normal, but not as bad as in the morning. I took the car to O'Reilly's to have the battery tested, they claim it is okay. They thought that the alternator was bad at first, because it read 12V, but it quickly jumped to 14V which is a good reading.
Any other ideas?
Should I take it elsewhere to get checked? It went to the dealer for an oil change two days before thanksgiving and they did not mention anything to me about an issue.
I appreciate any feedback. I still feel that the battery would be a good replacement no matter what due to age.
Thanks
Matt
The past few weeks as it has gotten colder here in VA, my 2010 GLK350 has began having a rough time starting. It always starts on one try, but the cranks seem to be longer than before. I have never replaced the battery in my GLK, and it is going on 8 years old this year. This morning was the worst crank as it took about 4-5 seconds to start. Later this afternoon it was rougher to start than normal, but not as bad as in the morning. I took the car to O'Reilly's to have the battery tested, they claim it is okay. They thought that the alternator was bad at first, because it read 12V, but it quickly jumped to 14V which is a good reading.
Any other ideas?
Should I take it elsewhere to get checked? It went to the dealer for an oil change two days before thanksgiving and they did not mention anything to me about an issue.
I appreciate any feedback. I still feel that the battery would be a good replacement no matter what due to age.
Thanks
Matt
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 861
Likes: 38
From: Philly area
350 GLK, C280
Batteries lose lead from the cells or sulfate up giving less surface area for the cracking. After 8 years that battery owes you nothing. Get it replaced before it strands you in the middle of the night when yu need it the most.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Mercedes-Benz GLK350 4Matic and Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTEC
Yup, it was a bad battery. It eventually died, luckily in the driveway at home. New battery and the car is all good again. Guys at O'Reilly have no clue I guess when it comes to a good/bad battery.
Member
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 104
Likes: 21
From: Portland, Oregon USA
2010 ML350 Bluetec, Alfa Romeo GTV6
I just saw a Youtube video featuring a new computerized battery tester, which doesn't just check the voltage but does a computerized load test on it. I have a really simple load tester, but I think I'm going to upgrade.
Member
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 113
Likes: 25
From: Washington State
2013 GLK 350 4Matic
3 years ago I bought a Solar BA-7 battery tester on Amazon. It's one of the new style testers that send a 1khz signal through the battery and measure the internal impedance. I believe it was around $60 and it already saved me the price of one battery. I had some early issues with my AGM main battery and this caught it before warranty was up. The dealer put it on their fancy Midland tester and agreed that my battery was defective and replaced it. The tester will test all auto battery types and will tell you both Good/Bad and indicate CCA. It's the new equivalent of the old resistive load tester. It's simple to use and you don't have to rely on some mechanic's opinion. I do a yearly check on the batteries in my cars and boat and record the CCA value. That way you can see problems coming a long way off. It's pretty cheap insurance.
