im replacing the battery in our 2003 S500 and just realized that the card that has the radio security code isnt in the service/owners books. can i get the security code from MB usa using my vin# or do i have to pull the head unit out to get the serial # first ?. also is it worth trying to use a slave battery to keep voltage on the system while swapping the battery to avoid losing all the memory functions and the radio issues or simply r&r the battery?

 

The radio code should be in the owners manual. Too bad its not in yours thou . Any Mercedes dealer can run your vin number and give you the code. Not sure if you need proof of ownership or not. But do call them and they will tell you more. Let us know how it goes.

 

the dealer and mb usa have both tried and say that since the radio has never been removed that the code has never been registered and other than the security card that came with the car there is no available record to be obtained. i am giving the new battery a little top off charge and than ill use a slave battery during r&r and never interupt power. thanks for the response c280.

 

That is very interesting. I had to type in the radio code on one of the W210'S and the dealer gave it to me with no problems. Let us know how it turns out.

 

simply set an extra battery in the trunk ran two test leads from it to the battery posts on the car,removed and replaced the car battery and never interrupted the power. all accessory functions work perfect. i bought the battery from napa, $275 yikes!. it is an exact replacement of what i removed. it has a legend 75 sticker on it and says johnson controls, made in germany?.after reading all the posts about batteries im not sure what to believe about who made it and where but it is 1000 ca,950 cca, 95 ah, 180 reserve.im headed back to the middle east for five months and want to avoid any foreseeable mechanical problems for the wife

 

Cobra,

I am guessing that you have a COMAND unit in your S-Class. COMAND units do not use a security code at all (until somewhere around MY '09-10). That's why you can't find one, and the dealer can't give you one.

Are you having some kind of problem with COMAND after your battery change? My guess is that you aren't, especially with the procedure you used.

BTW, Johnson Controls manufactures most of the automotive batteries sold in the U.S., under many different brand names.

 

you are right, no problems whether from using my method of r&r or from the new info that you have given me that the code isnt needed.