Blazeracer

Old thread but I'll post a current update.

My front battery went to the big charger in the sky yesterday. Texas heat is battery killer and I was about 80 miles from home. I got the car started and stopped by a nearby Autozone. It was $199 plus tax for an AGM front battery, and they had it in stock. It was a 3-year battery and I noticed the date tag on my MB battery was just over 4 years old. Soo, to the dealer I went, with the car running the entire time mind you... The dealer got $215 plus tax and core, ballpark. It was $260 out the door. Then with the car still running, headed to the nearest Home Depot and parked in the shade and shut her off. Went inside and got a 10mm combo wrench for two and a half bucks and changed the battery right there under a tree. Baby cranked over like she had a new life! That was yesterday. June 14. 2019. So yeah, it was $15 more for a genuine MB AGM front battery that lasted a year longer than the Autozone battery was rated for.

bobterry99

When the R230 was launched the starter (front) battery was a conventional-type battery as was the Mercedes-branded battery I got from my local dealer two years ago. Since the starter battery is charged by the power supply module and that module's software is possibly optimized for a conventional battery, I wouldn't buy an AGM battery to go under the hood.

Blazeracer

I'm just going by what the guy told me based on the VIN number for my car. He said there are three different options for the front battery. I had to go outside and take of pic for him.

bobterry99

Maybe this guy is still learning to use the parts catalog software.

There is only one battery for your car, and it is part number 230-541-00-01. It is a conventional lead-acid battery.

Blazeracer

He must have been flapping his gums to make it sound like he knows what he's talking about. That's the part number I have in my car right now. Thanks for the info.

bobterry99

Just this morning I realized what has probably been obvious to most owners: that Mercedes starter battery is not maintenance free. Yet despite neglect, the two I have had have lasted c. seven years.

Rudeney

Parts counter guys can be notoriously uninformed. The other day, I went to buy some new lug bolts for the ML350 (kid's friend changed her tire on the side of the road and lost several). The parts guy told me that the new ones were now black anodized to prevent rust and that I was supposed to use a special socket to install them so as not to damage the coating. Huh? I've never heard of that. When he came back with them, they were the regular gray painted ones. He commented that, "they must have changed the color coating because customers were complaining that black doesn't look right with silver rims." I then asked for the special tool and he spent several minutes trying to look it up, then finally said, "I can;t find it, so it must be a dealer-only part." What a bunch of BS! And this guy knows me and knows that I am not an uniformed average Joe off the street.

As for the starter battery, I replaced mine last fall. it was the original and was over 8 years old. I had added a bit of distilled water to it over time.