I have heard this is a good idea, any preferences?

Thank you in advance.

 

Does your model use an AGM battery? If so, this model is by far the best.

 

That CTEK is the best thing for the R230. I believe ALL R230s have an AGM battery in the trunk. Any R230 that is parked for more then 4-5 days at a time will drain its rear battery, it's not a defect in the car it's the nature of the beast because of he consumer electronics in the car. They imagined people would use these as their daily driver, that's what every car designer thinks. The R230 is a special car, though, and most people whio own one have other cars as well and don't always get to drive their R230 often enough. This is why when you get in the car you get the message Consumer electronics offline". After minutes of driving, usually ten maybe more, maybe less, POOF, "consumers back online". The slow draining and refilling of the battery will one day kill it, and they cost about $230.00 (Hence the name, R230. LOL) In the summer time I am driving my SL's at least every other day, because I can! In comparison, I only drive my Maserati once a week! On Fridays. When fall and winter arrive though I will be using my CTEK and it is the greatest thing. It produces a very small amperage so you simply connect to the battery and plug it in, it goes thru eight battery happiness stages, actually conditions the battery for its good health. My Maserati battery was becoming unhappy, the CTEK fixed that. That CTEK was around $60 on Amazon when I got mine, now they are closer to $80, but well worth the price. I may buy another unit for this winter so the SL's and the Maserati can each have their own, for those weeks where it's too terrible outside to take those cars out. I have a Mercedes GL SUV and an S-Class for when the weather is inclement. If you will be driving your R230 in the next 3-4 days or sooner, no need to use the CTEK, but any time frame longer then you do need to use it. Easy to connect, won't work if you connect it wrong, the lights on it tell you what it's doing, be sure to set it to Car sized battery, and AGM, IF the battery is an AGM type. When you return to the car in days or weeks, it will be just like you parked it half an hour ago. I got one for the simple reason I was tired of waiting ten minutes to use the heated seats function!!! And the CTEK is good for any battery that will sit a while, not only AGM batteries.

 

CTEK it is. Just picked up an SL500.

Thanks you for the replies and the help!




.

 

I am all for using a battery tender/maintainer and own several. However, this has not been my experience with the R230. I've let the car sit for 2+ weeks without any draining issue or warnings upon startup.

If left sitting for several days, it also appears the car goes into some kind of "sleep" mode, where there is a momentary delay between opening the door and the interior electronics coming on. Curious if this was a feature added at some point to address the draining issue.

 

My 2009 often sits for a week and I've never came back to a dead battery in 10 years of ownership. I do notice that after a few days it does seem to go into the sleep mode mentioned with the delay in the unlocking of the door when touching the door button.

 

Thank you for your post. I have an r230 and a CTEK 3300. It has been on the battery for 2 days, yet when I went to the car this morning I still got the ‘consumer battery off line’ message. You think the battery is done, or shoul I give it some more time? I was considering a short as things are happening that are confusing. The command clock will not hold the reset month or date or year after 3 minutes of driving. After turning the car off I get the “BRAKE” in red in the speedo, yet the brakes work. Any suggestions?

Thanks

Bill

 

Batteries beyond their usable life can cause all kinds of odd issues. How old is the one in your car now?

 

It’s only 2 years old

 

Bill, take the car to your local parts store and have it tested, usually at no charge. This will tell you the condition of the battery. 2 days on a charger should charge to 100% on a good battery.

 

MBCO

Thats what I plan to do. Thanks. Any special battery you recommend?

Bill

 

If a replacement is needed: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/aut...20#description

Serious battery with a lifetime replacement guarantee via FCP Euro.

 

Your car has two batteries, right? The one in the trunk is the consumer battery. Is it the one that's 2-years old? How old is the starter battery (the one up front)?

 

There are not a lot of AGM batteries in the size needed. FCP euro as cited above and MB OEM batteries are common choices. Interstate, Varta and others make them. Be sure to get AGM.

 

Both batteries are 2 years old. I just replaced the consumer battery as it was bad. The starter battery seems fine.

Thanks,

Bill

 

Yes, a battery tender is needed for the consumer battery in the trunk unless it’s your daily driver.