SL/R230: 2003 SL500 has hardtop convertible stuck. "ESP Batt issue. Batt @ 12.41 volts.
09-22-2020, 09:22 AM
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2003 SL500, 2016 VW CC R-Line coupe
2003 SL500 has hardtop convertible stuck. "ESP Batt issue. Batt @ 12.41 volts.
Hello, I think the services battery in trunk is the culprit. Tested it and it shows 12.45 volts on my meter. Not sure what it should be. This has been going on for a few weeks now. Running the engine to charge seemed to clear issue at onset but now, a few weeks later display showed red Services Battery ICON and go to the workshop. damn thing is almost closed but not quite. On another note, I opened the trunk compartment and lp there was a lot of moisture on components, further inspection showed that under the spare was a one inch hole in the bottom-open to the outside. Is this supposed to be plugged with a rubber cap? Any help greatly appreciated, car is pristine and only had 23.5k miles on it when i bought it. Was stored in an airconditioned garage for many years. Love the beast!
09-22-2020, 02:33 PM
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2005 R 230 SL350 (M112 3.7). Sold the 1966 W113 230SL recently
Sounds like the car is, or has been, leaking into the trunk and someone has indeed removed that plug. It is a well known design flaw, extensively described in this forum. Fixing the trunk leak is a totally doable and inexpensive job.
09-24-2020, 06:48 AM
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2003 SL500, 2016 VW CC R-Line coupe
Welcome to the forum, Peter. You need to read a code from the battery control module to find why the red message is on in the cluster. An OBD2 one won't do the job, so you need something like a Foxwell NT510. Check the stickies at the top of the first page of this forum. As for the hole, there is supposed to be a rubber plug with small holes designed to let water drain out of the trunk while keeping water out.
