Huncowboy

Thanks for that!


The only problem seams to be that the CTEK eyelet cables use the CTEK plug, which is different from the MB version's plug.

wem

I noticed the difference in the plugs too which is why I had to sacrifice the 12v plug.

FlyingBear

You're right: I use Ctek maintainers on all my cars, and when I opened the box for the MB charger, which is obviously made by Ctek, the plug was different. The mind boggles trying to figure out why they would do that.

Huncowboy

Word of caution. I have attempted to install this trickle charger outlet myself. It is not hard, but it is a PITA for sure bending into the trunk. I did run into a problem you want to be aware of if you attempt this yourself. My positive batter terminal (the thing that looks like a circle with the screw) was bent. As I was unscrewing it to loosen it, the screw eventually got stuck and there was no way for me to completely unscrew the terminal and also no way after a while to screw it back on. See image. I was lucky enough that with a clamp I was able to just squeeze the terminal together so it would sit securely enough to drive the car to service where they will install the whole thing for $400+ LOL. I did not fight it. MB should do this for free but I had no interest in fighting it here, today. I might write an e-mail to MBUSA later. Long story short, make sure your terminal is not bent before you try this. Mine was not obvious bent, only after loosening did I see that. That is because my hand covered it while I was unscrewing it and when in place it looked normal.


Bent terminal

wem

Sorry to hear about your install. It’s interesting that your terminal setup looks different from mine. My positive terminal bracket screw is top mounted, not side mounted. My negative terminal bracket screw is side mounted, but looks a bit different from your positive terminal. If anyone runs into the problem you encountered (screw doesn’t come off), you can clip a small part of the ring terminal fitting to create a “C” shape that will fit around the bolt that runs through the terminal bracket. Once the terminal bracket is tightened, the fitting for the battery charger wire will be secure.

Huncowboy

Finally, today I got the trickle charger installed by MB of Palm Beach, where I now go for service. I did not ask for a free install, yet they ended up giving me one anyways. Paul S, the service advisor (I highly recommend him), kept telling me all along this should be free on this car. I agreed but I did not really care to push "principles" this time. But I guess he decided to give it to me free anyways. I did not even buy the car here. I got this one used. I did order an S580 here two years ago but never took delivery since we went the EV way (unfortunately with Tesla). I am not even an "established" customer there.

I have to say kudos to MB Palm Beach, not just for stepping up and giving the install for free, but overall customer experience. Scheduling, communication, drop off and pick up, as good as it can be. It is really a red carpet experience there which is not something I expect or am used to, but it sure was nice to experience.

We did chat about the fantom drain a bit. Paul told me MB is still investigating this. Something supposedly does not go to sleep as it should. This does give me the hope that one day a software update will solve the issue. All in all, yeah this is not how it should be. A 180-200k car should not have a phantom drain and we all know this was no secret to the engineers before releasing the car to the public. They had to be aware of this. But it is not a perfect world. The car is a joy to drive and it is a beauty. I will not allow this to annoy me.

sabrer65

Well guys and gals!! I have owned Mercedes Benz cars since 1996. Owned 7 cars and still own 3. Just to chime in to let you all know that I am having the same issue...battery drain when not driven for 4-5 DAYS! I really feel this is unacceptable for a $200K plus car! This is a weekend car not a daily driver! Let's keep hammering MZB to get a fix for these cars!! I love the car in every other respect.
Cheers!

xtdoc777

Are you clicking the lock button twice on the key and placing the key at least 20 feet away from the car after locking it?
If not, it should help.

Huncowboy

I am starting to think that the problem is not some phantom drain, something not going to sleep. Or at least not just that. Because how is this next scenario even possible? I have the car on the trickle for days. It shows green, meaning it is near fully charged. I take the car off, drive it 5 miles to my optometrist and back. The whole trip took no more than 30 mins with a quick eye re-exam. I connect the car again and the trickle charger shows 50%. The 2nd LED I think. Amber. This is my second such charger. I had this charger through amazon before I got one from MB. At first I thought the charger was garbage and sent the first one back. But now two charges show the same thing and my other nicer charger shows a significant voltage drop too. So is the battery really at 50% or so after 30 mins off the charger (10 mins of that was driving)? That is only possible if there is something wrong with the charge controller, or the alternator or both. I am really starting to believe that the car does not charge itself correctly when driving for some reason. It is almost like it lets itself deplete the battery. Then you park it and start with a battery that is close to 50%. no wonder 2-3 weeks later you get a low battery warning. even with normal drain you would probably get that.

sabrer65

I just started double clicking the fob. I will see it that helps. Another problem I am having is the app is not updating. Last update 3 days ago. Also, my battery is on a trickle charge, showing "green" meaning fully charged but I have gotten 2 texts saying 12V battery low. I also drove the car today!!! WTF!

Huncowboy

My app stopped updating when I also got a SOS not available (or something like that) red msg on the dash. They had to do some resetting and remove the center console for that when it was in for service.

xtdoc777

I have had the same thing happen once...low battery warning just after a full trickle charge...I ignored it and it did not re-appear. There seems to be some type of delay in status update.

Let me know how the double click works for you. It works well for me. I only get low battery messages when I forget to double click, don't drive the car for a long period of time (should keep on a trickle charger if you are planning that), or if I have the car "on" for a long period of time (ie, car detailing).

I brought my car into service for the first time last week and my service advisor confirms that the same battery issue is happening with the new S class sedan. Not good mercedes. But I love my new SL regardless.

wem

I had the same issues with the charging status lights on the MB charger after driving the car, as well as the low battery notifications when I used the MB Charger. I haven't used the charger and the battery has been fine. If I remember, I will try to read the voltage of the battery after driving the car with my Autel code scanner.

sabrer65

Just quik update...I deleted the car from my app and reinstalled it and everything good now! Still watching the double click thing!
Cheers!

Foxgatecar

Quick question, folks: does anyone know if the 2022 MY Critical Low Battery issue carried over to the 2023 MY's?

sabrer65

I am not sure if the 2022's had the problem but my 2023 does!!!

Foxgatecar

Thanks, and I was afraid that might be the answer. My '22 SL55 is nine months old and has 1,700 miles (I drive it weekly). The car is in the shop for the 4th time for this battery issue. I love the car and don't want to get rid of it but while I could potentially live with the messages, the side effects of door handles not opening or no ability to lock, unlock, or remote start is a deal breaker. The dealership is doing its best, but their solution is to wire a trickle charger, pat me on the back out the door, and hope not to see me again. I've told them I would have purchased an EV if I wanted a car I needed to plug in to drive weekly! I was hoping this issue was just indigenous to the '22 MY, but it sounds like it's a '23 issue as well.

Streamliner

For MB to deliver the 2022 models with these issues was absolutely horrible, but first year models usually have some sort of glitches. For them to release 2023 models without having COMPLETELY resolved the issues is absolutely unacceptable and unforgivable. Anyone experiencing these issues who is not hitting the dealer and MBUSA with a full court press to IMMEDIATELY resolve the issue or take the car back and issue a 100% refund, (also known as a “repurchase”) has got their head where the sun don’t shine, in my opinion. MB needs a kick in the *** and if you guys just continue to jump through hoops dealing with these DEFECTIVE cars, you really must be gluttons for punishment. I just cannot believe it. Oh well.

xtdoc777

I have owned my 2023 SL 55 for 6 months and have had no significant problems.
As long as I double click my key and place it 20 feet away from the car I don’t get low battery alerts.
One small issue: my comfort seat access stopped working but it was easily fixed by the dealer with a seat calibration.

Agree that mercedes needs to address the issues that many have experienced but for me, so far so good.

sabrer65

Wow! you are sooo right! I traded in a pristine 2017 S550 with 35K miles, a car that I could let sit for a number of weeks and would start with no problems. Now the dealer has it and I have a misrepresented 2023 SL63 that is sitting in the garage collecting dust! The bad part is the car is paid for so I am holding the bag!

Streamliner

ABSOLUTELY NOT! You are not holding the bag! That car is covered under the factory warranty and the laws of your state. Depending on the “Lemon Law” in your state, you could get EVERY DIME you spent on that car, refunded to you. It will probably take several months, but in the meantime, you can drive the car, etc. I just went through this with my defective 2022 S580. I had the car 18 months, put about 12K miles on it and was refunded every lease payment, my security deposit, the sales tax and the remaining portion of the current year registration.

DO NOT let the dealer and/or MBUSA walk all over you. DEMAND that they IMMEDIATELY fix the car, once and for all, or that they repurchase it. If you don’t have the time or the inclination to deal with this yourself, hire a Lemon Law attorney. It will be paid for by MBUSA. Best of luck to you.

sabrer65

Thanks for the encouragement! I am headed for a buy-back. Can't deal with this kind of thing. Interesting enough, I have been in maintenance/mechanics all my life as a aviator and if it was an airplane, the manufacturer would be working on this day and night to get it fixed!

Streamliner

I’m sure someone would say “well, in an airplane, it’s a matter of life or death,” which of course, is true. However, these electrical issues in motor vehicles can be a matter of life or death as well. My S580, with only a few SECONDS of warning, shut down 100% in the middle of a busy highway, to the point where the emergency flashers would not work. Fortunately, it was daytime and the traffic was bumper to bumper, so nobody got hurt, just nerves quite frazzled. Had the same thing happened on the freeway, in fast traffic, at night, I might not be writing this right now. Of course, some here, I’m sure, wouldn’t miss me.

Foxgatecar

FWIW update. I picked up SL55 from the shop yesterday. I was told the new battery they installed last week was defective, and they replaced it with another new battery this week. It has been a day, but we will see if the Critical Battery fix is finely fixed. I'm on board to go down the Lemon Law path if I get one more Critical Battery message. Life's too short to deal with this crap. BTW, not that it matters, but this is my first MB! Pretty bad foray into a new brand. I've owned seven new 911's and eight new full-size Range Rovers over the past 25 years. I've never had a problem with any car before and was enticed into the SL through a conquest discount. I LOVE the SL and am a big fan despite this car's Battery issue. If I must go down Lemon Road, I will try one more SL. Rant over!

sabrer65

hopefully it is only a battery issue with all of these cars but MZB needs to get on the ball and change them out if that is the case.