Help please... Low battery
Former Vendor of MBWorld
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,513
Likes: 0
From: In a box
W211 E55
You could relocate the alternator to a different spot... 
If you look at the placement, low and to the left, you see that it's great for cooling/airflow. Not so good for salt/rain/debris.
If you look at the placement, low and to the left, you see that it's great for cooling/airflow. Not so good for salt/rain/debris.
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
C240
Well here is my 2 cents. I had "undervoltage consumer defective" too. I did all sorts off tests.
1. measured voltage with car idling, I was getting 13.2, but after couple of minutes it slowly droppes down, I thougt it could the alternator
2. measured voltage with engine off, I was getting above 12 volts, and what I thing the "undervoltage consumer defective" shows up only when voltage drops below 12 volts.
3. next morning could not start the car, the cluster was lighting up but not enough juice to start the car, I got jumpers from other car (not running) cliped the other end to my battery, start the other car let it run for about 5 min, shut it off, remooved jumpers, nad my car CAME UP. Well it made me think the alternator was bad
4. the same day at work I asked my body to help me up, what I was going to do is touse jumpers from his battery to my end and disconnect my battery just to check the alternator. I have told him stories that you do not want to disconnect battery from Benzs at all, as it might give more books to read :}}}. Well I had to step off for a sec. my body was at my car, and guess what hapenned ...... he disconnected the battery.. %&*^#$$%#
The only good thing out of it was that the NEGATIVE CONNECTOR WAS LOOSE ON THE BATTERY
4. Anyway I had nothing to lose, I put connector back on jumped to his car, started his car, let it run for 5 min min, shut down his car, disconnect jumpers, start mine no problem, voltage was about 12.3, which I guess enough to get you start the engine. My next step was to disconnec the negative end from the battery again (my body did it once already anyway .^%&$%&^#@), and if the car is still running that it means the alternator is working, well I disconnecter the negative end from the battery and ..........
........ CAR IS STILL ON, turned on lights, A/C, everything was working with battery DISCONNECTED.
Well it proved me that it was defective battery, which easy DIY (make sure use have some sort of power to the car while doing it) and for some reason it was not charging off my alternator even though it was working. My guess it is because this car have to much brains in it, and it sensed something wrong with the battery and was not giving it juice anymore.
Now the second problem, since the battery got disconnected I have got a message something like that: " elec. stability prog. not availb. ESP " . I was reading other posts where you have to turn wheels all the way to the right and that to the left, drive a bit, and so on the last thing was to empty the ash tray (russian joke). But I was reading one post where the guy found burned out fuse (#62) which was the problem (he also disconnected his battery :}}} ). Well I looked for that fuse ( fuse box under the hood C240 2001 W203) but it was fine, that I was checking the other ones , they all seemed fine. Well the only problem I was thinking of was rear SAM box ( I guess the other name for the FUSE box), as many had problems with it while doing any type of electrical job on the car.
But I was removing fuses with the engine runing (I was not thinking about while doing it as I was pissed off with my body who got me ESP message), when I got back to the car there was 9 foults on display, I was F%%%%, turned off the engine , turned it back and miracle NO FAULTS AT ALL. I do not know what cleared it, but I think while the car was runnig and I was removing fuses ( all clear ones under the hood) and putting them back one at a time, something got reset. Drove it around the coner - no faults
1. measured voltage with car idling, I was getting 13.2, but after couple of minutes it slowly droppes down, I thougt it could the alternator
2. measured voltage with engine off, I was getting above 12 volts, and what I thing the "undervoltage consumer defective" shows up only when voltage drops below 12 volts.
3. next morning could not start the car, the cluster was lighting up but not enough juice to start the car, I got jumpers from other car (not running) cliped the other end to my battery, start the other car let it run for about 5 min, shut it off, remooved jumpers, nad my car CAME UP. Well it made me think the alternator was bad
4. the same day at work I asked my body to help me up, what I was going to do is touse jumpers from his battery to my end and disconnect my battery just to check the alternator. I have told him stories that you do not want to disconnect battery from Benzs at all, as it might give more books to read :}}}. Well I had to step off for a sec. my body was at my car, and guess what hapenned ...... he disconnected the battery.. %&*^#$$%#
The only good thing out of it was that the NEGATIVE CONNECTOR WAS LOOSE ON THE BATTERY
4. Anyway I had nothing to lose, I put connector back on jumped to his car, started his car, let it run for 5 min min, shut down his car, disconnect jumpers, start mine no problem, voltage was about 12.3, which I guess enough to get you start the engine. My next step was to disconnec the negative end from the battery again (my body did it once already anyway .^%&$%&^#@), and if the car is still running that it means the alternator is working, well I disconnecter the negative end from the battery and ..........
........ CAR IS STILL ON, turned on lights, A/C, everything was working with battery DISCONNECTED.
Well it proved me that it was defective battery, which easy DIY (make sure use have some sort of power to the car while doing it) and for some reason it was not charging off my alternator even though it was working. My guess it is because this car have to much brains in it, and it sensed something wrong with the battery and was not giving it juice anymore.
Now the second problem, since the battery got disconnected I have got a message something like that: " elec. stability prog. not availb. ESP " . I was reading other posts where you have to turn wheels all the way to the right and that to the left, drive a bit, and so on the last thing was to empty the ash tray (russian joke). But I was reading one post where the guy found burned out fuse (#62) which was the problem (he also disconnected his battery :}}} ). Well I looked for that fuse ( fuse box under the hood C240 2001 W203) but it was fine, that I was checking the other ones , they all seemed fine. Well the only problem I was thinking of was rear SAM box ( I guess the other name for the FUSE box), as many had problems with it while doing any type of electrical job on the car.
But I was removing fuses with the engine runing (I was not thinking about while doing it as I was pissed off with my body who got me ESP message), when I got back to the car there was 9 foults on display, I was F%%%%, turned off the engine , turned it back and miracle NO FAULTS AT ALL. I do not know what cleared it, but I think while the car was runnig and I was removing fuses ( all clear ones under the hood) and putting them back one at a time, something got reset. Drove it around the coner - no faults
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 433
Likes: 0
From: NJ
Sorry to necro bump this, but can we all agree this message usually means your alternator is on its way out? Or is the BPM. As i've just experienced this earlier with the horrible smell of burning copper or whatever that smell is coming from the alternator area....
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
From: Orlando
W211 E55 AMG Kompressor
Help!!!!
Hello everyone, can someone please provide some feedback on this tread, last night while idling my E55 in the garage I smelled a faint burning scent, popped the hood and could not find nor describe the source of this burning smell, however, after checking the forum on the matter it's come to my attention that the alternator/voltage regulator could be on it's way out, convienience message comes on and off now so i know there is low voltage (11.1v) sometimes a bit less, here's my question,,, if, it is the regulator thats bad, would I still get the burning smell???? Or is the burning smell a clear sign that the alternator itself is toasted internally....feedback please!!!!!!!
Hello everyone, can someone please provide some feedback on this tread, last night while idling my E55 in the garage I smelled a faint burning scent, popped the hood and could not find nor describe the source of this burning smell, however, after checking the forum on the matter it's come to my attention that the alternator/voltage regulator could be on it's way out, convienience message comes on and off now so i know there is low voltage (11.1v) sometimes a bit less, here's my question,,, if, it is the regulator thats bad, would I still get the burning smell???? Or is the burning smell a clear sign that the alternator itself is toasted internally....feedback please!!!!!!!
