W212 AMG Discuss the W212 AMG's such as the E63

2011 Car wouldn't start yesterday, apparently because of battery

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Rate Thread
 
Old Feb 8, 2016 | 06:41 AM
  #1  
robl45's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 345
Likes: 3
2011 AMG E63
2011 Car wouldn't start yesterday, apparently because of battery

Does anyone know how long you need to drive these cars in order to charge the battery? I've had no issues with starting until yesterday when I went to start the car and it just wouldn't crank. I drove a minute away in the same development to a friends house and when I went to leave 2 hours later, engine is not cranking at all. I've had batteries get weak before but usually the engine is trying to crank, lights are dimming or something. This was totally normal except the engine wasn't cranking. I honestly didn't think it was the battery, but rather than get towed, I asked my friend if he had cables and we tried jumping it which worked and it started.

I've had no indications of low voltage or anything come up, although I have noticed when listening to the radio at work during lunch with the car off, the car will turn itself off fairly quickly. I drive about 17 miles to and from work. That should be sufficient to charge the battery shouldn't it?
Reply
Old Feb 8, 2016 | 10:08 AM
  #2  
Celicasaur's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,752
Likes: 175
From: London, UK
W212 - E63 AMG
FWIW my E55 used to do this when the battery went flat. It didn't even bother to try and crank, it just stayed dead.

Could be any number of things, but the obvious things to check would be:
Is the battery getting 14V+ with the engine running
Does the battery have something like...12.4-12.6V when the engine is turned off and after the car has been driven for like...half hour or 45 minutes.

If both of the above check out ok, then you have a drain somewhere. Either that or your car is doing what my E55 was doing....it had an airmatic malfunction whereby it would constantly try to adjust itself through the night (you can hear the pump n all that stuff whining away and working) until the battery was drained.
Reply
Old Feb 9, 2016 | 05:53 PM
  #3  
robl45's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 345
Likes: 3
2011 AMG E63
I just tested now and also tested the battery this morning before going to work. Before Work after sitting all night, battery was 12.45. Now it was 12.45-12.52 right after I got home. With car running at idle. It was about 13.6-13.7. That seems a bit low?

Originally Posted by Celicasaur
FWIW my E55 used to do this when the battery went flat. It didn't even bother to try and crank, it just stayed dead.

Could be any number of things, but the obvious things to check would be:
Is the battery getting 14V+ with the engine running
Does the battery have something like...12.4-12.6V when the engine is turned off and after the car has been driven for like...half hour or 45 minutes.

If both of the above check out ok, then you have a drain somewhere. Either that or your car is doing what my E55 was doing....it had an airmatic malfunction whereby it would constantly try to adjust itself through the night (you can hear the pump n all that stuff whining away and working) until the battery was drained.
Reply
Old Feb 9, 2016 | 08:20 PM
  #4  
otakki's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 3,462
Likes: 54
FF. W212 E63 M156 non-pano 18" P2 ParkT NightV (gone but will be missed).
I always recommend hooking this car up to a battery tender/minder whenever it's not driven because this car is an electric hog that will ruin a battery in no time. The battery is pretty much in a semi-discharged state at all time. I sure hope MB can install a port so I can just pop open a flap and plug something from a battery conditioner easily.
Reply
Old Feb 9, 2016 | 08:26 PM
  #5  
robl45's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 345
Likes: 3
2011 AMG E63
You can plug through cig lighter with adapter for maintainer. I'm getting ctek mus 4.3 But I'd like to figure out if what I'm reading is correct.
Reply
Old Feb 9, 2016 | 08:34 PM
  #6  
homeofstone's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,084
Likes: 68
From: Athens, GA USA
2011 E63, 2011 Hyundai Genesis 4.6 v8, 2013 GMC Denali XL, 1965 Ford Mustang, 2005 Merc. E500
Check and make sure you have an AGM battery. If not, then I suggest getting a new AGM battery.
Reply
Old Feb 10, 2016 | 05:47 AM
  #7  
Celicasaur's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,752
Likes: 175
From: London, UK
W212 - E63 AMG
Yeah it does seem ever so slightly low I suppose. Those figures tell us that it's not being charged to what a battery normally would get charged to after a drive.

Either try a new battery as homeofstone suggested or get the alternator tested. Might be cheaper and a lot simpler to opt for the battery first though.

But on that note...I wonder if the brush pack on the M156 alternator might need to be replaced in the same way that it needed to be replaced on the M113K after a few years? Hmmm....
Reply
Old Feb 10, 2016 | 07:46 AM
  #8  
robl45's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 345
Likes: 3
2011 AMG E63
I'm assuming its got whatever battery came with the car. If battery is only getting to 12.45 it wouldn't be the battery assuming the battery can go higher which it would if I hooked up a charger to it. Are the Mercedes supposed to charge it higher? 12.45 is only like 80% I believe.
Reply
MB World Stories

The Best of Mercedes & AMG

story-0

6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Feb 10, 2016 | 09:32 AM
  #9  
homeofstone's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,084
Likes: 68
From: Athens, GA USA
2011 E63, 2011 Hyundai Genesis 4.6 v8, 2013 GMC Denali XL, 1965 Ford Mustang, 2005 Merc. E500
Originally Posted by robl45
I'm assuming its got whatever battery came with the car. If battery is only getting to 12.45 it wouldn't be the battery assuming the battery can go higher which it would if I hooked up a charger to it. Are the Mercedes supposed to charge it higher? 12.45 is only like 80% I believe.
Don't assume the battery is original. It may be an aftermarket non-AGM battery, which cannot last under the loads that the E63 puts on it. All my cars, except for the 65 Mustang, need an AGM battery or the battery will die if the car sits for 4 or five days. To save money a few years ago I tried a non- AGM battery in my E500 and what I really did was waste my money.
Reply
Old Feb 10, 2016 | 06:02 PM
  #10  
robl45's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 345
Likes: 3
2011 AMG E63
Lets assume its not the battery, should it be charging the battery to 12.6 volts or not?
Reply
Old Feb 13, 2016 | 09:34 AM
  #11  
robl45's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 345
Likes: 3
2011 AMG E63
Originally Posted by homeofstone
Don't assume the battery is original. It may be an aftermarket non-AGM battery, which cannot last under the loads that the E63 puts on it. All my cars, except for the 65 Mustang, need an AGM battery or the battery will die if the car sits for 4 or five days. To save money a few years ago I tried a non- AGM battery in my E500 and what I really did was waste my money.
So I did look and the battery is an original mercedes battery, not sure if it was every replaced but it looked nice and clean.

I got a reading the other day of 12.6 so I guess it is charging the battery. I noticed before this happened and the car wouldn't start that the command system was shutting off fairly early when I was listening to music with the engine off. I never once got a warning about low battery voltage though.
Reply

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 


You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 0 votes,  average.


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:17 PM.

story-0
6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

Slideshow: Not every Mercedes design becomes timeless, some feel stuck in the era they came from.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:09:07


VIEW MORE
story-1
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

Slideshow: Yes, Mercedes built manual cars, and some of them are far more interesting than you'd expect.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-02 12:36:58


VIEW MORE
story-2
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren

Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 11:19:28


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

Slideshow: Before curves took over, Mercedes mastered the art of the straight line, and some of those shapes still look right today.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-25 12:05:49


VIEW MORE
story-4
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

Slideshow: The 190E Evolution II shows how a homologation necessity became a six-figure collector icon.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-22 17:53:47


VIEW MORE
story-5
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

Slideshow: Mercedes is turning one of its core nameplates electric, and the details show just how serious this shift is.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:58:06


VIEW MORE
story-6
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

Slideshow: Faster charging, longer range, and a controversial steer-by-wire system define the latest evolution of Mercedes-Benz EQS.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-15 10:35:34


VIEW MORE
story-7
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve

Slideshow: These overlooked Mercedes-Benz models never got the spotlight, but they quietly delivered more than most remember.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-13 19:35:45


VIEW MORE
story-8
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping

Slideshow: A well-used 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300D with more than one million miles is now looking for a new owner, and it still appears ready for more.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-10 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used

Slideshow: From bulletproof sedans to surprisingly tough SUVs, these Mercedes models proved that the three-pointed star can go the distance.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-08 09:55:49


VIEW MORE