Batteries. You get what you pay for. The O.P has an original OEM MB battery that has lasted him 8+ years - excellent performance. Let him come back in a few years and tell us how long his AC Delco lasted for.

Maybe I will. What makes you think it won't last as long? From what I've read there are only a few major manufacturers who make automotive batteries. I only paid $100 for the AC Delco. The cheapest battery from Mercedes I could find was $230. Another dealer wanted close to $300. I can certainly justify spending a bit more for the Mercedes battery but for two to three times as much? I don't think that they are that much better.

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1989 300CE