Walmart has size 49N for $75 + tax.

Will a 49N fit in my 300D?

The Walmart auto rep was unsure of the correct dimensions.

__________________
JWJ
1983 MB 300D - > 430,000 miles - Deep Blue - Bilstein Comforts - 0-60 in 24 seconds - 27MPG
1985 MB 300TD (wagon) - > 275,000 miles - Manila Beige - Thule rack - 0-60 in 18 seconds - 22 - 25MPG
Biodiesel, Mobil Delvac 1, and Viton fuel lines!

The 49 series battery is a suitable replacement for the 93 series (what your car should have). The Wal-Mart batteries are the cheap line of Interstate batteries, and although the Interstate batteries are the best of the best, the Walmart version is about as good as an Autozone version (not very). Then again, $75 is a good price and when/if the battery fails in the next two years, Walmart will gladly sell you another one (pro-rated).

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- Brian


1989 500SEL Euro
1966 250SE Cabriolet
1958 BMW Isetta 600

It will fit, but it's 5/16" taller than a Group 93, so installation is slightly more difficult.


What leads you to that conclusion? My information suggests that Walmart batteries are made by Johnson Controls; same for Autozone, Advance, Pep Boys.

Walmart offers free replacement for either two or three years (depending on the battery model) then prorated replacement for 6-7 years.

Just a couple of weeks ago I had a WalMart battery installed in my car. Have always had good luck with their batteries and love the warranty and abundance of WalMarts. Usually I buy the battery and install it myself. Since the weather was dreadful and installation is free, I decided to have them put it in. I mean, how can you mess this job up? While waiting I happened to glance through the window to the shop and saw the installer pounding the terminal on with a large hammer. He was really pounding too. I'm hanging onto my warranty papers.

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John Schroader
bio burnin' 83 300D, '83 300 SD, '79 240D
"I've never met a man who was good at making excuses who was good at anything else" Ben Franklin
"You cannot permanently help a man by doing for him what he could and should do for himself" Abraham Lincoln

Because I'm an Interstate dealer and I know where they get their batteries (at least down here in Texas); Interstate won't allow me to warranty a Wal-Mart Interstate batt bc they're a lesser quality. From the mouth of Interstate themselves.

Yeah, I know.

__________________
- Brian


1989 500SEL Euro
1966 250SE Cabriolet
1958 BMW Isetta 600

The real question is who makes "Interstate" batteries? It's a good marketing ploy..........the battery is no better than any other battery with a similar warranty.

I'd suggest that the Duralast with an 84 month warranty will go the same distance as an Interstate.

Wow!! 7 year warranty on a battery!! You guys are lucky.
Down here we are lucky to get 2 years. If you dont abuse them they last 3 or 4 years.
We have some indi's selling battery's made in Fiji, they are like Indian injector nozzles. The battery case size for a MB makes them more expensive here, they are a European spec, The cheaper alternates are N70 and 86 case sizes, they dont fit well though.
As a simple rule, I have heard, the heavier the battery, the more lead in it, so the longer it lasts (assuming the build quality is there).

__________________
Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

I recently had a Walmart deep cycle battery 13 months old, warranty was 1yr free and then 2 yrs prorated so 1month into the prorated it cost me half the price of a new battery!
The battery i got says"distributed by Johnson controls" it does NOT say made by.I have a Walmart battery in a 49cc motor scooter that says distributed by Johnson controls made in Taiwan. They tried to not honor the warranty on the deep cycle saying it just needed a charge,after some discussion they relented and gave it to me and stated that there is now no warranty on the one they gave me.That makes me wonder where those are being made.
I am afraid the days of getting a good quality battery at Walmart are gone,i used to really like the yellow ones they sold that said MADE by Johnson controls, had very good luck with those in a few cars.

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Red Green "This is only temporary,Unless it works!"

97 E300D 157000 miles
87 300TD ?141k? miles

The long warranty is a marketing ploy; it is not a reasonable predictor of longevity. The manufacturers want the battery to fail near the end of the warranty period. That way, the customer choses to purchase another battery of the same brand rather than "waste" the value of the remaining warranty credit. Walmart used to issue a cash refund in the case of a battery warranty claim; now they only issue a credit towards a new battery purchase.

The battery in the SD, an Autozone Duralast, with an 84 month warranty was installed in February 2003.

It has no problems starting the SD at temperatures that are close to 0°F.

You can draw your own conclusions about longevity.

Here is a quote from an Interstate Battery newsletter. It make it very clear that the warranty length is about perception, not reality.

"Ten years ago, Interstate Batteries was the first in the professional-installers battery market to offer an 18-month free-replacement warranty. The time has come once again for Interstate to beat our competition. Improving the warranty is sure to give you a competitive edge and to help you sell more batteries. And longer warranties give consumers a perception of longer battery life and quality.
Longer life/warranty is the most persuasive aspect in selling an automotive battery, far more persuasive than price. In a survey conducted by Spectrum Research, 800 battery purchasers were asked, “Why did you select the battery you bought?” The vast majority named “Warranty / Life Expectancy” as the primary factor."

The statement is with regard to perception.

The reality is unknown, however, you might conclude that a manufacturer certainly won't offer a battery with an 84 month warranty if more than 25% of them will come back in 60 months or less. It's a money losing proposition.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that "most" batteries will make it to the end of the warranty period if the vehicle is properly maintained. Naturally, if the battery is routinely discharged due to excessive cranking time, all bets are off.

Furthermore, one event of leaving the lights on overnight will permanently affect the longevity of the battery. I've foreshortened the life of a battery in the van by doing that exact scenario. Driving in daylight, in rain, with the lights on..........it's easy to do when parking it.

So, the actual durability of a battery is highly variable, but I've never returned a Duralast under the warranty yet.

I don't think so. A major study by Douglas Battery Co. found that the average battery life expectancy was 43 months. Little has changed in lead-acid battery technology to support longer warranty periods. Longer warranty periods have been driven by the marketing department, not the engineering department.

Of course, the nice thing about "anecdotal" evidence is that you can disregard any anecdotes that don't support your thesis. I suspect that you won't find any reliable data that shows that the majority of batteries outlive their warranty period.

Here is the Die Hard view of life expectancy:
http://www.sears.com/ue/home/map_cold.jpg
The average for the southern half of the country is around 3 years.

Maybe so, but a lifetime of experience with at least 15 batteries suggests otherwise.

Buying Interstate batteries from an Interstate disty is a good way to go.
Mine locally provides excellent service and a zero BS warranty policy.

IMHO, much, much better than buying from a firm that sources bout 90% of the items they sell from the Chinese.

__________________
1985 300D 198K sold
1982 300D 202K
1989 300E 125K
1992 940T

"If you dont have time to do it safely, you dont have time to do it"

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."