Well after 16 years of use the Interstate battery in my 240D seems to have given up the ghost. I'm toying with the idea of throwing the charger on overnight but I think I may be pressing my luck. Seriously does anyone think the battery will hold a charge if I try to charge it overnight?

Only one way to find out.

If the battery is 16 years old then its like a person living to be 210 years old....pretty sure you've gotten your money out of it.

Give it 2amps overnight and see what you get.

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77' 300D, "Cartman" SOLD @ 150K (didn't know what I had)
83' 300SD, "The Superdon" 325k+ @ 28mpg
95 E320 wagon, "Millennium Falcon" 231k+ @ 24 Mpg
95 E300D, "Sherley" 308k @ 33.69 Mpg, currently anticipating a head
99 Suzuki Intruder "Trudy" @ 45 mpg

Crap!!!

I just this minute replaced my 5 year old no name battery.

It starts the diesel fine but even after 24 hours still charges at 3 amps. It never gets fully charged. I tried a battery desulfator on it and it is a bit better but I don't want to risk having to use my 00gauge jumpers.

The 2 year old BMW M3 battery is in the garage while the M3 is in winter storage so I simply switched them out. The M3 will get the Mercedes battery in the spring.

Like Nike says "Just do it". Charge it and see but be prepared to buy a new battery soooon!

That is one of the longest battery lives I have heard of, congratulations!

Merry Christmas to one and all.

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1999 Mercedes E300TD daily driver sold at 238K miles 106K miles were mine, rust worm got it :-(
2006 Mercedes CDI new daily driver! 56,000 miles May 2016 now 85,625 Apr 2018 and Apr 2019 101,000 miles Apr 2020 109,875. March 2024 135,250

16 years?!!! HS!

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1989 300E 144K

16 years is 3 to 4 times the expected life of a battery! That is amazing. I would be send a thank-you note to Interstate and then go out and buy another one of their batteries. My next battery will be an Interstate.

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85 300D 75K Anthracite Grey 0-60 in 13 seconds **For Sale**
84 300D 333K Black (The Velveteen Rabbit) 0-60 in 14 seconds
00 Toyota Sienna 208K (Sold)
15 Subaru Outback 43K
11 Subaru Outback 67K
98 Ford Taurus 100K (Gertie - Was Grandma's - drove it to church and shopping - really) Daughter's car now.
30 Model A Ford 2 Door Sedan (Sold) 0-60 in . . . Never reached 60

I have a 13 year old Pep Boys branded Battery from the Golf 1.6D (Golf Long Gone)
But every 15 days or so I put it on a 2 amp trickle charge for 24 hrs.
[And it'll still hold 12.55 volts for a week,once stabilized]

16Years without some sort of "Pulse" de-sulfator Battery maintainer hooked up
may be some sort of world record.

http://www.pulsetech.net/

http://helios.pulsetech.net/cgi/hsrun.exe/apps/aplusweb/x1/StateId/QRUX8y1nr7wV3PkmutqkRJHq3r_II-4JOW/HAHTpage/catalogiteminfo?infoflag=Y&Rectype=MI&Itno=100X010

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'84 300SD sold
124.128

My last diesel battery lasted 6 months and left me at the office. OP is lucky!

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

I'd send interstate an email. They may send you a new battery for the good press a story like this would create.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

No kidding that's once very old battery. Does it still have a sticker on it saying when it was made/installed? (Photos please )

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1982 300GD Carmine Red (DB3535) Cabriolet Parting Out
1990 300SEL Smoke Silver (Parting out)
1991 350SDL Blackberry Metallic (481)

"The thing is Bob, its not that I'm lazy...its that I just don't care."

And I thought I was doing well to get an additional 7 years on the battery that was in the 300D when we bought it. Guessing it was 1 or 2 years old at that point. Have tried to keep the water level up and the radio got disconnected most of the last two years. Still this is way better than any battery I've ever had before. Will have to check on the brand in a day or two when I am near the car.

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1961 190Db retired
1968 220D/8 325,000
1983 300D 164,150

Yes the sticker is still there. I will get a picture up later. I think the battery has lasted this long is because the car is a 240d without any electronics to drain the battery. The car can't have traveled more than 35k in that time either.

that was my thought. Its a 240...so it probably never gets asked to anything but start the car. I really like 240s. X2 on the email. Send them a letter and a picture of your car and the battery with the date. Say things like "Thank you so much for top of the line product." My buddy sent a letter along with his 15 year old coat back to LLBean, thanking them for the coat. They sent him a brand new one just like it no charge.

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77' 300D, "Cartman" SOLD @ 150K (didn't know what I had)
83' 300SD, "The Superdon" 325k+ @ 28mpg
95 E320 wagon, "Millennium Falcon" 231k+ @ 24 Mpg
95 E300D, "Sherley" 308k @ 33.69 Mpg, currently anticipating a head
99 Suzuki Intruder "Trudy" @ 45 mpg

After charging overnight it started right up we will see how long it lasts. I am going to send interstate a note letting them know they make a good product.