Thats what I at first thought about junk yard batteries that they just turn around and sell the ones they think are good but when I questioned the counter man he told me that the batteries are fully reconditioned and they look brand new even wrapped in plastic mind you I did not see one that would be big enough for my diesel 617 because they very rarely if ever get an older M.B. in there. I have bought 2 so far for gas engines and will see how they perform and they do have a guarantee for 90 days. Like I said I have a problem keeping a battery charged in anything that is not used that often. I imagine you almost have to keep a battery tender on it all the time and there are some places that advertise they sell an additive that will greatly increase the life of your battery but I have never tried it yet if any one else has please chime in.

Where do you get these? Just any Interstate dealer?

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap

I didn't see anywhere in your description where you checked the electrolyte levels or topped the cells off with distilled water. With a battery this old, that has lived a rough life with multiple run-flats, the cells are surely low on electrolyte - will will prevent them from taking a charge, and will also contribute to the off-gassing you experienced.

I would top up the cells to the correct level with distilled water, then charge it on the big charger at 10 amps. I'd do that outdoors, not inside the garage.

If you decide to replace the battery with a new one, you do not want an AGM type. The AGM batteries do not take kindly to being run flat and abused. It's not unusual for a brand new AGM to refuse to charge back up after a single run-flat. AGM batteries are not a good choice for cars that sit for long periods of time.

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1998 E300 turbodiesel

America's Rights and Freedoms Are Not The Enemy!

I have found that the best way to charge a battery is on my Visa card. I get 2% back....

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Greg
2012 S350 BlueTEC 4Matic
2007 ML 320 CDI
2007 Leisure Travel Serenity
2006 Sprinter 432k
2005 E320 CDI
1998 SLK230 (teal)
1998 SLK230 (silver)
1996 E300D 99k, 30k on WVO
Previous:
1983 240D, on WVO
1982 300D, on WVO
1983 300CD, on WVO
1986 300SDL 237k, 25k on WVO (Deerslayer)
1991 350SDL 249k, 56k on WVO - Retired to a car spa in Phoenix
1983 380 SEC w/603 diesel, 8k on WVO
1996 E300D 351k, 177k on WVO

Needs to be an actual Interstate store (as opposed to a store that happens to sell Interstate batteries).

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14 E250 Bluetec "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 153k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 171k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver, 142k mi, wastegate conversion

19 Honda CR-V EX 61k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

LOL

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Cruise Control not working? Send me PM or email (jamesdean59@gmail.com). I might be able to help out.
Check here for compatibility, diagnostics, and availability!

(4/11/2020: Hi Everyone! I am still taking orders and replying to emails/PMs/etc, I appreciate your patience in these crazy times. Stay safe and healthy!)


82 300SD 145k
89 420SEL 210k
89 560SEL 118k
90 300SE 262k RIP 5/25/2010
90 560SEL 154k
91 300D 2.5 Turbo. 241k
93 190E 3.0 235k
93 300E 195k

$150 for a dealer battery is a steal. I put an Interstate group 65 in the the Jeep @$165 three years ago, money well spent.

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$60 OM617 Blank Exhaust Flanges
$110 OM606 Blank Exhaust Flanges
No merc at the moment

Great, thank you.

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap

In One (1) Penny increments:

The "Local" Interstate Battery "Supplier" (NOT ANY OLD RETAILER) will
have "Blems" or blemished [Seconds] batteries for less with full warranty.

AGM batteries do have specific "Likes And Dislikes" in Charging that are
not the same as flooded Lead Acid Batteries.

Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) Battery Information - Battery University

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'84 300SD sold
124.128

In Canada the seconds battery places seem to be stand alone enterprises. They do not sell reconditioned batteries. New so called second is there general game. Yes they may tend to be involved with primarily one label but not always. I feel they should last as long as the full price batteries in general. Because they are new.

Also do not expect any more lifespan than you would get with a full price battery. If used infrequently in a car their lifespan will in all probability be reduced substantially as well.

Personally for all practical purposes I have lost batteries in only a year on occasion with low to no usage. A so called reconditioned battery will only cost a little less than a new second. So buy the second.

I also think that the designation of a second may not be totally accurate all the time. There is a strong and growing seconds market as battery prices increase. Logically some so called seconds might be general normal batteries sold to service this growing market.

Chain retailers demand a large markup today but these seconds shops much less. As a manufacturer I might consider supplying the same two different entities if the dollars coming back to me where close. Kind of stupid not to today. Each getting for all practical purposes the same basic batteries. The seconds place in the next town has a lineup whenever I am in buying batteries. Logically there would not be enough really true seconds to meet that retailers needs. I suspect he moves perhaps 100 or more so called seconds per day.

These large organized chains are really starting to piss me off. I needed just a trailor electrical plug today but not urgently. It was 16.00 with tax. I can buy the same item with no packaging including delivery of a one off for 1.45 from China. That chain is going to pay less than I do for a single one. To me it is the principal and ethics of excess markups that disturb me more than the actual money cost.

The consumers are not really benefiting that much from cheap Chinese merchandise. Yet the retailers really are. So why not go back to north American production with normal markups again? Perhaps not possible as we have let the large chains in many types of business develop a monopoly in many areas of the retail economy. Battery prices have almost doubled here in Canada in the last few years. I would be very interested if the wholesale cost has as well.