I’ve had my 300TD since August. When I got it, the seller mentioned it having just gotten a new battery. He also commented that it was very expensive, although he didn’t say how much. I’ve searched online and can’t even find any of this model for sale (using the model #, etc). What sellers I found are in Europe (I’m in the NYC area and got the car locally). In fact most of the Fiamm batteries I did find are for computer battery backups (UPS). Anyone know anything about this battery? I must say it starts the beast instantly even in cold weather (its 12 degrees Fahrenheit this AM).

https://imgur.com/gallery/5CIHw

FYI, just to put things in perspective:
12 degrees may be cold where you are but it is not cold for a diesel. Much colder in northern Germany off the Baltic coast. My 123 started without problems when it was -1 here in Detroit the other day. The biggest issue is not the battery, in m opinion, it's the oil.


I use 0W40 Mobil 1 per my indie, an MB0-trained factory mechanic from Germany.


If the glow plug heats the combustion chamber but the oil won't permit the crank to move fast enough to compress ignite, you go nowhere because the mass of the cold engine block will absorb the heat you need for compression ignition. If the oil permits the crank to move fast, you have a much better chance to move the crank quick and start it.


This was the problem in the 1960s. Before block heaters, some people put pans with charcoal under the cars' oil pans for about 30 min. I even saw one arrangement that slid under the cars. It was a box about 18" x 12" x 6" tall with four 100W bulbs inside.


Kind of like a 400 watt oil pan heater. The guy swore by it.
He would put it in place for an hour before starting his 1960's 200D sedan.

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Strelnik
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1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6

the light bulb box is a neat idea. I suppose a couple of infrared bulbs would work also, although they might concentrate TOO much heat on an oily, greasy area and be a fire hazard..

I went and checked and yesterday it was actually 18 F when it started instantly. (I thought it was colder). Today it was 13 when I walked out to the car, but it took four or five tries. I had to keep the throttle about half open while cranking, and a little to keep it going once it started running. (I’ve never had to use any throttle before when starting). Also today the car was in the shade, yesterday the sun had just started to hit it, although I can’t imagine that making a huge difference at that time of day. Still, it may be that for my car at least, 15 F is the tipping point. Also it’s got 15W-40 in it, I should probably have a lighter oil but it’s unusual for it to be this cold here. It’s supposed to go down to 6 F a couple of nights from now.

cars and light commercial vehicles batteries application ... - 10W-40.com

www.10w-40.com/user/documents/Import/catalog-fiamm-auto-2016.pdf
The FIAMM batteries for cars and light commercial vehicles come from FIAMM ... EcoForce AFB (Advanced Flooded Battery) est la meilleure solution pour les voitures ..... L5 90P. L5. 590 150 080. 59219. 90. 800. 1. 353. 175. 190. 10,5. L5 100P. L5. 600 150 087. 60038. 100. 870. 1. 353. 175. 190. 10,5. Short code. Dimens.

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96 E300d

Look at the label, it says "Genuine Maserati" at the far right side. So it looks like an off the shelf item from the local Maserati dealer. I'll admit, I've never heard of anyone putting a Genuine Maserati battery into anything besides a Maserati, but so long as it's the correct size, sure why not.

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1998 E300 turbodiesel

America's Rights and Freedoms Are Not The Enemy!

That looks dirtier than I’d expect a 6 month old battery to look. Is there a date or date code on it? Is 800amps the appropriate rating for your car?

Sixto
98 E320s sedan and wagon

Is that a date code I'm seeing? Dec 19th 2014?

If I was a dealer with a battery that old sitting on my shelf, I'd probably urge a customer to take it too, even giving them a deal.

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

Looks like you are missing the clamp and bolt that keeps your battery from bouncing around.

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09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

all I know is the guy had the car for about a year before I got it. Prior to that it was in storage for about 15 years. One of the things he did when he got it running again was to get a new battery. Maybe the battery was on the shelf for a year or even two, I don’t know but is that unusual?

re: the clamp..you may be right. I haven’t tried to remove the battery, it looks like it weighs about 70 pounds and would be awkward to lift out.

btw, today was 11 F when I left, and the car started instantly. However, I used the technique (described in the owners manual) of flooring the accelerator while cranking.

If you are concerned about the condition of the battery, most auto supply stores will test it under load and give you a ballpark idea if the battery is up to snuff!!!!

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96 E300d