I can't say anything good about MB brand batteries. I have had 2 fail prematurely, that's 100% failure for the ones I had. Since I didn't buy them (they came in cars I bought), there was no warranty.

P E H

In case everyone doesn't already know, pretty much 99% of all batteries are made by 2 or 3 companies.....

NOW,

This is NOT to say that every brand of battery made by Johnson is equal. What it means is that Johnson is like an OEM that builds batteries to a customer's spec. Some different brands made by Johnson can vary wildly in quality.
Did everyone knonw that Costco brand batteries are also made by Johnson? :eek:

I'm also a big fan of Interstate batteries. IMO, they make the best battery out there (not including the Optima series).

I've also got some email discussion regarding Optima...someone had mentioned something about Optima not being a good choice for DIESELS for some reason.....I'll see if I can dig it up and post what they said.

Edit:

Found it:

"The Optima is a wonderful battery for many reasons. The only disadvantage of it is that it has about half the total capacity of a good group 49. NOT half the cranking power, just half the ampere-hours. So if you leave the lights on it will die sooner. A
real hard-starting car would kill it sooner too. Some people have purchased two of them and wired them in parallel to remedy the amp-hour issue. (expensive)"

"Your environment in Feenix (HEAT) provides special challenges to batteries also. It would be interesting to know if the Optima has a higher heat tolerance."

Dennis-the-other,
Arvada, CO

CK42,

You are on top of it. I have a big chart that rates the products of the 4 or 5 manufactures. The chart compares several item like reserve capacity, CCA, etc. Interstate scores highest in all areas. The lowest scoring is Exide which supplies places like Auto-zone,Came-Apart(Kmart), etc.


PEH,

As I recall,every OEM white colored battery I replaced with an Interstate had lived a long and useful life. I have found them to be extremely high quality though much higher priced. As I said in an earlier post,Interstate now manufactures them. I saw a pallot of them at the local distributors. I can only guess that the reason you had the bad experiences is because the cars you purchased were around town cars or had been setting for many months in a discharged state.The plates sulphate quickly when a lead-acid battery is left in a low or discharged state. That is why batteries should be kept in a fully charged state and if not being used,should be stored on a cool concrete slab somewhere to reduce self discharge.


Peter

Our local Auto Parts Plus (a chain) carries Optima. The guy there said he could order an orange top for the Benz. Didn't check on the price.

Autosen,

I had even worse service from Exide batteries. Three died before the half the warranty ran out. I got them at the exide warehouse and saw them putting Pep Boys and other labels on the batteries that were getting ready to be shipped.

They honored the 5 year warranty but based the price on $90 so the replacements cost about $45. The last time the Exide failed , I just went to Auto Zone and bought a new battery with a 7 year warranty. So far so good.

P E H

PEH,

Good luck with the new battery. I appreciate the supportive input about I hope they stick products. The old addage of producers of inferior products is. We will make a bunch and throw them against the wall. Those that stick we will make money on. Those that don't,we'll offer a warantee exchange. I have said for a long time. I don't want a warrantee;I want a product that works. I have brands that I stick with and am willing to pay a premium price for, because I know I can count on years of good service from them.

Peter

Optima not for diesels
 

I just received a reply from Optima to my request about a battery for my e300d. They said 'Sorry, we don't have a battery for the diesel'. Also they do not have an Orange top. Where did that come from. Is it some other brand????

http://www.batteryweb.com/optima.cfm

Orange is near the bottom.

Costco here in NY has the Optima batteries (orange and blue [?] top) starting at $78, or something like that, maybe less? maybe more?. I wasn't looking for one so I didn't pay that much attention. If anyone's interested, I can make a point to take a look next time I'm there stocking up.

Alex

I have an Optima battery in my 450SEL. It is the second one. I wanted to install the best available. I thought that was what I was getting. It lasted 2 months. The Optima dealer checked my charging system when I bought the battery and when I came back for replacement. He found nothing wrong. He said it could not be the fault of the battery, "they don't fail". But, he replaced it under warranty and it has made it passed the 2 month line.
I have never had a battery fail that soon and I doubt the new one will, but, bottom line, any brand can fail during the warranty period and strand you or your wife. The Optima stranded me, fortunately, not my wife. I have also used Autozone batteries with good satisfaction. I still do use them in my pickup trucks. I install the Duralast Golds and have had to replace only one of these duriing the warranty period. I have an Autozone battery in my diesel w123 coupe and have not been stranded or not been able to start at any time, even in the sub-zero weather we have been having. My dealer also said he did not have an Optima fior the diesel. At least not one that would fit properly. Sorry for the length of the post.

A couple minor points:

The Optimas are not gel-cell, but AGM (absorbed glass matt) batteries. If you want a gel-cell, get a Sonnenschein (best German battery). The Optimas (and other AGM batteries) are not totally sealed. They are sealed in normal use, but they are vented for extreme conditions (extra high current charge, like when a voltage regulator fails, or extra high heat). Optimas are good batteries, but the Concorde AGM batteries are probably better. All the AGMs should really have a specialized voltage regulator--the standard MB and automotive regulator is designed for wet batteries. Not a big deal, but I don't see spending top bucks for a battery and then charging it improperly.

For myself, I agree with those who would rather spend half that for a standard Autozone or Interstate wet-cell battery. The Optimas are no way cost-effective in automotive use. The only way they are cost effective is in a poor-charge situation, where you drain them half way down before re-charging (like on a sailboat). When you're immediately re-charging, like on a car, a wet-cell is much more cost-effective.

There seems to be lots of questions and miss information on optimas- maybe their website is partial to blame.

Price: I don't know list but at COSTCO this weekend they are $102 and change. As noted, they are also national distributed at Pepboys and Advanced autoparts(so warrentee shouldn't be a problem).

2) They don't make an orange top battery any more. It's simply an reverse pole redtop. Designated with an "R" just like the rest of the industry.

3) I believe that the standard MB regulator puts out about 13.9 v (in my car) which is very close to the recommended Optima voltage. I know of ppl running adjustable regulators, which naturally adds about $15-20. I know the calcium batterys (AKA delco sealed units) required a higher voltage.

4) using the standard Redtop optima, you need a longer ground cable for a W123. Not sure if the 310mm 126 cable is long enough or you would have to use an aftermarket cable.

5) see remark 2 and note they do not make a group 49 battery. You will be putting in a smaller case size battery in your humongous battery tray.

On the costco redtop, the warrentee is stated as "three year full replacement". I was thinking 950 ca, or 720 cca- but don't qoute me on this!

Stu Ritter runs them in all his cars- and he was a Big MB mechanic with access to interstates. He claims his bronco is on it's 15th year.

I see this as a two options for battery replacement. You can go cheap- Autozone, or you can get the interstate for $100. OR you can spend the $100 on an optima, buy a ground cable. Naturally, options 1 and 2 require less work.

Where the heck would I purchase a Sonnenschein or AGM battery in Texas?

Michael

Batteries for diesel
 

I am now thoroughly confused. My concern is that for the 210 chasis, the battery is under the back seat. Also for the diesel, a larger capacity is necessary for those days when prolonged cranking is needed. (we have moderate winters in Oklahoma). How then does one get a heavy duty battery that won't leak or cause possible venting problems. I personally think that back seat batteries are retro technology but am stuck with it. Sooooo what do the experts suggest I do??

The Optima fits fine under the backseat of a 210 - I have one in my E300 turbodiesel. No modifications are required, it just bolts right in. Just make certain you get the reverse terminal version. No starting problems - that battery may be small, but it spins the diesel like a toy engine! It's 850CCA, which is what MB specifies.

A battery that can survive a deep discharge is handy to have if you also have a wife who tends to leave the headlights on while she shops, has her hair done, etc...

I used to do the Autozone battery thing - buy cheap, change 'em often. But I had ~75% failure rate in the first year. Got real tired of being stranded, just wasn't worth the small savings.

- Jim

Hi,
Thats why I have one. My car sits 3 to 4 months every winter, is used only on weekends, and it starts first time every time.
And it won`t leak!!!!! My cars a virgin under the battery plate, and this will keep it that way

John