My '97 E320 is turning 4 yrs. with original battery. Is it still standard wisdom that the battery is now in its final stages and time to swap it out? Also, what is the wisdom of MB vs after market batteries?

Eastern batteries are a good buy. Have a great warranty. MBZ are also excellent, but a bit pricey. Pick your poison.

My Canadian Tire (Exide)72 month-battery lasted 6 yrs+.MBZ does not make batteries and commissioned someone else,like other car manufacturerers.

Auto Zone and Advanced Auto Parts have a battery for your car that is as good and maybe better than the battery you get from your Mercedes dealer.Of course we know that Mercedes does not make batteries, so if you want the MB logo, spend the extra $100 and get the "Mercedes battery"
Good luck and save your bucks.
Bill Lewallen Lexington,Ky.

When the battery on my W123 280E gave up the ghost, I was quoted around NZ$250 for a replacement. Apparently, the W123 battery is a non-standard size, being a little lower in height than usual so that it fits under the hood.

So I went round to my local parts shop, and an older guy there had a mosey around under the hood, and then produced what I think is a Toyota size battery. It has the same other specs as the M-B battery.

It fitted in the battery tray and just squeezed under the hood with half an inch to spare. It doesn't need a drain pipe, and it cost NZ$70.

I believe the actual manufacturer of that battery is Varta. It is a 100 amp-hour battery with 450 cold cranking amps. Price from my local dealer is $125

Is the Varta Battery with the Mercedes logo a battery worth $125 when you can get one just as good and maybe a bit better with the same warranty. By the way, I have been driving Mercedes since 1967 and have never bought a "Mercedes" battery, and we have a large MB dealer here in Lexington. The number of Mercedes I have owned over the years is too many to list here. Let's just say I have owned a few. Good luck to you with your battery.
Bill Lewallen Lexington,Ky.

OK, Here's a weird question...
 

My car came to me with a MB battery. However, the first thing the local dealer said about it, was that it was the wrong size (it is shorter than the tray), and that it wouldn't provide the proper cranking amps should I decide to take it up to Lake Tahoe or other snow country in the winter (poor me).

How can I get rid of this (perfectly good & seems brand new) MB labeled battery without dumping it at a loss, so I can get the correct one? Any suggestions?

BTW, I would plan on replacing it with a 900+ CCA Interstate Brand Battery as per MB specs for my car.

Interstate Batteries rock. I just put one in my '79 300SD. I use them in all of my cars. Interstate batteries just bought our local "battery patrol". Their website is:
http://www.interstatebatteries.com. My battery cost $85.00 at my rather pricey import parts store.
I have had good luck with $35.00 Exide batteries, but would not put one in my diesel.
Sears batteries depress me. I have had more duds than good ones. I used to depend on them solely for my car batteries- big mistake.
My Mercedes dealer and the local tech's all use Interstate.

DieHard, Not!
 

Sears DieHard batteries are filled and waiting on the shelf at your local Sears store. And, that's the problem. They sit there for weeks and months waiting to be used, and end up dying quickly and easily.

But how do I get shed of this MB critter, so's I kin git me an Interstate, like them fellers in NASCAR use?

My C280 OEM battery only lasted 5 years.
Average life although my interstate batteries on other 2
cars have so far outlived it.
I replaced the OEM with Interstate.
Consumer reports, I believe rates the exide
batteries as pretty good.
Do a search.
Certain driving habits seem to influence the battery life.

Varta batteries aren't good. Had them before and they usually last about 2-3yrs. They're pretty outdated. First Interstate, Exide, AC Delco, and Chapion batteries should outlast, as well as cost less. Check for CCA and Reserve Power ratings for your car's specs.

I also like Interstate. I put one in my '80 300SD about four years ago and it still cranks over like it did when the battery was brand new. Mercedes batteries are kind of odd in their life spans. I've seen the occasional car come in with one of those old MB batteries from the early '90s with the round yellow resirvoir lids on it and it still cranks perfectly. Then again, I've seen plenty of 1 and 2 year old batteries bite the dust. We usually have to replace them when we go on a road call for MB Roadside. Varta made the batteries for MB for a period, then they commissioned some American company to do it (Exide, I think) and currently I believe that Hoppecke makes them (German). Basically, as everyone else has said here, if you want the MB logo, then buy the $125 battery and take a chance. If you don't care, then I would strongly recommend Interstate, especially in a diesel. Some care are crazy though, and you have to get a "special" battery type for it, such as my DeLorean. I can only use a certain Delco model. Ugh!

CONCERNING BATTERIES,
I've never had any luck with a Delco (GM), Exide I understand may be going Chapter 11 soon and DieHards really only good for 2-3 years. Once knew a guy that worked at Sears and he had them in his car but would intenionally short them out just before their one year mark to get a new one free as he also didn't trust them!

Interstate is the way to go now as they just took over the Optima brand of the six round jell-cell that doesn't need vents and won't rust your car.

Bosch and Varta both make MB batteries but I won't change one out because a 'dealer' says it's the wrong one and works OK. Get a second opinion, better yet get a load check done before dumping a good battery.

TobiasMB
4 MBs

Ed, is your battery showing any signs of problems? I wouldn't replace it just because of age. There are a lot of factors such as duty cycle, temperature, condition of the charging system, battery temperature, etc. that contribute to the demise of a battery. You don't want to replace one too soon.

The trick is to replace the battery the day before it dies. :D Check the terminals, clean them when needed, check the water level and wait until it gives warning signs like slower cranking in colder weather. If you're in doubt, have someone check it for you.

BCingU, Jim