A battery, with a two year exchange warranty, that I bought at Advance Auto Parts went dead after 13 months. When I returned it to the store, I was told it would take 2 hours to test my battery and I agreed to leave it and come back in two hours. I waited the two hours and telephoned to make sure they finished testing. I was told that my battery was bad and they had another in stock to replace it. But, when I returned to the store, the clerk told me they did not have an exact replacement and I would have to come back a third time when they got one in or pay $5 for an “upgrade” even though my battery was supposed to be replaced free of charge. I reluctantly paid.

The battery I bought at Advance Auto Parts did not last long, their warranty is riddled with inconvenience and the “free” replacement is not free; I am going to shop elsewhere!

I ran into pretty much the same thing with Auto Zone awhile back. Had one of their batteries in an old Asian daily driver.

Walked in the store with a dead battery. Was told they would have to charge it up and test to see if it was bad. Told to come back in 2 hrs. Came back and was told to come back in 2 more hrs. Came back and the 3rd time was told they were about to close and that they were not done testing.

I became livid in front of the customers waiting at the counter and I suppose the employee I had been dealing with decided it might be best to give me a new battery. He did.

I emailed the Auto Zone customer service section @ their WEB site and was told someone would contact me. That never happened. I then wrote a letter to the mgr. at the area Auto Zone corp. office. I received no reply.

It would appear that Auto Zone and Advance have adopted a take-the $$-and run-attitude.

I rarely do business with any of these places anymore.

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Mike Murrell
1991 300-SEL - Model 126
M103 - SOHC
"Fräulein"

We do it to ourselves. We search for bargains at the big box stores, putting the full service places out of business. Then we lament the lack of care and attention. You get what you pay for.

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1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles
2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed
2005 Toyota Sienna
2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible
1999 Toyota Tacoma

Similar experience to mine at AutoZone. 3 yr warranty battery which went dead in Jeep Gr.Cherokee in 2 years. They replaced it with no problem. New one went dead in about a year and they questioned electrical system of the Jeep but gave me new battery. Then this one was out in about another year and they gave me grief but I had full elec system check papers from Jeep dealer showing no problems so again another new battery. These batteries are crap and I have heard this from others with same experience.

The original battery in my E420 lasted 7 years!

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95 E420 ( 76K) SOLD
85 380SE(125k)
95 SL500(72k)

I could not agree more!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. PUT IN AN INTERSTATE and spend your Saturdays doing something else.

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Auto Zentral Ltd.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

The Interstate battery I put into my 88 300E in 1996 is still working well and starts the car in at or below 0 weather every morning. This was installed after three AutoZone batteries in one year. I learned my lesson.
AutoZone battery $48 plus being stranded twice and the hassle of replacing it twice $0
Interstate $97 No Hassle still working $Priceless.

After 10 years I expect it to go at any time but it will be replaced by another Interstate.

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Dave
88 300E 250K Sold
2000 C230K Totaled @104K
2003 ML320 156K Sold
2009 E350 4Matic Sport 46K Sold
2011 ML350 60K Sold
2014 GLK350 46k
2012 GL450 55K

Anyone have any knowledge of installing OPTIMA red battery in 1994 E320? Is the battery too tall? (approx 8" to the top of terminals) Thanks.

1994 E320
1991 300SE

And the interstate batteries are soooooooooooooo pretty and environmentally friendly. They remind me of green forests and white clouds.

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Earl



1993 190E 2.3
2000 Toyota 4x4 Tundra

I have an optima blue top in my car same as the red. mine is a group 34 fits fine.

The blue top is not reallly meant to go in the benze, but it works.

Red top comes in a few sizes, and has a reverse post which should work.

I've had my optima for over 4 years not one issue with it.

Of course at my work I can get interstate batteries and optima batteries at wholesale cost.

Just put a new battery in my Fiance's Honda civic, little MTP 51, her old factory batter was oriignal in 2001 and was correded to hell. battery at cost from interstate was $47.00.

Can't go wrong for me with interstae. they are also the battery company my mechanic uses at his shop to replace batteries in customers cars that need them.

But for me, optima will always be the battery I use.

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'92 300CE - Sold
2004 C240 - 744 - C7 Wheels - Android Radio
2002 C320 - 816 - Sport Wagon

As an additional comment. About three years ago I bought an 86 Ford F250 with a 7.3 liter diesel to tow my car trailer and do whatever I need to do with a truck. It needed batteries and instead of screwing around with yet another size battery, I modified the cables and mounting brackets to accomodate a pair of Interstate MB 88s. It's the same battery I use in all my MB diesels. I threw in a couple of old well used clunkers until I could have Interstate deliver new ones. I'm still using those batteries, and the truck sits for weeks at a time without being started. On top of that I have a return line fuel leak which means alot of cranking til it starts. I wonder when they are going to finally crap out on me.

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Auto Zentral Ltd.

When buying a battery always check the little round sticker on the side of the battery. It will have a code, e.g. A06, which means the battery was made in January 2006. Another example G05 = July 2005. A=Jan, B=FEB, C=Mar, etc. The alpha character is the month and two numbers are the year. This tells you the manufacture date of the battery. I always look for the freshest battery on the shelf. At times I've seen six month old batteries in a store.

automotive store. I check mine myself at least once a month and the fluid level. One of my Mercedes is a 99 C280 which I bought Starmarked 4 years ago this May. I am on my third battery. the latest one has lasted over a year. where the one that cam with the car failed in 6 months, no warranty replacement by the way. Mercedes has a two year, pro rated warranty on batteries. But with my MBCA and a little haggling with the parts department I paid $89 for the second one, which failed in 8 months, and the third was prorated to $69. I got two stories why they failed so fast, both from the dealer. One was Mercedes had a supplier in Hungary and the batteries weren't up to spec, now they are outsourced in Spain. The last one was made in Spain, "on the plain." The other was I don't drive the car enough, which is true.

My other Mercedes is a 79 450SLC. The previous owner bought a Sears Die Hard. back in August. I bought the car in October. Maintenance free and so far so good. Only problem was he bought a battery box for it and the hold downs weren't wide enough so I jury rigged some bunggie straps crisscrossed the box and now it is solid. Never have a battery not secured, if it tip over, you could be in for some really problems.

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Al Lueb
1999 C280 54K miles
1979 450 SLC 144K miles

Absolutely the right and smart thing to do!

Since modern batteries are built and shipped "wet" they discharge at about 1 percent per day from the day they are built, so a 90-day old "new" battery is significantly disharged. This is not a problem as long as you don't immediately put a cranking load on it, so CHARGE the battery to full charge before you do, or the battery's life could be shortened.

I've bought Autozone and Costco (Kirkland) batteries. They're both made by Johnson Controls. I look for the freshest one in the store and then charge them prior to cranking. If the car hasn't been driven in a week I charge before cranking, or at least once a month.

I swap a 26R back and forth between the 190 and MR2 since I swap them as my driver every six months. That way I don't have a battery on the shelf to maintain. The 26R is a bolt in substitute for both the OE Group 48 for the Merc and the OE Group 35 for the MR2. This one is about five years old and the one in my Cosworth Vega (which I only drive about once a month) is about four years old.

Both are still in tip-top condition, and I expect them to give about 7-8 years of service.

Duke