I have a friend with a e320. I'm not sure the year but it was the first year model for the non elipitical headlight series.

Anyways, he asked and therefore i'm asking you guys is:

He has a problem with starting the car. I though wow muct be starter or batter y but the car doesn't even turn over. No sweat battery then but battery is new. Light do not turn on either and now he tells me there smoke coming from the battery area. Thats all the info i got so just wondering if anyone has a clue.

Don't know if this will help any or not. I had an alternator short out in my 86 300E. Even with the key off, the alternator would pull a lot of juice, but I never had any smoke from the battery area. I live on a farm, and just yesterday I was driving a chevy pickup out to a field. The battery wire on the positive had rubbed the insulation off and direct shorted to the transmission cooler lines. I tell you, the smoke rolled everywhere. I guess just follow the battery cables around and see if you find anything rubbing and making a short circuit. Good luck.