So I come home from Georgia,
Find that my father bought a new battery for my car,
Thats very nice of him,
Why did he buy one you ask?

He says old one was four years old and was not taking a charge anymore,
So I installed this new battery and tried to start it,
but the car did not start, instead... this is what happened:

1. Key turned to second position, all dash board lights turn on, buzzer goes burrrrrrrrrreeeerrrrrrr like normal,

2. Key turned to start position,
small popping noise, then everything stops working,

what have you done, I angrily ask him, but I know he knows no better,

I put the key in today, turned it to position two, only one light came one, the red SRS but it was flickering and the buzzer was going in and out,
Even with the battery connected, there are no power locks, no radio, NOTHING,

I open the hood to find that he installed an 810AMP BATTERY!! DEAR GOD!!!!

Please note that my car has the updated OVP relay.... I will be going to Costco to return the battery...

Questions to the wise people of the board:
1. How bad is it? ECU? OVP? I checked the fuse box, nothing blown there, have not checked OVP yet. Other stupid crap keeps taking my time!
2. What kind of battery do I need for this car? This one that I have does not even fit the tray properly....

If this car is destroyed, I will lose my job starting January!!! WAAHHH!!!!!!!!!!

__________________
2006 BMW M5 "Heidi" @ 109,000 miles
2005 MBZ C55 AMG "Lorelai" @ 165,000 miles
1991 MBZ 300E "Benzachino II" @ 165,000 miles
1990 MBZ 500SL "Shoshanna" @ 118,000 miles

(On the hunt for a good used M103 engine as of 6/10/23, PM me if you have one to sell!)

Make sure you battery terminal are tight, I usually use a pair of channel locks to try to wiggle them. MY VW's stock terminals tighten down with a 10mm wrench, but the actual electrical connections aren't tight. I usually clean them with a wire brush, and spray them with the red anti-corrosion spray. I know (from the pissed off phone calls from a stranded wife) that a loose connection can cause all kinds of wired symptoms. Car will just click and all dash lights go out, car will start to crank and them stop with a CEL light. Good Luck, Chuck

__________________
2000 C230 Kompressor "Frosty"

2007 PT Cruiser
2001 VW TDI Beetle
1999 Landrover Discovery II
1971 Corvette

Gone: 97 Cabrio, 83 240D, 93 VW Eurovan, 95 Volvo 850, 93 Chevy Astro Van, 77 VW Bus, 99 VW Jetta, 74 VW Bus

that is the amount of current the battery can produce if called upon - like a cold, cold morning when the motor oil is stiff. It's excess voltage that would be harmful to electronics but a battery by itself won't produce that. It can only produce up to about 13.5 volts. A bad voltage regulator would allow the alternator to appy an unsafe voltage to both the electronics and to the battery. This can boil the liquid in the battery and ruin it as well as make a real mess in the car.

yeah what is that CCA? as long as it's a 12v battery, you're not in any danger. Check/clean the battery terminals- also since you said it doesn't fit well, make sure the battery post isn't coming in contact with the hood.

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1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

Hello everyone, thank you for replies.

I got to Costco today, returned the beast of the battery and got a new one.

This new one has
735 cranking amps at 32 degrees celsius,
590 when cold,
The reference book that was there said that the original equipment cold crank amperage was 550. (1986 to 1992 300E)

I understand now that the higher the amperage, the more power to start.
Of course, I bought 12V batteries as the car is based on 12V.

Well I installed the battery, which fit depth and length wise, but damn did Mercedes use a very very wide battery originally. I wonder where you could find a battery that fits the tray in entirety? I am guessing the white box Mercedes-Benz battery?

Anyways, engine fired up within 1.5 seconds of crank.... I love this car!

I wonder what was wrong with the first battery, obviously, as I have learned, higher amperage is really only a good thing... I noticed that my first battery was manufactured on 9/2007 and the second one on 12/2007. Do car batteries have short self lives or did I just get a dud? I made sure that the posts did not contact to hood of the car, so that was not it.

__________________
2006 BMW M5 "Heidi" @ 109,000 miles
2005 MBZ C55 AMG "Lorelai" @ 165,000 miles
1991 MBZ 300E "Benzachino II" @ 165,000 miles
1990 MBZ 500SL "Shoshanna" @ 118,000 miles

(On the hunt for a good used M103 engine as of 6/10/23, PM me if you have one to sell!)

Sounds like Dad's battery was not charged.

__________________
Earl



1993 190E 2.3
2000 Toyota 4x4 Tundra

I agree with Earl - sounds like the 810 wasn't charged. Too bad..I would've preferred that one, if I lived in the great white north. Atlanta isn't so bad, so the battery you have now ought to be fine.

__________________
It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

I wondered about the large battery tray too and concluded that Mercedes used the same tray for gas and diesel cars.

Your dad did you a big favour and bought you a very good battery. Make sure you thank him properly!

Actually, the OEM Mercedes battery is decently priced at the dealership...and you can have the confidence knowing that it's the correct battery, with the correct dimensions and terminal orientation.

The other alternative is Interstate Battery...their alternatives match the OEM offerings (including the weird trunk mounted units required for the SL and CLK)...and they are cheaper than the dealer.

__________________
2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

Thats exactly it. They share the same tray but use different clamps to hold it in place. My diesel 124 takes the large battery.

__________________


1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

The PO of my car put in an Optima Yellow Top. Nice battery. Too bad the PO also lost the hold down, so now I just run it redneck style with a ratchet strap across the top.

You will need a 88Ah battery normally 354x174x190mm will fit

Maybe the batter was in BACKWARDS......

__________________
Current Stable:
1994 S500 v140, 210k miles, white with grey.

Former Mercedes in the Stable:
1983 300CD Turbo diesel 515k mi sold (rumor has it, that it has 750k miles on it now)
1984 300CD Turbo Diesel 150 k mi sold
1982 300D Turbo Diesel 225 sold
1987 300D Turbo Diesel 255k mi sold
1988 300 CE AMG Hammer 15k mi sold
1986 "300E" Amg Hammer 88k mi sold (it was really a 200, not even an E (124.020)
1992 500E 156k mi sold
etc.

Hey! I may not be the brightest bulb on the Christmas light string, but I know how to properly hook up a battery!

__________________
2006 BMW M5 "Heidi" @ 109,000 miles
2005 MBZ C55 AMG "Lorelai" @ 165,000 miles
1991 MBZ 300E "Benzachino II" @ 165,000 miles
1990 MBZ 500SL "Shoshanna" @ 118,000 miles

(On the hunt for a good used M103 engine as of 6/10/23, PM me if you have one to sell!)