Battery preference?
 

The battery in my 190 has been giving hints that it is going to die and tonight it decided was as good a time as any.

So tomorrow I am off to get a new one.

Is there a preference for manufacture/type?

I thought I remembered reading something about a 'gel' battery or some sort of battery that did not use acid. I don;t recall off the top of my head and I am to tired to look right now.

I was thinking of going to Sears but figured I'd get some input here.

Thanks

Battery threads are almost as bad as oil threads...

If it was me I would either get the dealer battery or I would call up my local Interstate Battery dealer and get a quote from them. Some people will say go to Costco or Sears or whatever which is fine, but the only problem with that is they don't sell the same batteries in every location. They sell whatever is made in that region. You can look at Consumer Reports but their results on batteries are usually all over the map. Also, freshness is very important. You want to check the date code which is usually stamped in it somewhere and make sure it is no more than 2 months old.

New Battery
 

1984 300d Turb0 146k
Check Price At Autozone.com, 47DL Series Battery $90.00 Plus Core $12.00
Clean The Battery Post Same Time Buy A Post Wire Cleaner It Cleans
The Battery Post - & + And Inside The Cable

As mentioned in other battery threads Autozone Duralast, Interstate, Costco Kirkland and Sears Gold and others are made by the same company (Johnson Controls). Pick a Group 47/49 battery and a label you're comfortable with and go for it.

Watch out for Autozone. Most of their batteries now seem to be hecho in Mexico nowadays.

I ended up going to Cost Co. Price was too good to resist. I looked at Sears and they wanted $120 plus tax to install. Cost Co was $52 plus tax. Took me 10 min to install. Hard to beat that. I cannot see the extra cash to have some num nut at Sears put my battery in. Last time they did put a battery in the num nut did not tighted the post conections. At least now I know it's done right.

David

for some reason ...every mercedes that I have ever bought used...has had an Interstate...

that's about 5 cars...

Interstate (Johnson Controls) has been the supplier of OEM batteries for Mercedes and other makes in the US.

Interstate sells good batteries but they are not all Johnson. Just as with other stores the supplier can vary. I have an Interstate battery made by US Battery. Do not assume the battery came from a certain supplier. It is flavor of the month. But make sure you get a fresh one as I said. Costco puts date stickers on theirs which is a nice touch (assuming the stickers are correct..)

WARNING: Off topic question.

My '86 300E's radio shuts down if the battery gets disconnected or goes out. It requires a dealer tool to reset the codes. Is there a way to avoid losing radio when installing a new battery?

Radio
 

If the '86 cannot be brought back online with a four digit code (entered with
the preset #s on the faceplate of the radio?)

Connect a second battery with jumper cables to the positive and negative
(appropriate in each case) clamps of the VEHICLE'S battery cables.This will
maintain power to the radio set while you replace the defective battery.

This is a kinda tricky operation AND you want to be ABSOLUTELY sure of
correct polarity (s).

ALSO: you might want to take some electrical (or any insulating tape) tape
and secure the jumper cable clamps to the battery cable's clamps so that
there is no possibility of: 1. Grounding the Positive cable to ANYTHING. 2.
touch contact between the Negative cable to Anything.

Wrap each cable clamp and it's jumper cable clamp up like mummies.

Yeah, It'll cost you a roll or two of tape.

Reconnect the appropriate cable clamp to the new battery terminals ...
Remove the jumper cable's clamps from the "Helper" battery (Negative
first)
remove the mummy swaddling and the jumper cable clamps from the
vehicle's cable clamps (one at a time,Negative first)

I've had good success with Mercedes'. Proper fitment and reasonably long-lasting. Maybe $50 more than other brands, but not that significant over serveral years.

I've used most brand names, but as stated Johnson Controls makes them.

Friends don't let friends buy Interstate
 

As stated by several others, most batteries are made by Johnson Controls or one other company, that if I remember right, is Exide.

Given that, the issue comes down to who will back up the warranty the best.

I've had two Interstate batteries and two bad experiences.

Years ago I got an Interstate for my VW Rabbit diesel because my friend sold them in his body shop. A few months later, I went to start the car and the battery blew up. No replacement. "You have a problem with your voltage regulator." Right. The Diehard I put in lasted until my ex wrecked the car five years later.

When I bought Guderian back in 2002, he (great topic idea! Gender of your car. I'll start it after this post) had a new Interstate battery. After a week of ownership, he wouldn't start unless it was a jump start. Then it was within a second of turning the key.

After a jump start, I went to the Interstate battery dealer. They tested everything. Their conclusion was I had a bad starter and the alternator was marginal. No replacement. A new Interstate battery was something like $125. I went to O'Reilly's got one for about $60. The car fired up instantly every time after the new battery was installed. It is still running with the same starter and alternator.

Two years two months later, same problem. Took the battery back to O'Reilly's. No testing. The manager said it was close enough to the two year full replacement that it wasn't worth fooling with the pro-rated portion of the warranty. New battery for free. It has been a champ since then, going weeks at a time between starts.

If you need a battery, go to O'Reilly's. They back up their warranties, have good prices, and usually have series 47 and 49 batteries in stock.

This is from someone who used to work at a NAPA store and would go to NAPA for most anything else.

compress ignite:

Thanks for the info.

As to batteries, I've always used Interstate batteries, and have never had any problems.