My battery is 5 years old - I want to change it before it breaks downs or starts to damage the starting/charging systems. What's recommended? Which is the best battery you guys have used? Also, what are the battery specs I should be looking at? I have a 85 190E 2.3 - the owners manual says it should be 55 Amp-hrs, which converts to an RC rating of 137.5, but doesn't say anything about the min CCA (The winters in Cleveland can get a little cold!).

Tried looking up in search but couldn't find much. Thanks for your responses.

Optima seems to be the favorite. I believe they now offer a model (Orange top?) that is correctly oriented for Mercedes so as not to need a longer battery cable.

http://www.optimabatteries.com/

No need for high CCAs to turn over a small 4-cyl. gas engine. Choose higher Amp-hours if you have a powerful stereo, etc. Hope that helps in making your decision! Cheers, Andrew Seidel.

Reference:
Which Battery is Best?

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86 560SEC
85 500SEC Lorinser
83 300D Turbo
75 240D

I concur with 5banger re: Optima, but I wouldn't mind going with more CCA's than the minimum factory recommendation in order to combat the greater electrical resistence usually found in a 16-year-old wiring harness coupled with the demands that Cleveland winters put on a battery.

What is the min recommended CCA (and CA) for this car? What CCA/CA/RC batteries do you currently use on your cars?

thanks again.

Optima Batteries are excellent. My friend is an optima Dealer and I put them in any vehicle that needs a new battery. My fathers car has one, my brothers car has one, and my boat has one.

Alon

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

Steve Brotherton recommends 66 amp-hours. I saw 675 CCA in a recent post, though I think 500 CCA is plenty. I have an 800 CCA Interstate for my 5.6L. Cheers, Andrew Seidel.

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86 560SEC
85 500SEC Lorinser
83 300D Turbo
75 240D

For a big diesel, you have to get a bit picky about batteries, but for a small gas engine, I'd simply look for the best value in a battery that will properly physically fit the car. Value = CCA + warranty (5 year min.) + $. It just really doesn't make that much difference what brand of battery you buy.

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'76 240D-Sold
'78 240D-Sold
'85 300 SD, 165K-Sold
'88 300 TE, 165K-Sold
'64 Porsche 356C Cabriolet- under restoration
'86 560SL 124K Miles-Sold
'94 320E Wagon, 74K Miles-128K Miles JUNKED
'06 E350 Wagon, 84K Miles
07 SL550, 14K Miles

Here in Canada, I normally pick up the biggest battery that I can afford and of course, size wise, enough room to hold.

I use 1000A CCA battery for my 400E, it's a V8 and battery is in the trunk, it supplies current through extra long cables to the starter.

For a I-4 190, I guess 500A CCA is sufficient.

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99 BMW 540i 6-speed 110K Km
03 SAAB 9-5 wagon 80K Km
92 400E (Sold) 245K km
Still missing the days with the Benz, it kept me busy.

For me, I will only buy the best battery on the market that will fit and work in my car.

For me that is an optima spiral cell battery in whichever flavor is right for my car, Red top, Orange top, yellow top, or blue top.

Right now my car has an intersate battery in it, it came with the car, when it dies, a new optima will go in, but mainly because I have seen these batteries work great. My boat sits for several months, and allI have to do is turn the key and it starts every time with the optima. Before I had to rpelace the battery every so often if it would hold a charge.

I love the optima because once the boat or car is running, the battery charges up quickly and is very easy to jump start with minimal effort from the jumping car.

In my MGB I had an 800CCA Battery put in it after the 400CCA one split open on me. I never had troubles starting that car ever.

Every vehicle I have had to replace a battery in got the biggest one that would fit with the most CCA and decent warranty.

My friend's BMW is another story, he tried an aftermarket battery and the car hated it. He had to spend the $150 or $200 the dealership charged for a factory battery, which only lasted him two years before he had to replace it again.

Go with the best battery you can afford that has a good warranty and highest CCA for that warranty.

I am more biased towards optima because I get them at cost from my friend who is a dealer of optima batteries.

Alon

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

There are only two batterys I will use one is the Optima and the other is factory Mercedes batterys . I will spend the extra money for a battery that will not puke acid all over the place . My 16 V has always had factory batterys in it and no acid damage in the tray or battery cables The cables are perfectly clean . I have never seen another lead/acid battery be able to do this . I have an Optima in my other car . Don't let an Optima discharge too far it will ruin the battery .

I have heard that all these different battery brands really come from (primarily) two manufacturers, Exide and Johnson Controls.

You want to avoid Exide-made batteries at all costs.

Can't tell you how to tell who made a particular brand, but I know the Sears DieHard is currently made by Johnson Controls. They once were bribed (yes, really) into giving their contract to Exide - that was a very bad year for Sears batteries.

I always go to Sears for a DieHard. Other brands are good of course - but Sears is convenient and they do back up their product well.

My opinion of course.

Ken300D

There was an interesting article on batteries in a recent Consumer Report I saw while waiting at the tire store. If I recall coerrectly, they said that the same make/model battery could have differences depending where it was sold in the country. They seemed to feel Interstate was pretty good overall, and Diehards were also good, depending on the geographical location purchased. They downd the Optima a bit because they felt it didn't deliver CCA/CA as advertised. I still think that is my next battery, however.

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John

2003 Firemist Red/grey leather SL 500
2015 Palladium Silver/black mbtex GLK 350
1987 Smoke Silver/burgundy mbtex 300E Sportline (SOLD)

Click to see 87 300E

Actually, the fewer the number of cylinders, the more battery may be required due to the fewer numbers of firings. It doesn't offset the additional friction of draggin around eight slugs, but doesn't allow the battery requirements to be as small as you think. The four bangers have to crank faster for a few more turns to be fired vs. a V-8.

Here in Frozen North, MB OE batteries are minimum 800CCA, most are 1000CCA, and are nothing short of enormous.

I'd go for OEM or Optima.

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John Shellenberg
1998 C230 "Black Betty" 240K

http://img31.exs.cx/img31/4050/tophat6.gif

I would echo Ken's comments, adding that I have had good experience with the basic Wal-Mart battery. I believe it's a Johnson Controls battery. They have good CCAs for the money. They also have a no-questions warranty, and you can find a Wal-Mart almost anywhere.

Unless you find yourself having chronic battery problems, you don't need an Optima. Don't listen to the battery snobs.

Tom

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CloudNine
'89 560SEC

Optima, Optima,Optima.

My SEC is a virgin under the battery. The first thing I did was replace the NEW MB BATTERY with an OPTIMA.

I have seen too many MB`s with rotted front right superstructure from batteries that leaked.

IT cost me 2 points at an MBCA car show , but my piece of mind is worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

John

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President Minuteman Section MBCA
www.mbca.org/minuteman