Replacement battery? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 12-15-2002, 11:18 AM

Should it be an MB battery? I think the battery on my 1988 190 E (2.6L/5-Sp) is dead. The motor does not turn over, the headlights do not go on. Odd that the interior overhead lights go on. I do not have a meter to test the battery.

Mike Murrell · #2 12-15-2002, 11:22 AM

Interior lights don't take much to operate. Sounds like it may be time for a new battery.

I've never seen much sense in paying MB for one of theirs; that's just my opinion.

I've used Interstate and currently have an A/C Delco going on 4 yrs - clean - no leakage.

Batteries are like oil - lot of opinions.

autozen · #3 12-15-2002, 11:33 AM

Trex,

After 30 years as a professionl MB mechanic, I haven't found anything that beats the plain old Interstate battery for price, quality, and the fact you can go anywhere in the country to an Interstate dealer with warrantee problems. When I say plain old, I mean you don't need any of the high priced gel filled special op models.

Peter

#4 12-15-2002, 02:44 PM

Current MB batteries are made in the US and cost about half the price of the old (wonderful) Varta batteries. I've used the new MB low-maintenance batteries with good success.

These batteries seem to be of higher quality than any of the alternatives I've looked at.

nthach · #5 12-15-2002, 02:54 PM

You can't go wrong with any battery made by Johnson Controls(except the Costco ones, they're stale as heck, i hadn't had any luck with them), i just put in a DuraLast from AutoZone in a 1984 380SL(my parent's other Benz), and at $60 compared to $100 for a DieHard at Sears, i can't complain...

autozen · #6 12-15-2002, 03:09 PM

Bud,

Who do you think makes and distributes the white MB batteries? The answer is Interstate, but you and I can't buy them direct. We have to go to the dealer. This isn't some article I read somewhere; I've seen them setting on pallats at the Interstate distribution center.

Nthach,

If you paid $60.00, you got what you paid for. You say you just put it in. Talk to me a year or so down the road. Generally every thing of good quality costs extra to manufacture well, so it is priced accordingly. Ever give a thought to why a Mercedes costs more than a Ford or Chevy?

Peter

Gilly · #7 12-15-2002, 03:22 PM

When we get our MB batteries, they are delivered by a Douglas battery truck. Maybe Douglas and Interstate are the same brand also, but I believe I have seen an Interstate battery truck at the dealership also, so who knows?

Gilly

Joe Blowe · #8 12-15-2002, 03:35 PM

funny thing is, almost every battery mentioned in this thread so far is manufactured by Johnson Controls.

- American Hardware
- Ames
- DieHard
- DuraLast
- Energizer
- Equalizer
- Eveready
- Evercycle
- (some) EverStart
- (some) Firestone
- (some) Globe-Union
- Honda
- Hoppecke
- Inspira [AGM]
- Interstate
- Kirkland Signature (Costco)
- Madza
- Mitsubishi
- Motorcraft
- Optima
- Power Connection
- Battery Alliance
- LTH
- ProStart
- Sentry
- (some) Tough One
- Triathlon
- TrueStart
- Varta [automotive] (pending acquisition)

http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/batbrand.htm
http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/

Johnson Controls Inc., http://www.jci.com/bg and http://www.autobatteries.com/

now, of course this does not take into consideration that different companies (i.e. Sears or Costco or AutoZone) have JCI make their batteries to different specs (DieHard > Kirkland > DuraLast, etc.).

in my opinion, just pick a battery in your price range from the brand list above, and know that a $60 battery (DuraLast) is probably not going to outlast a $110 battery (Interstate).

nthach · #9 12-15-2002, 03:39 PM

GNB/Exide makes the Benz OEM batteries.

autozen · #10 12-15-2002, 04:39 PM

Like someone mentioned before, this is starting to look like an oil thread. The poor guy who started this thread just wanted to know if he might need a new battery.Joe Blowe, I'm glad someone is in agreement with me about getting what you pay for. Interstate makes a top quality battery for a competitive price, and I'm getting too old to be standing around in the rain, because my bargain priced battery failed me. I also am not interested in dealing with products that claim to have the best warrantee in the business. You can keep your warrantee; just give me a product that works. I make health smoothies every morning, and I burnt up two $40.00 blenders. I bought one for $400.00 that will grind up bricks. No more problem. Before some of you get the idea I'm being pompous, I also wear a $25.00 Timex watch which is a better watch than a $10,000 Rolex. Wanna know why? It keeps time as well as a Rolex, and I can push the little button that makes the face glow in the dark so I can tell the time. You can't do that with a Rolex. I'm just saying I try to keep everything in perspective.

See ya,
Peter

dmorrison · #11 12-15-2002, 04:57 PM

Call mercedes roadside assistance. They install the battery for free. No labor charge.
The roadside assistance is for any Mercedes built.
Iv'e had a lot of Sears batteries for the diesels. I prefer the Mercedes.

Roadside assistance will also test your battery for free and replace the old unit. They only charge for the price of the battery.

Dave

elau · #12 12-16-2002, 12:11 AM

I just had the MB road side assistnace came to my house and replaced the battery for the ML. They charged me only the battery price, and no labor. I called the dealer to compare the price on the battery, and viola, it is cheaper to get it from the road side asistance. Go figure.

The guy even tested the old one to make sure I indeed needed a new one. Then he reset everything for me before driving off.

Rockman59 · #13 12-16-2002, 11:28 AM

I also wear a $25.00 Timex watch which is a better watch than a $10,000 Rolex. Wanna know why? It keeps time as well as a Rolex,
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A lot of truth in that. About every 2 years when my Rolex quits and needs a cleaning or new parts I dig out a quartz watch that I bought at Wal-Mart for $8 5 years ago. It is always running, always right on the correct time. I think there is a message here.

#14 12-16-2002, 12:07 PM

The message - buy a Swatch.

Just kidding guys, as with every other thread that involves personal preference (eg tyre sizing), i guess the message is always "to each, his own...".

Just a note, where i come from, you also get batteries cheaper from roadside assistance and yes, they also test to make sure you really need one.

I guess some things are the same no matter where u are...save the weather...

Lance Allison · #15 12-16-2002, 03:57 PM

Quote:

A lot of truth in that. About every 2 years when my Rolex quits and needs a cleaning or new parts I dig out a quartz watch that I bought at Wal-Mart for $8 5 years ago. It is always running, always right on the correct time. I think there is a message here. [/B]

The Rolex dealer I take mine to recommends a cleaning and minor adjustment every year at $100 per. Since I have 2, that service alone will pay for about 25 such quartz watches each year. Makes one wonder....

I can agree with the quartz models running almost forever. I have a Tag Heuer SE/L purchased in 1997 and short of needing one battery replacement, it's been ticking flawlessly. Much cheaper than the Rolex's and I can have it cleaned and serviced (battery) installed at any local jewelry store for under $10. No one would touch the Rolex or Omegas except authorized dealers.

Same applies to the MBs. They take a bit more TLC to keep them in line. I've put about 215k miles on my VW TDI since 1998 and it's needed NOTHING. It was initially just a cheap car, but has proven itself over and over. Maybe I've spent $2500 in non-routine-maintainance items on that car the entire time. Conversely, I've put more than 3 times that into the MB since April 2001 and it's only clocked 60k miles since then.

Having said all this, I still wouldn't give up the MB or the fine watches.