Hello!

I have a 1981 380sl with a pain in the butt problem....

Every time I go to start the car I need to put the charger on first.
It seems all I have to do is show the cables of my charger to the battery and she's ready to go! The courtesy lights immediately go from a very dim light to the "normal" light and the flashers start blinking (due to the alarm system??) She starts up as soon as the cables come in contact with the battery. Which all leads em to believe that the alarm or the amplifier are the cause of my problem. Both the alarm and the amp were installed at the same time by a "professional company" that is no longer in business...

Now, after I charge it, when I drive it if I dont keep it idling for at least 20 mins or so it wont start up again! I was told that I dont drive it enough - so I'm starting it up and driving it daily but it still needs to be charged after it sits all night in the garage. My mechanic "fixed" the problem a few months ago - said it was a "short", charged me $50 (gotta love this guy) and it was ok for about a week or so then it started (or didnt start) all over again. I tried to turn off the alarm but even when I turn the switch off the alarm light is still on - blinking like mad. The alarm does not work other than the blinking thing and I think all its doing is draining my battery not to mention my patience!!

Does this sound like I have the answer to my problem?
Is there any easy way for me to disconnect the alarm/amp or should I ask my mechanic to do it for me?
Any suggestions other than my selling the car will be very much appreciated!!!

So happy to have found this forum!!

POSSIBILITY #1.
Some of the aftermarket components have developed a short, or the wiring connections for such normenclature...

POSSIBILITY #2.
The battery has developed a bad cell or two, possibly from theory one...

POSSIBILITY #3.
The altenator may not be putting out enough amperes as a result of theories one and/or two...

Probably going to have to have a good mechanic check this one out, especially one who is familiar with electricity/electronics shorts, opens et cetera...

Seems to me the battery needs to be replaced... but the other stuff needs checked also...

If you can get your hands on a DC amp meter with enough capacity, check the drain with the car off. If you find any significant drain, start pulling fuses from the panel one by one until you find the circuit that's doing it, then proceed as may be appropriate for that circuit. If you find there's no significant drain, you've got a battery with at least one bad cell, which is not at all unusual if it's been run flat; replacing the battery should fix it. To double-check the battery, check the specific gravity of the electrolyte in each cell. (Of course, you've already checked the level and replenished with distilled water any cell that's low. I mention that only because I managed to forget that step once.)

__________________
Craig Bethune

'97 SL500, 40th anniversary edition

'04 Olds Bravada (SWMBO's)
'06 Lexus ES330
'89 560SL (sold)


SL--Anything else is just a Mercedes.
(Kudos to whoever said it first)