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#1
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stranded in VA with dead battery?
Help. Was coming from NC to VA last night and stopped for diesel. Went to restart car and battery light came on. Car started. Made it to destination. When arrived, cut car off. Tried to restart but battery dead. Alternator was rebuilt 7 month ago at a local shop and battery was bought at same time from Advance Auto. 1000cca battery. Could the battery be bad? I am stranded with no way to check. Should I go to dealer and buy new battery? I have no meter to test alternator with me. Do Mercedes batteries hold up better to the diesel vibrations?
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1982 300SD Light Blue 2002 Honda Accord SE 1974 Toro Wheel Horse Tractor 2000 Toyota Tundra Pickup |
#2
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Take the battery to advance or autozone, they can load test it. buy a cheap meter, or start car and take it to either place to have the alt tested. It's perfectly possible for either piece to have gone out, but a little unlikely.
Report back. I guess no playing with your climate control today?
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One more Radar Lover gone... 1982 VW Caddy diesel 406K 1.9L AAZ 1994 E320 195K |
#3
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nope
nope, looks like I am doing electrical today.
Can I test the alternator output at the junction block where the main feed from alt junctions on wheel well?
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1982 300SD Light Blue 2002 Honda Accord SE 1974 Toro Wheel Horse Tractor 2000 Toyota Tundra Pickup |
#4
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voltage difference with it running
Willrev,
A battery should have about 12.5 +/- volts - without the engine and no load. With the car running and the alt working you should be able to measure 13.5 or perhaps a bit higher across the battery. I would try that with no load first, then add headlights and other loads. If it drops again under load the alt is not keeping up for some reason. Chuck |
#5
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If the key does not end up in the correct 'run' position the alternator light will stay on. You might try working the key back and forth a little and make sure the contacts are being made.
I second the above advice. Autozone, Advance, almost anyone that sells batteries will test yours for you. A quick battery test is to try to start the car with the headlights on. If the headlights dim way down, the battery is weak. Never hurts to clean the battery terminals. It is amazing how many odd conditions that can be created by dirty battery terminals. Check other connections as well as you can. If the brushes in your alternator are reaching their wear limit they may not always make contact. You might try tapping the back of your alternator. Be careful not to hit the terminals or anything that will break. Last edited by TwitchKitty; 01-15-2005 at 09:57 AM. |
#6
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I am concluding that the "alternator" light came on and not the "battery" light.
So, the vehicle is trying to tell you that the alternator is not charging. If you bring the battery to Advance Auto, they will tell you that it is discharged and that it needs a recharge before they can load test it. With a properly recharged battery, you need to follow the advice above and check to see if you have about 13.5 volts with the engine running above 2000 rpm. My guess is that the alternator was rebuilt "on the cheap" and that it has no output. You will get about 12.0 volts with the engine running. |
#7
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Where are you stuck at in Virginia?
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Greg Schwall 1983 300SD - 465,000 miles |
#8
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just got back
Just got back from Advance Store in VA, they tested batt and it was bad. Only 7 mos out of that one. It is a 800cca battery. Called local Mercedes dealer in Fredericksburg. New 600cca batt is $115 with a 2 year full replace warranty and after that Mercedes will split it 50/50 with you. Pretty good warranty, but I am a little worried about the cca rating. Wonder if the Merc battery hold up better to diesel vibrations.
What brands have y'all gotten the most life out of??? Don't want to be on roadside dead again 350 miles from home.
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1982 300SD Light Blue 2002 Honda Accord SE 1974 Toro Wheel Horse Tractor 2000 Toyota Tundra Pickup |
#9
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in Culpepper VA
I am stuck in Culpepper Va.
I need to get a meter. I just left Advance and meter was $20. Alternator shop said it was putting out 14v when they got done with rebuild. Not that batt is new, I will test when I can get home or borrow a meter. or Just carry back by Advance store.
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1982 300SD Light Blue 2002 Honda Accord SE 1974 Toro Wheel Horse Tractor 2000 Toyota Tundra Pickup |
#10
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Quote:
Cannot beat it, IMHO. But, then again, brand of battery is like brand of oil............... |
#11
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Quote:
A discharged battery is not necessarily a "bad" battery. You must put it on a charger and attempt to fully charge it before you can test it. If you do purchase a new battery, don't give them the old one. Take it home with you. You might find that you now have a spare! |
#12
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They have computer controlled testers now that charge the battery and test it very quickly. Pretty cool machines.
Don't know how good it is for the battery but when you are stranded it is just what you want. |
#13
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600 CCA is not enough for a diesel, that sounds like an MB gasser battery.
Let me add my vote for the Autozone group 49, those batteries are awesome, and reasonably priced with a nationwide warranty.
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Palangi 2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz 2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser 2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg 2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE 0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE |
#14
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I'll second that you want more than 600cca. If you were less than an hour away I'd run a meter and charger out to you. Sorry.
The Bosch battery that Advance sold me has been working great for me. If it were me I would probably buy a cheap charger and recharge the original battery. Your 300 SD should drive all day like that if you don't use the headlights. Then you could drive to the parts store and have them stick a meter across the terminals while the car is running.
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Greg Schwall 1983 300SD - 465,000 miles |
#15
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thanks everyone
Advance took the original battery and put it in a computer controlled machine. It charged and tested the battery over a 15 min period and said it was bad. I saw the readout. The original receipt was in NC at home in a file but the guy here in VA gave me a new battery, no questions asked and a nickel back since sales tax was lower here. I put it in the car and it is starting fine. I am going to check with the dealer when I get home to see what the cca is on their battery. But it sounds like the Auto Zone is a great battery.
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1982 300SD Light Blue 2002 Honda Accord SE 1974 Toro Wheel Horse Tractor 2000 Toyota Tundra Pickup |
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