How many years do you think I can get out of my battery? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Hatterasguy · #1 11-29-2007, 04:28 PM

Right after I bought my car I put an OE MB battery in it, and its going on 5 years this March.

So how long do that last? I really don't want to be calling roadside if I can avoid it. I was thinking about replacing it after next year just because. 5 years is pretty good.

Bill Wood · #2 11-29-2007, 04:30 PM

5 years on an OE battery is about average.

pawoSD · #3 11-29-2007, 04:35 PM

My OEM one died on me when it was about 5-6 years old, I only had it a year though, it came with the car. Then I used a sears DieHard for 2.5 years, which also died on me. Now I have another MB OEM battery that was put in by MB Road Side Service in March.

In North Kentucky....in the middle of the night.

Its been working great here in the freezing cold so far, cranks the car right up. It'd better last a long time, as I paid $143 for it!

Brian Carlton · #4 11-29-2007, 04:37 PM

Battery life varies all over the map. If the battery has never been fully discharged and doesn't suffer too much idling with heavy loads (leading to discharge), they can last seven years.

You never quite know the condition, however. If the engine starts in three seconds, a marginal battery will last quite a long time. If the engine needs 15 seconds of crank, you're in a whole different ballgame.

As you know, cold temperatures really separate the good from the bad. If it won't start at zero degrees..........don't be all that surprised. However, if you plug it in every night, the battery is probably good for another two years..........or more.

vwbuge · #5 11-29-2007, 04:53 PM

There was a Sears Die Hard in my car when I bought it. I do not run my car from November to March and I periodically plug a tender into it over the winter. The garage it is stored in generally stays above freezing all winter.

I bought my car in the Fall of 2000. That same battery is still in my car working great.

123Guy · #6 11-29-2007, 05:35 PM

You live up in cold country, so 5 years is nearing the end - sitting out there in the cold, all that double heating on the glow plugs and extra cranking to start the engine is hard on the battery.
Down here where the winters are mild (this is a two-season location), a top of the line battery lasts much longer - last spring, I put in only the fourth battery that Elvira has had so they averaged around 8-years.

daw_two · #7 11-29-2007, 08:16 PM

Candy is my 1985 300D named because she is so sweet. I just replaced her Interstate battery; it was 6 year warranty battery with Sept 2000 punched out as the purchase date. 7 years? Wow! This car was the daily driver for the previous owner....so, I've been told.

Hatterasguy · #8 11-29-2007, 08:25 PM

Well mine never really see's cold temps, a cold start for my car is 50.

Anyway I rather not chance, it I'll just get a new one after next year.

unkl300d · #9 11-29-2007, 08:37 PM

If you drop your battery out the window and it clobbers someone, you can get 10- to 25 years out of the battery !!!

5-6 is average for otherwise in-car use

t walgamuth · #10 11-29-2007, 11:17 PM

I have always simply used them til they begin to fail.

who knows if it is on its last legs or has a couple of years left?

Tom W

Brian Carlton · #11 11-29-2007, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

who knows if it is on its last legs or has a couple of years left?

I know.

Hatterasguy · #12 11-29-2007, 11:38 PM

I'd prefer not finding out. Maybe I'll let my dad or grandfather run it for the next decade. They are far cheaper than me and can usualy nurse a decade out of a good battery.

JimmyL · #13 11-29-2007, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawoSD

.............. Now I have another MB OEM battery ................... I paid $143 for it!

I love the look of those, but for less than $143 bucks you can get an Autozone battery, use it at least 5 years, then get a second one for another 5 years. Aren't gonna get 10 years outta anything.
Those MB batts sure look cool though......

{btw, I understand the circumstances around why you got the MB}

MBeige · #14 11-30-2007, 12:24 AM

Mine says it was built in 2001, and continues to serve me today. It's an International Die Hard

pawoSD · #15 11-30-2007, 02:22 AM

My dad has a 1998 Energizer 100amp battery in his SD, it is ancient. It was already in the car when we bought it over 4 years ago, and still is in there!

It will crank the car even in super cold temps. Three years ago (when the battery was about 6 years old or so....we were up north, outside temp was 12F, COLD. It sat all night in a parking lot at a hotel, two glowplugs were dead, the rest...not so good. So we glowed two full cycles with what we had, then began cranking.....for.......56 non-stop seconds. Yes, 56. It was like on "das boot" when they fired up the engine.

Slowly started firing more and more and more till it got going. TONS of smoke. But it did it. I can't imagine how much that drained the battery, it was crazy. And its been fine ever since.

That battery is still going. And its been 20-22F out for several days, it will glow and crank it right up in 1-2 cranks. (has good glowplugs now

) Who knows how long the thing will last.

That'd make it about 9ish years old at this point.....the little year dots on the battery you mark off to show how old it is go from 1998 to 2002....LOL.