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  #1  
Old 02-02-2014, 02:23 PM
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Some W210 Battery Questions

Nice balmy 45F in Rhode Island.....thought I'd take out the rear seat and look at the battery on my recently purchased 98 E300D.

It's a Mercedes branded lead acid....everything looks nice and clean. However, I thought there's supposed to be a vent tube from the battery. Is it missing? Or does it not need to be there with this arrangement?

Also, I've always been pretty good about topping off the cells with distilled water. I'm assuming (but not certain) that this battery has them. Or would a MB battery that's under the seat be maintenance free?

Thanks.

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14 E250 Bluetec "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 153k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 171k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver, 142k mi, wastegate conversion

19 Honda CR-V EX 61k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife
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  #2  
Old 02-02-2014, 03:06 PM
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I'm in the same boat as you, except I *wish* mine had an MBZ battery.

Yesterday, I looked at the battery in my 'new' '98, and it's a "Carquest" brand. And the vent tube is NOT hooked up, just a nice little empty grommet in the floor. I'm going to fix that today.

I don't know which of the very few *actual* manufacturers (Exide, Johnson Controls, Deka,) makes Carquest batteries, nor how good or bad they are.

As for the actual MBZ batteries, they are GREAT and tend to last a LONG time. Especially when they are in the relatively non-hostile environment of the trunk or under the back seat, where they are not exposed to the under hood heat.
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Current rolling stock:
2001 E55 183,000+ Newest member of the fleet.
2002 E320 83,000 - The "cream-puff"!
1992 500E 217,000+
1995 E300D 412,000+
1998 E300D 155,000+
2001 E320 227,000+
2001 E320 Wagon, 177,000+

Prior MBZ’s:
1952 220 Cab A
1966 300SE
1971 280SE
1973 350SLC (euro)
1980 450SLC
1980 450SLC (#2)
1978 450SLC 5.0
1984 300D ~243,000 & fondly remembered
1993 500E - sorely missed.
1975 VW Scirocco w/ slightly de-tuned Super-Vee engine - Sold after 30+ years.
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  #3  
Old 02-02-2014, 03:24 PM
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Both our 1998 and 1999 cars had connected vent hoses.
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  #4  
Old 02-02-2014, 04:11 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shertex View Post
Nice balmy 45F in Rhode Island.....thought I'd take out the rear seat and look at the battery on my recently purchased 98 E300D.

It's a Mercedes branded lead acid....everything looks nice and clean. However, I thought there's supposed to be a vent tube from the battery. Is it missing? Or does it not need to be there with this arrangement?

Also, I've always been pretty good about topping off the cells with distilled water. I'm assuming (but not certain) that this battery has them. Or would a MB battery that's under the seat be maintenance free?

Thanks.
Yes, it's supposed to have a vent tube, (a clear line) leading straight down and through a hole in a black plastic plug of sorts that fills the large hole to the road surface.

I topped-off cells too much in the past, leaking into the cavity before on mine. I suppose that the sealed, AGV battery would be a better choice, to me, as the CDIs have in their trunks. Ask an MB counter partsman for advice/application there. The MB AGV batteries are just over $200.00 plus tax, btw.

The black plug I wrote of above? Well, my car's first one disintegrated over time because I overfilled the cells along the way. MB parts counters sell replacement plugs.

One tip I got the other day from an MB tech; do not add any water to the cells. That way the battery won't overflow as mine did, but what I can't explain was why the overfilling didn't go out the breather tube.
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  #5  
Old 02-02-2014, 04:41 PM
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I just finished hooking it up. The CarQuest battery did not even have a provision for hooking up a vent tube! Luckily, I had a spare, new Bosch battery from Poop Boys on hand. So now I have a used Carquest as a spare instead.

Joe, glad to hear it was a clear tube, as I only had vinyl tubing laying around, so I used that. If it gets brittle later, I'll replace it with another material.

I should revise my other post regarding MBZ batteries being so good - my point of referrence is the *factory installed* ones; I have no experience with whatever MBZ is using as replacements.

Regarding filling with distilled water: You definitely do not want to fill to the top, or even close to the top. Typically, filling to the bottom of the cell access tube is sufficient if there is not a specific fill mark. As long as the plates remain submerged, you are good to go. And if you find yourself filling them at all, check your alternator/voltage regulator to see if it is overcharging the battery.
__________________
Current rolling stock:
2001 E55 183,000+ Newest member of the fleet.
2002 E320 83,000 - The "cream-puff"!
1992 500E 217,000+
1995 E300D 412,000+
1998 E300D 155,000+
2001 E320 227,000+
2001 E320 Wagon, 177,000+

Prior MBZ’s:
1952 220 Cab A
1966 300SE
1971 280SE
1973 350SLC (euro)
1980 450SLC
1980 450SLC (#2)
1978 450SLC 5.0
1984 300D ~243,000 & fondly remembered
1993 500E - sorely missed.
1975 VW Scirocco w/ slightly de-tuned Super-Vee engine - Sold after 30+ years.
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  #6  
Old 02-02-2014, 04:53 PM
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Location: Barrington, RI
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe View Post

One tip I got the other day from an MB tech; do not add any water to the cells. That way the battery won't overflow as mine did, but what I can't explain was why the overfilling didn't go out the breather tube.
But shouldn't water be added if cells are low? I certainly agree that it's tempting/easy to overfill....BTDT.
__________________
14 E250 Bluetec "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 153k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 171k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver, 142k mi, wastegate conversion

19 Honda CR-V EX 61k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife
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  #7  
Old 02-02-2014, 04:59 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Barrington, RI
Posts: 5,874
Was reading a thread over on Benzworld....sounds like some folks have bought MB batteries that don't have a vent.
__________________
14 E250 Bluetec "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 153k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 171k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver, 142k mi, wastegate conversion

19 Honda CR-V EX 61k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife
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  #8  
Old 02-02-2014, 05:10 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shertex View Post
But shouldn't water be added if cells are low? I certainly agree that it's tempting/easy to overfill....BTDT.
That's me too.

Perhaps the MB tech had experience that never adding water was a plan, and the cells did not deplete, in the life of the battery? I should have asked him.

Quote:
Originally Posted by shertex View Post
Was reading a thread over on Benzworld....sounds like some folks have bought MB batteries that don't have a vent.
The out-of-pocket would be more for the AGV sealed MB battery, but @ approx. $202.00 plus tax @ the MB dealer w/MBCA Club member discount - that's way less than the Interstate AGV priced in the $250.00 +/- range.

I'd spring the extra dough for the sealed-for-life battery, if there's an application advised for the E300.

I'm with RunningTooHot though, on the longevity of the MB batteries. That' what I've exclusively used for 23 years straight in my MB diesels....

I wouldn't be afraid to go with a Sears Die-Hard, though, either. There's a Sears Automotive Center 3 miles from where I live.

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