This was what powered my 300SDL

[aroohk]

I had battery issues today so I read the post about how great the autozone 49L battery was at 65 bucks. So I went to my autozone and sure enough... 65bucks + core and it was mine... But when I saw the battery I almost fell over... It was MASSIVE compared to the one that was in the car. So I decided to take pics of the new one next to the old Interstate #91 battery..

Got the new one in and the starter has probable NEVER turned that fast...lol... I could imagine why the interstate was having issues... It was cold out last night so I decided to do a 25 sec glow plug cycle and the started almost did not turn...

Thank god it did since the window installed immediately pulled in behind me and blocked the BMW in the garage!

Cant wait to start up the SDL tomorrow in the AM!

Here are some pix for your enjoyment... btw... the date stamp on the interstate showed January 2000

Enjoy
Aaron

That interstate does not appear to be the correct size, what was the CCA rating?

[aroohk]

I checked the number on the top of the battery... it was an interstate 91 which if i remember correctly was the battery I just got for my roommie for his 1999 323i. It looked about the same at least...

I agree... that was the smallest battery I have ever seen in a diesel. I mean i could pick it up with one hand where the autozone duralast took two hands and some careful placement to not drop it on the car... lol lol...

Aaron

[SD Blue]

The Interstate battery was bare minimum on CCA's and probably next to nothing on reserve capacity. Greater reserve capacity is what makes the correct battery so heavy. Diesels with glow plugs like lots of reserve.

You have to give that little Interstate battery credit though. It held out for nearly five years working its little heart out and being stressed to the max.

[Hatterasguy]

The po stuck a little 350 or 400cca amp battery in my friends S320. I would cringe everytime he started it crossing my fingers that it would fire, but it always did. He put an Interstate in it, and I got him a deal at $88. 84 month top of the line, MTP-93 same battery that the W126's use. It is still light compared to the OE MB battery, but seems to crank well.

[Hit Man X]

I had an Interstate Megatron in a gasser a while back, great battery!

The rides now have on Optima (since '01 I think I've had it), Diehard Int'l in the SD, Diehard Gold in the F150, and that same AutoZone one in the L. I'm very pleased with the performance of the AZ battery for the cash. Car sat for two weeks then started up like it was a few days only.

[aroohk]

the Interstate was an MTP91... 700CCA and 875CA... Installed in Jan of 2000. Yes... I am amazed at what it was able to do for so long... Sadly, the long (25 second) glow plug cycle this AM almost put it to death...lol... It was all I could do to get it started...lol

It goes to get my core charge back tomorrow AM!

Nice to have the battery tray filled with the proper size battery. I could have gotten an interstate from my friend that owns a service shop, but all in all people have been really happy here with the Autozone battery so I thought... What the heck!

Aaron

[MarkM]

In my experience I do the following: (note that I am in New England, and several times each winter, I will need to start the car at zero F or below. Also, I simply do no always have access to a plug for the block heater, such as at work, or on a trip up north skiing.)

I replace my battery every four years...If I had the misfortune to completely drain the battery at least once, I replace it every three. As the battery ages, and especially if it is discharged, the battery will just not crank as long and as fast any more. Cost per year, about $30

Same with glow plugs....as they age, they just do not get as hot...Period!!! Change them every three years. Cost per year, about $15.

Total cost: $45 (say $50) per year, or about a dollar a week

If you double the above times....6 years for both battery and glow plugs... you're only saving $25 per year!! Weigh that against the cost of one day when you cant start your car...especially if the car is your daily driver that you depend on for work, etc. If you consider this your "baseline"....(e.g. if you own a diesel, you have to buy batteries and glow plugs at least every 6 years or so), then your incremental increase to replace them every three is about $25 per year. Hardly worth losing sleep over.

If you live in more moderate climates where winter temps rarely go below freezing, then go 5 years or more on batteries and glow plugs. But if you live where you may have regular nighttime temps below 10 F, and throw in a few sub zero bone chillers, I say go with Duralast battery and bosch glow plugs, and replace every three years!!! Even a Mercedes battery is not that much more expensive!


(I dont want to sound insensitive to the "poor college student" or others of similar means...I was there once.....a little extra "party money" was way more important than dependable winter transportation!!! And now, I'm not exactly rolling in dough!) .

My other winterizing strategies, for "snow belt" conditions: (Note that I expect to drive my diesel for many years....many of these things are "long term strategies"):

1) Run four good snow tires (big ticket item at about $100 per year, but a major safety improvement!). I like having a full set mounted on steel rims, including a spare so I dont have to carry long lug bolts for the alloy spare. Regarding tires, I run 205-70-14s for warm weather...a nice cushy touring tire; for snows, I run stock 195-70-14s (a little narrower).
2) When nighttime temps go below freezing, I plug in my block heater every night I can....avoiding daily cold starts saves a lot of wear and tear on the engine....put it on a timer to go on at 3am.
3) I run dino oil (15w-40) during warm weather, and synth. Rotella (5w-40) Dec. through Feb.
4) A block heater is essential!! Check it in November to make sure its working! Along with my block heater, I installed a little 3 amp two stage batt. charger to go on with the block heater to ensure fully charged battery when I need to crank on a cold morning (I use a nice little weather sealed charger I got from a marine supply store. Also, I wired in a relay to disconnect both the pos. and neg. leads from the charger when not plugged in....I want the charger completely isolated from the battery when not in use)
5) I installed a volt meter (and two 12V sockets) in place of the ash tray, so I always know the alternator output when running, and batt. voltage when not running.
6) I keep a charged battery pack in my trunk in the winter (if 10 below is predicted over night, I take it inside overnight)...I also keep a set of jumper cables in the car.
7) Keep an extra glow plug on hand, in case one unexpectedly fails (even if you replace them every few years you might get a dud)
8) Replace coolant (MBZ only) and flush every 2 to 3 years (yes, I put in water wetter too....I can't help myself)
9) I keep a mono-valve repair cartridge on hand (I keep it in the car in the winter....If you experience a long winter road trip without heat, you will do this!!)
10) clean battery terminals every year, inspect all electrical connections (glow plugs, battery cables, block heater, etc.) and repair as needed
11) I installed a kill switch on one of the hot wires to the automatic antenna....I kill it in the up position in the winter and leave it that way...I hate when it freezes in the down position for my morning drive to work. If I'm going to park in a place that I would worry about antenna vandals (street parking in Boston at night), I just flip the kill switch and retract the antenna.
12) With every fill, I put a little Power Service anti gel in the fuel (even though winter diesel is formulated to prevent gelling, I can't stop myself from doing this!)

Thats about all I can think of....

Mark

[aroohk]

A friend of mine thought I did well with the AZ battery... I did a google search and came across some cool news... http://www.johnsoncontrols.com/CorpPR/Releases/battery/release786.asp
Check out this link... those great AZ batteries are made by the same company that makes OE BMW, Interstate, and Optima batteries. So you are saving some good $$$ on a top quality battery with a different label!

Thanks again for the advice guys... Happy motoring this winter... BTW... I read that the SDL has a built in block heater? Where do you get a cord/plug for this? I want to take the L boarding this winter and will DEF plug it in!

Aaron

[R Leo]

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

MTP-93 same battery that the W126's use

And the gassers! I thought that the U-Boat sized batteries like are in the 300TD, 300D and SDL were confined to the diesels but a friend just acquired an '86 560SEL and the daggone thing has the same size battery that my SDL has.

Weird.

[boneheaddoctor]

your old battery was definately the wrong size....the PO moron of my W123 had a simmular one it it....that died a couple weeks ago when it turned cold....I too put in a correct size...its an interstate too but fills the battery tray as it should.

Originally Posted by boneheaddoctor

your old battery was definately the wrong size....the PO moron of my W123 had a simmular one it it....that died a couple weeks ago when it turned cold....I too put in a correct size...its an interstate too but fills the battery tray as it should.

I have the correct Interstate in my 123 also, fills the tray, 850CCA. It seems to work well.

[Hatterasguy]

According to my Interstate book the MTP-93 is used by a lot of MB's. All the W126's, most of the W140's and a bunch of others. The MTP-91 is used by a lot of the smaller cars like the 190D's.


Just an fyi a lot of the new MB's are going to AGM batterys according to the book, 03's and up.

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

According to my Interstate book the MTP-93 is used by a lot of MB's. All the W126's, most of the W140's and a bunch of others. The MTP-91 is used by a lot of the smaller cars like the 190D's.

I have a MPT-93 in my W123 as well. They told me that was the biggest Interstate I could fit when I bought it.

[deerefanatic]

I have the smaller interstate batter in my car. It was installed January 2000, but it just won't turn over the engine if it is below 25F out. But if I use the block heater, I don't have any probs.

Maybe that is why when I ran the radio in the yard for about 20 mins this summer, I couldn't get the car to start! Not enough capacity, but plenty of CCA's (new it was 850, I had it tested a month ago and it tested at 750, not bad for a almost six year old battery. It was only warranteed for 72 months.)