car is a 1990 190E with an interstate battery (that I got almost 5 years ago)

okay, I kinda knew something might be up with my battery because the past week it has been cranking as if there was not enough juice in the battery...you know that sound and feel of the crank? well, I thought it might be the battery going out. the temp has been around high 50s to 60s deg. F and it has been raining here. earlier today I went to start the car and it cranked but did not fire, did it again, and that's when it no longer crank, and I thought it might be the battery. I went to get the portable jump-start kit and jumped the car. it fired up. so my suspuicion was confirmed; it seems the battery may no longer hold a charge. now I think I may need a new battery. DO I NEED A NEW BATTERY? or can I just charge it up and the battery is all good again? interesting that I had this experience almost 5 years ago, and this interstate battery I have now says it is pro-rated with a 60 month warranty!

anyhoo, if I do need a new battery, can I change the battery myself? is it what I think it is: just disconnect the pos. and neg. wires and have my radio codes ready? I can do that. or are there some other electrical/computer wires hidden somewhere that I have to also mess with? I'm not too thrilled about taking it to the shop and--if I remember correctly--have them charge me over $100 (was it $170 something) for a new interstate battery. I might get a generic battery if its cheaper.

Yes you have got the battery changing all figured out, it will take you 30 seconds. As far as batteries are concerned, since yours is 5 years old, I think its time to get a new one. Batteries in my car have a nominal lifespan of about 2 years (aggressive bass). I recently purchased an Optima Blue top deep cycle battery and while it wasn't cheap I am impressed with its performance in my car. My sound system sounds better than it has ever done even though this battery is rated lower (amps) than my old one. The benefit of the Optima design is it is closed cell so it is purported to last longer... I can't verify this but it might be something to consider...

silly question, but when removing old battery, disconnect pos. or neg. first?

when putting new battery, connect pos. or neg. first?

is it discoonect neg. first? and with new battery, connect pos. first? just need to clear that up so as not to cause in sparks

Disconnect the negative terminal first. Then take the positive terminal off.

This removes the chassis from the electrical path, so you don't melt yourself in case a wrench touches the positive terminal and the chassis at the same time. (With the negative terminal, it doesn't much matter because it's already connected to the chassis through the ground wire - there's no voltage difference.)

Installation is the reverse (positive first, negative second). The negative terminal will still spark on contact (when reattaching) because things like clocks and stuff will be running, even with the ignition off, but it's not really a problem.

It is very possible that your battery simply needs to be serviced. Check the water level to make sure that your lead plates are covered. Also it is possible that your battery terminals are corroded. Clean them up so that fresh lead is exposed and do the same with the cable connectors that attach to the battery terminals. You might get a couple of more years out of that Interstate.

Either of the above conditions will give you the symptoms you describe. (low fluid level or corroded terminals and cables)

__________________
Earl



1993 190E 2.3
2000 Toyota 4x4 Tundra

Trying to squeeze a little more life out of a battery can be an expensive proposition. Old batteries have nasty habits. The emit corrosive fumes and tend to boil over. The damage that they can cause is not worth the risk.