Failing to proceed

[sean sherry]

Yet again a flat battery on our 2010 C 200 GLI. No 4 to date. Dealer has had the car for weeks at a time , replacing Batteries , Sam Control Unit ( ? ) It is a Battery Drain issue, Alternator puts in 14 Plus Volts.


All systems shut down visually.

Where to now I wonder.

Styria was on the right track going for Japanese. Or maybe a less complex Merc. my '80 280 SL started first touch after 5 weeks parked. The Internet is awash with similar Mercedes Electrical problems back to 2002.
So I'm not alone...............Sean ? ? ?

 

[Styria]

You know, Sean - how do you win ? Sure enough, I was apprehensive of purchasing a B200 or CLC of some description - all second hand of course, but there was that nagging feeling in the back of my mind "what if" - especially with any car that has no warranty or, at best, a doubtful warranty. That also applied to a magnificent 5 cyl. Mondeo Turbo with 6 speed manual box - it was $20K. but ever so tempting. So, we settled on the Japanese built Jazz. Had it been built in Thailand, as many Jazzes (?) are, I would probably have asked Julie to look at an alternative choice.

So then let me take you to the 420SEL of mine - an absolute paragon of reliability - and if we talk about batteries, it's still the same as when I bought the car eighteen months ago, and it spins the engine as if there are no plugs fitted. So, how do you win ? I can't tell you, but it must cause you no end of grief to be saddled with what appears to be an insurmountable problem. Our friend Helmet - no good ? I'd give him a try, or a competent Auto Electrician. I know of a couple. Regards Styria

 

[SEL_69L]

As a stopgap, it may be worthwhile investing in a toroidal ring battery charger, and perhaps re charging the battery maybe twice a week or more.
It won't solve your problem, but at least you should have a car to drive when you need it.

Besides, it's worth having a battery charger on standby anyway. When the battery is fully charged, a green LED illuminates.

I have been charging the battery on my 6.9 once a week, weather it needs it or not, for the last 7 years. That way, the battery is being fooled into thinking that the car is being driven regularly. The battery is more than 7 years old, and still starts the engine quite lustily.

 

[BenzBoy]

Hmmm - you mean the b@#$#@^ broke down! I would be asking for a field report - there is no such thing as a problem that can't be traced and fixed. MB will do a field report if you push hard enough.
A very effective technique is to stand in the middle of the service area and say in a large, commanding voice; "If I had wanted to buy a Hyundai I would have gone to a Hyundai dealer.." The only issue with that is that everyone I know who has bought a Hyundai loves them - they don't break down...
There must be something that is draining the power....
The last resort is to fit an isolator switch but why should you have to do that?
Regards,
Brian

 

[abl567]

During the tech day at Lodefest (M100 group meet) we had a talk by a battery fella who advised that battery technology is lagging behind computer technology in cars, which is why many modern Benz's have 2 battery's, one for starting and one for the computers. Cold cranking amps are no longer the best measure, amp hours are

 

[Michel]

many modern Benzes have 2 batteries, one for starting and one for the computers. Cold cranking amps are no longer the best measure, amp hours are

Indeed, the E63 S AMG I drove down to MB Spares last week had another battery in the boot simply for the computers.

 

[sean sherry]

Thanks for the input guys. I further learned that current Mercs and others, are controlled to hold only enough charge to crank the engine a limited number of times. If the engine does not fire then the battery is too low to crank it. The voltage regulator has to obey orders in the name of emissions. I.e. the battery is never brought up to a full charge. Merc Sydney tell me that there is a Soft Ware upgrade to sort this.... We shall see.
Next time it happens I'm finished with Mercs and back to trouble free Subaru's and my trusty 107 280 SL.
I've charged the battery and the alternator is putting in 14 Vs plus. As the battery went flat over night, tomorrow will tell.............Sean

 

[Helmet]

Sounds like a control unit not shutting down, maybe the audio system . Does it happen only when parked for over 4 days ? Or does it go flat overnight ?

 

[sean sherry]

Thanks Helmet,... it's an over night issue. Car was parked for a week with no problem, then a couple of days later , over night battery below 12volts and just a click from the solenoid. This has happened 3 times over the past couple of years, Paul ,at Mercedes Sydney , once had the car for a week to try to sort it, Apparently a unit called a "Sam " was replaced also a second Battery.
Road service checks and also Dealer tests don't show a problem. Battery , leak tests, and charge rate all ..always.. ok.
Now back to square one ???......
Regards Sean

 

[sean sherry]

Can I believe the Dealer,? Now they say the Battery Drain issue can be fixed with a Soft Ware up grade. The car has been ok for the past year or so with the current Soft Ware. They say that because the Service work was not done at a Dealer the Soft Ware is out of date.
Does that ring true Helmet ?
Of course they would say that wouldn't they ! Also the car has been back to them a couple of times for Soft Ware Issues with the Auto Box.
Thanks Sean

 

[sean sherry]

Michael you have given me food for thought. A second battery ! A small Subaru Battery and a Jumper leads in the boot for peace of mind.
Of course Murphy's Law says that then I will never have any more trouble!
If this was America with their " Lemon Laws " Mercedes would have had to give me a New replacement car long ago. Mercedes had to hand over a couple of Thousand New cars to E Class owners plagued with simular Electrical Faults a few years ago. Third time back to the Dealer with the same fault.....your Car Sir...... where is my replacement.
Past experience with Dealers here have prompted me to lodge a complaint with Melbourne Customer Service to goad the Dealer into Action. Maybe I should heed my own advice !
Sean

 

[Helmet]

Can I believe the Dealer,? Now they say the Battery Drain issue can be fixed with a Soft Ware up grade. The car has been ok for the past year or so with the current Soft Ware. They say that because the Service work was not done at a Dealer the Soft Ware is out of date.
Does that ring true Helmet ?
Of course they would say that wouldn't they ! Also the car has been back to them a couple of times for Soft Ware Issues with the Auto Box.
Thanks Sean

First I've heard of that Sean.
We see the odd car with battery drain problems, it's not widespread though and all these cars running the same software. I have a few clients with similar problems with cars still under warranty. One with a C63 drove a loan C200 for months until the problem was sorted at the dealer .