2016 GLE350d

[David404]

New vehicle for me, first with stop/start so....

I assume there are 2 batteries I believe one (main) is in floor under drivers seat but where is the other?

Haven't lifted inspection flap for main battery yet but I believe it's an AGM can anybody confirm this please?

I assume if one battery is AGM than the other will be too, again can anybody confirm?

I propose to continue past practice and charge batteries every couple of months to keep them in top top condition, I have a Ctec charger for this.

The owners handbook says charge from jump start point under bonnet. Will this charge both batteries?

Out of interest what's the rational for using the under bonnet point rather than connecting directly to the battery(s)?

 

[whitenemesis]

Out of interest what's the rational for using the under bonnet point rather than connecting directly to the battery(s)?

Convenience

 

[clk320x]

I propose to continue past practice and charge batteries every couple of months to keep them in top top condition

Surely a properly functioning alternator will take care of this for you? Unless you’re going to keep the car parked up for extended periods of time.

 

[David404]

Surely a properly functioning alternator will take care of this for you? Unless you’re going to keep the car parked up for extended periods of time.

From past experience (W211) that had no battery or charging issues I found that when I put the battery on charge my Ctec would typically charge the battery for 2-3 hours before indicating full charge. My suspicion is that the alternator doesn't take the battery to a true 100% charge state.

The general consensus seems to be that batteries like being taken to 100% charge on an occasional basis, maintains their health.

 

[Justintyme]

First time I have ever heard of this, TBH. When the battery discharges for some reason, and goes flat, sure it will need to be recharged, but not otherwise... I've never had to do it anyway....yet !!!

 

[David404]

First time I have ever heard of this, TBH. When the battery discharges for some reason, and goes flat, sure it will need to be recharged, but not otherwise... I've never had to do it anyway....yet !!!

I've only had to recharge because the battery was flat (or to be more accurate I assumed the battery was flat) once after the car had stood unused for 30 days and then again after standing for 90 days.

The point I was making was that in normal operation I don't believe the alternator brings the battery to a 100% charged state, evidenced by the fact that on the occasions I have hooked up my Ctec charger it has put out a charge to the battery for 2-3 hours.

 

[whitenemesis]

Does your model have a'smart' alternator?
Comparing a Traditional Alternator to a Smart Alternator | REDARC Electronics
Aux Battery Charging With Smart Alternators | 12 Volt Planet
Spotlight on: smart alternators

 

[David404]

Does your model have a'smart' alternator?
Comparing a Traditional Alternator to a Smart Alternator | REDARC Electronics
Aux Battery Charging With Smart Alternators | 12 Volt Planet
Spotlight on: smart alternators

There's another problem 'Smart Alternator' - don't know off to check your links, many thanks.

 

[Harrythedog]

Does your model have a'smart' alternator?
Comparing a Traditional Alternator to a Smart Alternator | REDARC Electronics
Aux Battery Charging With Smart Alternators | 12 Volt Planet
Spotlight on: smart alternators

I was going to mention this but I'm not sufficiently clued up.
I had problems getting a voltage sensor relay to work on a new van to charge the rear leisure battery, loads of problems. Eventually i was told that with smart alternators (that the van had) the main battery was only charged to about 80% to leave room for kinetic energy when the van was on the move. So what was happening was when the van was started and the old relay opened the main battery was sucking the charge out of the previosly fully charge leisure and the leisure battery wasn't charged as the supply to the main battery from the alternator wasn't at the required voltage to charge the leisure one.
The only time the charge went to the leisure battery was when the van was running using as much power, lights heating etc, as possible.
Bought one of those smart relay cahrges, Stirling I think, and everything works fine.
Hope you can make sense of my laymans interpretation