battery has gone flat 1999 e240 Avantgarde

[michaelk3289]

hello All

i was told when i bought the car that if it was stood for a while the battery would go flat,

I've been driving it a few times a week and thought that would be enough to keep it ticking over

last night at about 11pm with it raining it decided to set of the alarm and lock me out of the car

eventually i found the spare master key with the little (old fashioned) key built in,

i open the car and the Bonnet, only to realise that it could be in the boot,

as it was no 1130 pm and i was wet i decided that as the alarm had stopped that it could wait a few days

from experience should i go out and buy a new better or should i be worried that there could be an underlying issue with the car electronically

as for batteries, do i need to buy a heavy duty one, does it need to be re programmed to the car, etc etc

where is it? i couldn't find it under the bonnet but then i was really looking as i was getting wet and i wanted to go to bed

regards

 

[Dec]

Disconnect your alarm siren and see if the situation improves, if you wish, you can replace it yourself for about £100, obtained from an MB dealer.
The alarm siren is the brains of the alarm system.

How often do you drive the car and for how far?

Dec

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zChaQHHaeJU

[YOUTUBE]zChaQHHaeJU[/YOUTUBE]

 

[190]

To gauge the condition of an unknown battery you have to start by fully charging it and to do that by driving around can take many many hours. Just because a battery can start a car doesn't necessarily mean it has been fully charged. I'd charge it with a battery charger and then monitor it from there to determine if it's the car or the battery that's at fault.

If it's a very old battery on it's last legs then two things happen; the batteries capacity can be a fraction of what it was when new so the cars standing current will discharge it much quicker and even without any current draw an old battery will self discharge itself towards the end of it's life. The two things together can flatten a battery in a matter of days.

If it's the car that's causing the battery to go flat then a new battery is not only not going to fix it but will have it's life shortened by being discharged and then more than likely not fully charged again unless a battery charger is used.

If you do need a new battery most online retailers will have a battery chooser if you enter the cars details.

 

[renault12ts]

Your battery is under the off side rear seat.

 

[michaelk3289]

Hi Michael

It was a brand new high performance Varta battery fitted by Mercedes Mobilolife about 5+ years back. Can't remember exactly. It's extra performance helps with faster charging on short journey.

I top up the charge every 2 or 3 weeks with a battery charger as we do low miles. It was OK when it was in daily use.



the above is from the previous owner, (a forum member)

 

[190]

A quality battery like that would normally be still be good for a few more years if it has always been kept fully charged. I've had 12 years out of a Varta.

 

[michaelk3289]

A quality battery like that would normally be still be good for a few more years if it has always been kept fully charged. I've had 12 years out of a Varta.

thats what worries me, i think there is a bigger problem that the battery!!

 

[Charles Morgan]

5 years is quite enough with a modern battery to kill it, however high the quality, and charging with a fast charger will not help. I'd put it on a proper conditioner (not a high amperage charger) and let it fully charge. If you haven't been using the car for a long run, whatever the previous owners did, the battery will discharge.

 

[grober]

If the battery is more than 5 years old renew it as a matter of course. As indicated it may be due to a parasitic drain which will also have to be addressed at some point but said drain may have shortened the battery's life anyway. A battery on the way out will just mean finding any fault harder. Invest in a good trickle charger such as those made by Ctek
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FC42HAA/?tag=amazon0e9db-21

ps and get a vehicle electrician to check your alternator output

 

[DieselPete]

Buy a decent amp clamp style multimeter it can save you a fourtune you can easily check charging out put and also check for battery drains really easily.

 

[michaelk3289]

Hi all

Don't know I'd this connected or if anyone has any experience with this

I've had a new battery fitted (bosch) and thought that would be the end of the battery issues.

So far so good.

However I recall that before the battery went flat I was getting a warning beep in the cabin every now and then when I was driving

I've just been driving down the road and got the same noise.

It's a very quiet beep. Enough to warn you but only just.

Any info would be great

Thanks

 

[David404]

Invest in a good trickle charger such as those made by Ctek
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FC42HAA/?tag=amazon0e9db-21

I have a Ctek charger I purchased to bench charge caravan leisure batteries. However I also use this to bring my car battery up to 100% charge several times a year. Its not the fastest charger in the world (I think 7A output) but it usually brings the battery up in 2 hours or so.

Recently swapped cars, knew the new car had been standing around for several months so charging the battery was on the ToDo list. The car was starting fine and you wouldn't have known the battery was anything other than 100%. The Ctek charger took 4 - 5 hours to bring it up to 100% so its definitely worth investing in a good charger.

Incidentally Ctek chargers come with a nifty fly lead set that you leave permanently connected to the battery posts making the changer a simple plug in job, no crocodile clips to mess with. Simple thing but makes the job very straightforward and easy.