Car stood for months

[Athey]

Finally managed to go to the garage at the weekend. Car hasn’t been started for a year so had to put jump leads on the battery to start it. Nothing on the dashboard came on and the headlights were on despite them being switched off. I’ve got the battery on a trickle charger as it was completely dead. Will I have any problems once battery is fully charged? Hoping to put it back on the road in may if all goes well.

 

[jasonh]

Fully discharging a car battery usually damages it - you are likely to need a new battery. See how the charging goes and whether it starts the car once charged.

Avoid jump starting modern cars (with multiple ECUs) when you disconnect the jump starting vehicle you get a large voltage spike that can damage ECUs on one or both cars.

 

[Athey]

The battery is trickle charging at 0.8 amps at 6v and showing 6.8v on the charger. Will give it the next few days to charge it. Just hoping I don’t have any gremlins as I’m spending almost 3k to have it ready for summer. Haven’t driven it in over a year and hoping that I can get it to some shows this year in memory of my mum

 

[Petrol Pete]

Athey, leaving a car stood for a year with the battery still connected is never going to end well no matter what battery conditioner it is hooked up to. This might be a good time to price up a new battery . Hope it goes OK.

 

[Athey]

The battery was brand new when I first put the car away. If it doesn’t work, it’s another £175 for a new one

 

[markjay]

You'll likely need new tyres... check for flat spots and for cracks (unless stood on axle stands).

And check the brakes... seized pistons, rusty/pitted discs, etc.

I would also change the fuel... and the engine oil.

Good luck.

 

[Athey]

I have new tyres at home along with new rear suspension springs, new brake booster and other bits to put on. It’s due a b service and am putting new discs and pads all round. With last year being so bad for me, I left the car in the garage, and am just now getting round to putting it back on the road.

 

[Doodle]

The battery is trickle charging at 0.8 amps at 6v and showing 6.8v on the charger.

That suggests the battery is totally ruined, to the point your charger thinks it's actually a 6v pack. Anything below 10v on a 12v battery is permanent damage territory.

 

[markjay]

That suggests the battery is totally ruined, to the point your charger thinks it's actually a 6v pack. Anything below 10v on a 12v battery is permanent damage territory.

Looks ideal half the cells are dead..... and the other half aren't doing that great, either.

 

[markjay]

And change the brake fluid....

 

[Athey]

Checked the charger this morning and still the same so will bite the bullet and order a new one. Does the 2010 c63 have an aux battery? If so, may as well get one as well.

 

[Athey]

Brake fluid will be done as part of the b service mark

 

[markjay]

Checked the charger this morning and still the same so will bite the bullet and order a new one. Does the 2010 c63 have an aux battery? If so, may as well get one as well.

It wouldn't have Stop/Start (a) because it's a C63 and they don't have it, and (b) because it's pre-facelift anyway and the Stop/Start functionality was only introduced with the facelift in 2011 MY.

And if it does not have Stop/Start, then it wouldn't have an auxiliary battery.

 

[Athey]

New battery £198.38 from Mercedes preston. Will see how things are when I go up and connect it.

 

[Athey]

Just to update, finally put the new battery on and all systems green. Phew! Now just a small matter of fitting new discs and pads all round ( they aren’t half heavy), new rear springs, new subframe bushes and tyres. And there’s more parts on order. Then it’s a service b, mot and then onto the next set of parts.