Help!! Can't shut boot ...

[AlanD]

Main battery on CLS55 dead. Won't take a charge from my charger anymore. I can't shut the boot however, it just bounces off the lock. Doesn't make any difference whether I put in the emergency key or not and turn while shutting, doesn't matter if I try to activate the mechanism while open with a bit of metal. It just doesn't do anything.

Alarm went off last night because it was open, then sort of died. Now I'm stuck and I really need to not leave the boot open a crack to the general public!

 

[Will]

Time for a new battery?

 

[AlanD]

Sigh .. I think so, but I'm worried I'll damage a new one. See old thread here:

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/electronics/217004-battery-voltage-3.html

It's just been to PCS for a new front battery and rear battery test. Battery was drawing 1A when he took it in with COMAND out and just 50mA later when everything was connected up again. Battery was showing half way between new and replace.

 

[AlanD]

In good news, despite almost 4 hours on charger since this morning when I had to go out and leave the boot open, it still had taken no charge at all (and charger hadn't turned red yet like it eventually did overnight), but I did manage to get the boot shut. By connecting up jump leads from the other car and running it off the engine for 5 mins (enough to get electrics in my car up so I could turn off the internal alarm sensor and lock the doors with the window "tucked in". When I disconnected the leads there was just enough juice to shut the boot electronically and lock it + set alarm.

Weird.

God knows what to do next ..

 

[AMGeed]

Are you certain your battery is a good one and hasn't failed? If not, as above its new battery time. I'd check the one under the pollen filter too if its the original one I'd change it.

I hope you checked the emergency key will unlock your boot later on.

 

[c63chris]

Have you tried disconnecting the battery from the car before charging? If something is shorted out it can draw enough current to slow down or stop the charging process.


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[AlanD]

Well, I'm up for charging the battery on the kitchen floor sometime to see, but I still need to know how to shut the boot when I take it out! I guess I can do it if it's not going to rain for at least a day and take it down to Halfords/Kwik Fit for a quick test if it does hold a charge.

Assuming it does, it makes me worry I'll destroy a new battery. If it doesn't; I don't have much choice!

But the boot .. there must be a mechanical way!!?

 

[KillerHERTZ]

I've closed mine when the battery was disconnected, re-opened it via key blade.

 

[AlanD]

Yeah, the emergency key works fine (I've had to use it about 20 times in the last 3 months!!). Just couldn't shut the damn boot again this last couple of days when the battery wouldn't take any charge.

I'll try again when the weather clears!

 

[Will]

Just a thought Alan, does yours have keyless go and/or the electric opening boot lid?

 

[Major774]

Just a thought Alan, does yours have keyless go and/or the electric opening boot lid?

Does not matter, it should still close.

I have got Keyless Go and the electric boot lid closure feature, and I can still manually close the boot.

Before I have taken the battery out to charge and the boot will still close with no battery in the car. Once fully charged I can open the boot with the metal key.

 

[Will]

Does not matter, it should still close.

I have got Keyless Go and the electric boot lid closure feature, and I can still manually close the boot.

Before I have taken the battery out to charge and the boot will still close with no battery in the car. Once fully charged I can open the boot with the metal key.

On my old E55 (with keyless go), when the battery went flat one winter, the driver's door *just* unlocked but the car was too flat to crank over etc.

Went to close the driver's door and it wouldn't latch shut, just bounced off the catch.

On the keyless go cars, once the handle senses the unlock function, there's an actuator that unlocks the door lock and pushes the door/boot away (unlatches it).

Mine had got stuck out of sync, half way through its cycle and wouldn't close.

Hence the question. I needed to cycle the lock open/closed with full power once the battery was charged/replaced so that the door would close again!

Genuine question - what you think is wrong for Alan's boot to suddenly stop closing at the exactly same time as the battery has gone flat (?)

It could also be a fault with the wiring or the actuator mechanism itself, just trying to illustrate the potential issue for that keyless go/electronic actuator being the problem!

 

[AlanD]

I do have keyless go. I wonder did it's proximity get a signal to unlock as the battery completely died and get "stuck" in that position!? Sounds as plausible as anything else ..

I'll approach it this evening with the keyfob left in the house so that it's mechanical key only for the boot. If it can shut, then I'll whip out the batter and attempt an isolated charge/recondition.

 

[AlanD]

Hmmm .. got the battery out today and connected it on the kitchen floor. Charger went up to stage 4 within a minute or so! Before, it wouldn't get past stage 2 at all. Stage 4 implies you could crank it, which is odd since I couldn't even unlock the car! There's monkey business here somewhere ...

One other issue - my boot seal leaks somewhere. Just had the rear light's seals replaced and it's made no difference at all. Seems to be coming in under the hard plastic tray that protects the boot entry. Have unclipped that, but need a dry light day to test with water. I did notice that the cabling behind the battery just by where some fuses are was *soaked* with water. Not a great sign. Could this be causing any gremlins with the battery?

 

[AlanD]

Hmmm .. it got to step 5 (analyse) and then faulted .. "can not keep charge and may need to be replaced" according to the CTEK manual. Am trying one more time. Doesn't seem like a happy battery ..

 

[Major774]

Sounds like you might have a similar issue to me. I thought I had a dead battery, every time I tried to charge the battery in the car it would only get to stage 2. In the end I found out that their extension cable (the cable that extends the orange plug) does not allow the CTEK charger to work correctly.

When I extended the main cable I get no issues with charging the battery in the car. So make you sure you are running no extension from the orange plug side.

 

[Major774]

One other issue - my boot seal leaks somewhere. Just had the rear light's seals replaced and it's made no difference at all. Seems to be coming in under the hard plastic tray that protects the boot entry. Have unclipped that, but need a dry light day to test with water. I did notice that the cabling behind the battery just by where some fuses are was *soaked* with water. Not a great sign. Could this be causing any gremlins with the battery?

I had this problem, it's most likely the rubber boot seal. I took mine out to clean and dry, no water issues at the moment (cleaned it a few months ago).

 

[AlanD]

Sounds like you might have a similar issue to me. I thought I had a dead battery, every time I tried to charge the battery in the car it would only get to stage 2. In the end I found out that their extension cable (the cable that extends the orange plug) does not allow the CTEK charger to work correctly.

When I extended the main cable I get no issues with charging the battery in the car. So make you sure you are running no extension from the orange plug side.

Do you mean the "comfort connect" cable with eyelets to allow you to permanently leave it on the battery? It is actually since then that I've had problems charging it. The other different thing I did then was a full recondition, which I'd not tried before.

I took the comfort cable out on Sunday though in case it was shorting. Still wouldn't charge. Unless it's damaged the battery. Or a red herring and nothing to do with it

I'm using the clamps now in the kitchen. 2nd attempt at charging has stayed at step 3 for a couple of hours, so it seems to be happier currently. Go figure ..

 

[AlanD]

I had this problem, it's most likely the rubber boot seal. I took mine out to clean and dry, no water issues at the moment (cleaned it a few months ago).

You mean pop the seal off the whole way around the boot? I eased it off a little at the bottom and it was wet inside the seal and on the metal. Pitch dark and spitting drizzle, so not the time to attempt an overhaul

Did you get the whole thing out without stretching it and manage to persuade it back on in perfect shape? Did you use anything like grease or even silicone to make it more watertight (and keep the wet off the metal rust wise)?

 

[Major774]

For the W211, you have to take the surrounding plastic trims off, then you can pop off the seal that goes around the boot. It will come out easily and will not stretch, once popped off it you should be able go over the boot lid to take it away for cleaning. Because it has moulded to the shape of the boot you can easily fit it back in the original position.

On my car, I guess the previous owner tried to solved this water problem with some form of grease/silicone (there were traces of it in the seal). This probably makes it worse as the seal should make it's own seal once fitted. I cleaned as much of the grease/silicone off the seal and the boot, fully dried the seal off, then reverse the above to fit.