Time for new batteries?

[Jukie]

MY2011 W212 E350 CDi.

I've had the car five years and have not yet changed the batteries. I understand there is an auxiliary battery as well as the main one. I don't believe either were changed prior to my ownership.

I have a dual-channel dashcam hardwired that I leave switched on all the time. Parking mode is set to motion sensor.

Last winter (wasn't particularly cold, even up here!) there were some days when the engine was reluctant to turn. In old parlance the battery seemed tired. Pretty much every day these days the dashcam has turned itself off, having seemingly hit the low voltage setting (currently set in between the maker's winter and summer recommendations). Dashcam's been in two and a half years and it was never an issue at first.

My predominant car use is a daily 55 mile round trip commute, the bulk of which is A road and m-way, so the battery doesn't get hammered with multiple short journeys.

I'm thinking time to change the batteries before the onset of autumn/winter. Thoughts?

TIA, David.

 

[AMGeed]

Might be an idea to have the batteries load tested at somewhere like Halfords to see if the CCA is holding up.
My main battery failed just before the 4 year guarantee ran out so got it load tested and replaced without any problem. It was showing over 12v but failed the load test.

You don't have to buy a replacement from Halfords. I'd look at Tayna and MB Grangemouth

 

[artyman]

I'm still on the original battery on my 2008 W204, mostly short runs, with a couple of 50 mile runs each month. I occasionaly give it a recondtion charge say every 6 months. Always fires up first go.

 

[markjay]

I sold my 2006 W203 when it was 11 years old, with the original MB battery which was still going strong.

My current 2013 W204 is now 6 years old and still on its original batteries (both main and auxiliary).

Obviously a battery can fail at any age, some even fail while the car is still under warranty, but just to say that batteries have no expiry date as such and some will run for very many years.

I appreciate batteries are not particularly expensive, but still I would recommend that they are changed on condition and not purely due to their age.

 

[219]

I would normally expect five years out of a battery, often get more , but consider every year beyond five a bonus .