When to replace the battery? Start / stop not working, dashcam shuts down

[Combo]

Hi all, I'm having a bit of an issue with the dashcam in my car.

I have a 2016 CLA, I bought it this year and assume the battery has not been replaced before. Start/Stop has never worked (on the dash it has the line through it) and I installed a Blackvue DR900X dashcam but I find that before I get out the car when I park up the Blackvue usually says shutting down. I assume this is because the battery dips below the threshold designed to stop the cam draining all the battery.

I can get a dedicated battery pack for the cam but they are over £200 which seems a bit steep. I bought a CTEK MXS 5.0 and ran a recondition cycle on the main battery which took a long time to complete and I still have the same issues.

I managed to get to the hidden dash menu to show battery voltage once but not been able to get back into it for some reason. I have a cheap multimeter so can read the voltage at the battery, my question is what should I be looking for to know if I need to change the main and auxiliary battery? Can I replace this myself or does it cause an error code that I need a garage to clear? What is the best battery? I was thinking the Bosch S5A11 is probably the best.

Cheers

 

[E55BOF]

I'm assuming that your dashcam is powered by the main battery. Immediately after you turn off the engine, what is the voltage reading of that battery?

 

[AMGeed]

It probably is the main battery beginning to fail.
You should be looking at 12.6v+ for a fully charged AGM battery.

If you decide to replace the battery, get a quote from MB Grangemouth first. They give a forum discount and are pretty competitive.
I'd also get a price for a Varta/Bosch from Tayna batteries. Get the Part # from your existing battery to ensure you have the correct one.

Both main and Auxiliary battery are a simple DIY job. Neg terminal off first and replaced last. No coding required.

 

[KWER]

I got my replacement battery from Tanya a few weeks ago. Varta AGM for my T212 350 cdi. Best price and delivery by far. On my doorstep within 36 hours.

 

[Wenglish]

I have just replaced my main battery today with a Genuine battery from Mercedes Grangemouth with fourm discount I had it delivered in 24 hours for £199 which is a great price for a genuine battery with delivery

 

[Combo]

Thanks all, I tend to use Tayna as their service is excellent and no idea how they price so competitively! I like Varta too but the Bosch was the same price and spec but 1 year more warranty. I’ll get the meter in the battery and test, then get a quote from that garage to compare to Tayna, thanks for the advice.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Thanks all, I tend to use Tayna as their service is excellent and no idea how they price so competitively! I like Varta too but the Bosch was the same price and spec but 1 year more warranty. I’ll get the meter in the battery and test, then get a quote from that garage to compare to Tayna, thanks for the advice.

I believe the difference between Bosch and Varta batteries is brand (and warranty), it’s the same battery otherwise.

I’ve bought a few batteries from Tayna but I found their after sales support was poor. I had a leisure battery fail prematurely, so I contacted them and they did everything possible to wriggle out of a replacement. I gave up in the end. I now prefer to buy batteries from somewhere I can physically return them just in case they fail prematurely - which is not uncommon.

 

[Combo]

I believe the difference between Bosch and Varta batteries is brand (and warranty), it’s the same battery otherwise.

I’ve bought a few batteries from Tayna but I found their after sales support was poor. I had a leisure battery fail prematurely, so I contacted them and they did everything possible to wriggle out of a replacement. I gave up in the end. I now prefer to buy batteries from somewhere I can physically return them just in case they fail prematurely - which is not uncommon.

To be fair, I’ve never had to return anything but they are fast to post and reasonable too. I’ve used them quite a lot for car and UPS batteries. Amazon have price matched the Bosch so maybe I’ll get it there.