Battery Life on a G500
Hello All,
Does anyone know how long a battery will last in a G500? I ask as I have been away only a week and came to start my G and is battery completely dead. The battery was replaced about 4 years ago, however from memory I know I have left it for longer and she has started previously. I also had a new Alternator replaced back in 2012 and new spark leads, so electricity should be flowing OK.
Could there be a wider issue and if so, any pointers to what it could be?
Many thanks
Spider1V
Hi Spider
OE MB Product, usually Varta or similar are normally good for 6-8 years
Other replacements like Bosch etc 4-5 and cheaper ones 3-4
Also depends on vehicle use and state of systems, i guess the failing Alternator could have done the Battery life?
I usually find those with a 4 year warranty last 4 years and 6 months.
Of course battery life can be reduced if lots of time spent polishing the inside of your G or just sitting admiring the view from the driver's seat without having the engine running.
Joe,
I week is an indication of a problem. Do you have an alarm? My last 2 batteries have been MB ones and have lasted 7y ea.
Once you have flattened a battery completely, they are never much good at holding charge again.
The cigy lighter is isolated when the key is off, so it wouldn't be the culprit.
Alarm draws a small amount when new but as they get older they can get increased usage. Is it the MB one?
The battery should be charged with a proper charger for 24hrs to bring it up to full charge. The AA man was probably checking the voltage with the engine idling which only proves the alt is good. You are probably on borrowed time now as it went dead flat.There are trickle charges if you are regularly leaving it unused and you park it off the road. Measuring the battery with a propoer tester is you next move to see what the future is. They put a large load on it and see how fast is discharges. An instantaneous meter reading with no load doesn't indicate much. The 500 doesn't like a weak battery, if it doesn't see the correct voltage it won't play ball.
Agree with Gav. Battery in my SL (V8 6 litre) is around seven years old. I keep it on a trickler. Don't know if that extends life.
Sorry Joe.
I realise you were asking a serious question - and I just made light of it.
Mark
hi joe. my clk55 has the original battery since 2003 ! over 11 years now. its always plugged in to the main via ctek charger. i must be on a world record with this...vehicle is used only once a week/ten days. current mileage a collosal 16000 miles.
you cover good mileage i gather. either the battery is buggered due to a current drain from some alien source on the G . or if you using the G more at night with full beams etc.
i would advice you fit an odyssey battery next time. very high crank amperage , ideal for the v8.
rgds hus
Hi Joe,
Agree with the above: the cigarette lighter socket is only one when your ignition is on. Its probably your battery - I had my car in storage for about 16 months and the battery flattened (even though it was on a charger - which broke!!!). Now wondering how long it will be until my battery conks out again as it won't hold charge as well any more. As you know the 500 doesn't like an under-charged battery and if you really want something with oomph, I'd recommend the Odyssey 1500 which is the biggest capacity battery that fits into the rear arches.
Ph
Ctek smart charger is a must, its new technology that conditions and charges your battery, i've had some batteries brought back from the dead, joe i've warned you before not to leave your hair straighteners plugged in !
Dam you Scouce!!!! You said you would keep that Quiet and anyway they were your old pair! LOL
Many thanks for the advice guys.
Spider1V
That's just cracked me up! Lol
Jo is this what you get when you get into the world of leather and carpet??? Eh?
only kidding mate.
its probably something you left plugged in geeza, 9/10. These 91-2001 are not problamatic like the later interior electronics.
Catch you round.
goochie
Battery life in general vary from some four years to six depending upon make.
Mercedes Benz central locking works on a radio signal which doe consume power and unused vehicles the battery charge will be used up.
If you know that the vehicle is unlikely to be unused for at least a week or more, you are better off disconnecting the battery altogether or alternatively fit a slow trickle charger to it.
Some examples:
http://www.ctekchargers.co.uk/?gclid=CKPhzPSPw8MCFUTItAodZU4ANw
http://uk.rs-online.com/web/c/batteries/battery-chargers-battery-accessories/battery-chargers-lead-acid-automotive/
http://www.carsdirect.com/car-repair/how-to-use-a-trickle-charger
http://www.amazon.co.uk/AUTOMATIC-BATTERY-TRICKLE-MAINTENANCE-CHARGING/d...
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=slow+trickle+battery+chargers&oq=slow+...
Good Luck.
i was at my mates house this morning and he had just changed his car battery due to a non start and it being freezing this morning, i asked him if i could have the scrap battery, he said wot do you want that for ? i said well what i do is i rinse all the acid out of it then cut it open, then i pull all the lead plates out and melt them down and turn into lead soldiers, he said i remember them when i was a kid, he said wot do you do then? i said well i paint them and put them into platoons, and when a amass enough i put them into regiments, then amass them into divisions, then i try to get them to 50,000 in a division...., He said wot do you do with all them soldiers ? I said i march them down the scrap yard ! He said you ****! i was believing you 
LOL - Very good - I like that, recycling the lead.... do you do the same with Copper? 
Spider1V
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Roly,
Though as much. I have an alarm and also I left in the cigarette mobile phone charger pushed in, and I know even when there is no phone in, it still does draw a charge. I have an official MB suppled one as per Gav's post and when the AA came out just now, they used a booster pack to get her started. Accepting charge/amps and volts all ok, though it was flat and had been parked out on the road for a week, with the cold weather we had.
The AA bloke did monitor it for about 10 mins to see that it was accepting a charge and said that it was all ok, though he did suggest monitoring it, just in case. It was back up to full charge within the time he was here, about 15 mins.
Apart from the above alarm and silly charger mistake, should there be anything else to look for?
Once again many thanks
Spider1V