[RCM1210]

Originally Posted by airstreamingypsy

The battery in my Mercedes is under the front seat, so Auto Zone won't check it. To answer your original question I would take it to All German Motorworks in Leesburg off 44. I bring mine there and they are lovely..... Maserati, Bentley, BMW, Porsche, Audi, Mini, Mercedes, Service Repair

If I can't solve this problem using all this help, they very well could be my next choice. Thank you.

[Glowing Horizon]

Originally Posted by RCM1210

I'm in need of advice and/or a dependable auto mechanic for a 2015 Benz with 81000 miles that we've owned for 7+ years . My expensive 3 1/2 year old Duracell AGM battery goes dead about a day and a half after charging and starting a few times in the garage. I'm not sure if there is an electrical drain or bad battery. I was able to check all the fuses, except for 4-5 (under the hood) with a multimeter, which I couldn't reach the first try.

I've always worked on my own vehicles, but I'm no electronic/electrical guy. I only found out yesterday how to use my multimeter just enough... to check the fuses, lol. Have you ever heard the saying, " I drive it till the wheels fall off"? Well that's me!

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

And thanking you in advance.

My oldie-but-still-goodie car also quickly drains batteries. It seems to need to be started & driven for at least 1/2 hour 1x/week or the battery will be dead. I’ve had it checked & there’s nothing malfunctioning, it’s just a known-hazard from having a lot of electrical features in the car.

As a result, I bought its replacement battery from AAA with my membership. AAA will test & install a new battery curbside 24/7 nationwide & they provide a warranty for the new battery. I checked AAA battery prices & they were actually less than all the others in the area.

AAA membership also includes 3 or 4 curbside nationwide 24/7 services per member per year (depending on the level of membership purchased), including towing to your choice of destination within 100-200 miles, battery jumps, door-lock-out service, gas if needed, curbside new warranted battery installed, and roadside tire change. Family pricing is cheaper for multiple members.

The peace of mind AAA provides is priceless to me. I’ve kept my family on AAA since 1990.

AAA is incredibly FAST too. Once, shortly after my parents died (they died just 26 days apart!) I was so stressed out that I accidentally locked my keys & my little diabetic dog in the car in 100+ degree heat. Of course, we were also in a very rural area of IL at the time. I panicked but I quickly called AAA Roadside Assistance. The AAA response truck arrived in just a few MINUTES! It felt as if he was my Guardian Angel perched on my shoulder! The call center had escalated my call due to a (canine) life-threatening emergency! I’ll never go without AAA! Still makes me tear-up just thinking about it.

AAA also offers a lot of other benefits like member-only pricing for home, auto & life insurance, banking, theme park tickets, dining & entertainment discounts, group travel packages & cruises, and much more. I seldom use everything to be honest but their hotel deals are sometimes very advantageous especially for no-charge late cancellations & AAA has special member services inside Disney World which are awesome. Went on a AAA Disney Cruise with my little girl once & it was super-dee-dooper too.

[lema2]

Kraken Auto Repair call - 352-234-6872

[LeRoySmith]

Originally Posted by LeftyMike

I suggest that you join the Mercedes Enthusiasts Club, to get access to our members only list of recommended vendors: mbenzclub.com

If you put in the battery, you probably did not reset the battery on the car's computer system. Thus, the car has been overcharging the battery since new. A 3.5 year life is great under those conditions. If the computer was reset when newly installed battery, Have the battery tested outside of the car to determine if it is a short in the wiring or a failed battery.

I'm looking for a toy car, a slk550 keeps coming up as a good option, maybe I should pick the brains of your club members?

[RCM1210]

Originally Posted by CarlR33

Check for the obvious first then I would yank the battery or drive it to Advance or other auto place to have it checked. One thing no one asked was have you made any changes to the cars electrical recently like add an accessory or something as simple as a phone charger?

I did add a dual port USB adapter to the cigarette lighter about 6-8 months ago to use the Garmin. I always unplug the Garmin every time I park. The USB adapter stays installed in the lighter port and always turns off when the ignition is turned off. That's the only thing added.

Thanks for your question.

[Glowing Horizon]

Originally Posted by RCM1210

I did add a dual port USB adapter to the cigarette lighter about 6-8 months ago to use the Garmin. I always unplug the Garmin every time I park. The USB adapter stays installed in the lighter port and always turns off when the ignition is turned off. That's the only thing added.

Thanks for your question.

I did not stay at Holiday Inn Express last night but I have also noticed that my cigarette lighter/USB plug (Anker SmartCharge Spectrum) will drain my car’s battery much quicker. Now I unplug it when I intend to not drive the car for a few days.

[RICH1]

VERY COMMON ISSUE IS THE CAR ALARM PULLING A HEAVY PARASITIC DRAW... PULL the alarm Fuse

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by LeftyMike

I suggest that you join the Mercedes Enthusiasts Club, to get access to our members only list of recommended vendors: mbenzclub.com

If you put in the battery, you probably did not reset the battery on the car's computer system. Thus, the car has been overcharging the battery since new. A 3.5 year life is great under those conditions. If the computer was reset when newly installed battery, Have the battery tested outside of the car to determine if it is a short in the wiring or a failed battery.

I find it horrifying with all computers on vehicle’s now the computer can’t set itself from simple battery replacement. At minimum a prompt on screen saying battery reset, o no have to take it mechanics for the extra slicking it you charge.

[jerseyjoy]

Don't leave the electronic key in the "ignition" switch when the car is off and parked in the garage as it will cause a continous drain and could be the problem.

[Kingsport]

You do not say what model you have. In many cases, MBs of that era have a second, smaller battery located in the rear of the car to share the demand of all the technology. You should go on YouTube and do a search such as “2015 GLK Battery Replacement.” As for a good shop, All German is pretty good. However, next time I need service, I’m going to try Shop 21 in Ocala. Good luck.

[Jazzman]

Originally Posted by RCM1210

I'm in need of advice and/or a dependable auto mechanic for a 2015 Benz with 81000 miles that we've owned for 7+ years . My expensive 3 1/2 year old Duracell AGM battery goes dead about a day and a half after charging and starting a few times in the garage. I'm not sure if there is an electrical drain or bad battery. I was able to check all the fuses, except for 4-5 (under the hood) with a multimeter, which I couldn't reach the first try.

I've always worked on my own vehicles, but I'm no electronic/electrical guy. I only found out yesterday how to use my multimeter just enough... to check the fuses, lol. Have you ever heard the saying, " I drive it till the wheels fall off"? Well that's me!


Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

And thanking you in advance.

Most likely culprit, dead battery. After an average of four years in the Florida heat and especially when in a hot garage, the life expectancy of a battery is a lot less then if you reside in a more temperate climate

[Margefrog]

My experience, batteries have a shorter lifespan in extreme heat conditions. I think TV fits that situation.

[Runway48]

Newer cars, and 2015 qualify, have a large number of electronics, many of which you are only aware of occasionally but are still live. If you start the car and let it run only a few minutes in the garage that is not enough to recharge the huge drain that is taken from the battery when the car was started. When I was working, I used to have a 2-mile commute, and I went through batteries faster than expected because even a two-mile drive is not enough. Any car that is occasionally used should still be driven ten miles a week not just for the battery but for the suspension and engine lubrication. Running an engine for only a couple of minutes is just enough time to build up water condensation and not dry it out. The engine should be run long enough to fully open the thermostat. If you are just worried about the battery, get a battery tender. They are easy to use and can be quickly connected and disconnected.

[Glowing Horizon]

Originally Posted by Runway48

Newer cars, and 2015 qualify, have a large number of electronics, many of which you are only aware of occasionally but are still live. If you start the car and let it run only a few minutes in the garage that is not enough to recharge the huge drain that is taken from the battery when the car was started. When I was working, I used to have a 2-mile commute, and I went through batteries faster than expected because even a two-mile drive is not enough. Any car that is occasionally used should still be driven ten miles a week not just for the battery but for the suspension and engine lubrication. Running an engine for only a couple of minutes is just enough time to build up water condensation and not dry it out. The engine should be run long enough to fully open the thermostat. If you are just worried about the battery, get a battery tender. They are easy to use and can be quickly connected and disconnected.

Thanks for the thorough, thoughtful & informative reply! A battery tender may be a good investment for me. I do try to do as you say but driving it even when I don’t need to is not always easy to remember to do. I love having a car but I really don’t NEED one most of the time.

[Lyarham]

Originally Posted by RCM1210

I'm in need of advice and/or a dependable auto mechanic for a 2015 Benz with 81000 miles that we've owned for 7+ years . My expensive 3 1/2 year old Duracell AGM battery goes dead about a day and a half after charging and starting a few times in the garage. I'm not sure if there is an electrical drain or bad battery. I was able to check all the fuses, except for 4-5 (under the hood) with a multimeter, which I couldn't reach the first try.

I've always worked on my own vehicles, but I'm no electronic/electrical guy. I only found out yesterday how to use my multimeter just enough... to check the fuses, lol. Have you ever heard the saying, " I drive it till the wheels fall off"? Well that's me!

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

And thanking you in advance.

Expensive batteries don’t mean they are better