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cmitch
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Ala-Tenn
Vehicle(s): 2002 ML320, 2005 S430 4Matic, 2010 F150 Super Crew
Posts: 3412
| ML Dead in the Water! Battery Fully Charged!
Well, the wife got in the ML this morning and it won't start. It won't turn over. Nothing in the vehicle works. No lights, no radio, NOTHING. I checked the battery and it shows a full 12.5 volt charge. What is wrong with this thing??
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Marcelc
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
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| RE: ML Dead in the Water! Battery Fully Charged!
cmitch - 10/25/2006 6:05 PM
Well, the wife got in the ML this morning and it won't start. It won't turn over. Nothing in the vehicle works. No lights, no radio, NOTHING. I checked the battery and it shows a full 12.5 volt charge. What is wrong with this thing??
Does the battery show 12.5v with a load? for example with the lights switched on whether they work or not.
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cmitch
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Ala-Tenn
Vehicle(s): 2002 ML320, 2005 S430 4Matic, 2010 F150 Super Crew
Posts: 3412
| RE: ML Dead in the Water! Battery Fully Charged!
The battery is actually showing 13 volts. I just checked the power to the fuse block and it's 13 volts, but there is no power to any fuses at all. I just pulled the fuse block and checked the connections underneath of all plugs and found nothing loose. I also noticed a solid state board at the end of the fuse block that is sealed and inaccessable. The lugs going into the fuse block have power. This is strange.
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Wolfgang
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
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| RE: ML Dead in the Water! Battery Fully Charged!
I would suspect a corroded connection or connector on one of the power cables. Or maybe the battery to ground cable. I've seen some reports of connection problems on the underside of the fuse panel in the E-Box, but not an apparent total failure like yours.
The battery to fuse box cable goes to terminal X12/3 in the fuse box.
The battery to ground cable connects to chassis ground W10/3 on the firewall.
 (battery_cable.gif)
 (fuse_box_relay.gif)
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 battery_cable.gif (32KB - 9 downloads)
fuse_box_relay.gif (21KB - 10 downloads)
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cmitch
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Ala-Tenn
Vehicle(s): 2002 ML320, 2005 S430 4Matic, 2010 F150 Super Crew
Posts: 3412
| RE: ML Dead in the Water! Battery Fully Charged!
Thanks, Wolfgang! I wish that were the case but connections check to the fuse block and ground checks out. I checked the fuses but there's no power, like there's a broke connection between the lugs and the fuse block itself. What's the possibility the fuse block is bad?? I removed the fuse block and couldn't see any apparent loose plugs and both 30 amp fuses that were above the ebox were good. This is indeed strange and I'm no closer to figuring it out. She's got it parked on a hill behind the house. i may try to roll it backwards and then push it in the garage with the truck. Wolfgang, is it also possible there is a safety that could be preventing a weak battery from powering the fuse block? I've been told that a battery can still be bad even though it checks 13 volts. I have no way of putting a load on it since there is no power to anything in the car. |
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Marcelc
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
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| RE: ML Dead in the Water! Battery Fully Charged!
Have you tried jumping it? That would indicate whether the battery is bad.
Edited by Marcelc 10/25/2006 4:51 PM
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Wolfgang
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
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| RE: ML Dead in the Water! Battery Fully Charged!
Yes, might be a low battery...
Mercedes service folks jump it by just connecting another fully charged battery to the battery, instead of using another car, to prevent voltage spikes...
Edited by Wolfgang 10/25/2006 5:08 PM
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cmitch
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Ala-Tenn
Vehicle(s): 2002 ML320, 2005 S430 4Matic, 2010 F150 Super Crew
Posts: 3412
| RE: ML Dead in the Water! Battery Fully Charged!
My uncle is loaning me his load tester from his auto parts store. I'll know soon enough if that's what it is.
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firstmb
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
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| Re: ML Dead in the Water! Battery Fully Charged!
Why not call MB Road Service...!! |
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cmitch
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Ala-Tenn
Vehicle(s): 2002 ML320, 2005 S430 4Matic, 2010 F150 Super Crew
Posts: 3412
| Re: ML Dead in the Water! Battery Fully Charged!
firstmb - 10/25/2006 5:28 PM Why not call MB Road Service...!! Would my driveway be considered roadside?? LOL! Okay guys, I put the load on the ancient block of lead and it is DOA! The tester now shows 3 volts and voltage goes to 0 when load is put on her. Now, for my next question(s): Will I be able to start the damn thing once I install the new battery? I've read some posts in BW that some folks had to get their keys resynced by the dealer or it won't stay running. That would be a bummer since I'm 70 miles away from the dealer! |
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AsianML
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
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| Re: ML Dead in the Water! Battery Fully Charged!
cmitch - 10/25/2006 6:42 PM firstmb - 10/25/2006 5:28 PM Why not call MB Road Service...!! Would my driveway be considered roadside?? LOL!
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Marcelc
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
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| Re: ML Dead in the Water! Battery Fully Charged!
cmitch - 10/25/2006 11:42 PM
firstmb - 10/25/2006 5:28 PM Why not call MB Road Service...!! Would my driveway be considered roadside?? LOL! Okay guys, I put the load on the ancient block of lead and it is DOA! The tester now shows 3 volts and voltage goes to 0 when load is put on her. Now, for my next question(s): Will I be able to start the damn thing once I install the new battery? I've read some posts in BW that some folks had to get their keys resynced by the dealer or it won't stay running. That would be a bummer since I'm 70 miles away from the dealer!
I am not sure if the AAM fails because of low battery voltage or the key loses its synch with the AAM whilst the AAM is starved of power, if the latter is the problem then it depends if the key was used whilst the AAM was dead or vice versa.
Either way, trying it out whilst your fingers are crossed, is the only option - good luck!
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AndrewAZ
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
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| Re: ML Dead in the Water! Battery Fully Charged!
cmitch - 10/26/2006 5:42 PM
firstmb - 10/25/2006 5:28 PM Why not call MB Road Service...!! Would my driveway be considered roadside?? LOL! Okay guys, I put the load on the ancient block of lead and it is DOA! The tester now shows 3 volts and voltage goes to 0 when load is put on her. Now, for my next question(s): Will I be able to start the damn thing once I install the new battery? I've read some posts in BW that some folks had to get their keys resynced by the dealer or it won't stay running. That would be a bummer since I'm 70 miles away from the dealer!
Yes they will even come into your garage. I have called them a few times to replace batteries and I felt sorry this one time but it was 11:30pm and I was leaving the house and my car would not start. I called my friend but we could not get his car close enough to jump it, so called roadside and they have that nice hand held jumper box. |
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Wolfgang
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
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| RE: ML Dead in the Water! Battery Fully Charged!
The one my dealer uses looks like this.
 (jumpstart.jpg)
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jumpstart.jpg (16KB - 4 downloads)
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roadsession
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
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| RE: ML Dead in the Water! Battery Fully Charged!
MITCH,
what's the latest? |
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cmitch
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Ala-Tenn
Vehicle(s): 2002 ML320, 2005 S430 4Matic, 2010 F150 Super Crew
Posts: 3412
| RE: ML Dead in the Water! Battery Fully Charged!
roadsession - 10/26/2006 7:40 PM MITCH, what's the latest? Well, I bought the battery today in Huntsville and it was pouring rain when I got home so I'm going to install it in the morning. The battery was 109.00 plus tax and core exchange. The dealer said the battery was made by Interstate Batteries. He said the average life expectancy was 6 years while mine was one of the longest lasting he had seen. |
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kenyee
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
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| RE: ML Dead in the Water! Battery Fully Charged!
The one my dealer uses looks like this.
Wolfgang:
Is that the actual model they use?
The ML's OEM battery is 850 cold cranking amps.
That one is only 375:
http://www.realtruck.com/productline/963/1036/1/roadpro_12_volt_rec...
ken
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Wolfgang
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
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| RE: ML Dead in the Water! Battery Fully Charged!
It just looked like it, Ken. Black and with those pockets on the side for the clamps, but I didn't get a good look. Saw it last Saturday at the dealer when my sales guy jump started a car I was sitting in when I was fiddling with the Keyless Go.... Maybe this model is closer to the actual?
 (jumpstart.jpg)
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jumpstart.jpg (22KB - 5 downloads)
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Ed Mclass
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Vehicle(s): 1958 180a, 2010 GLK, 2000 G 500, 2005 SLK 350
Posts: 1215
| RE: ML Dead in the Water! Battery Fully Charged!
Yes, for future reference, your driveway is considered roadside service! My father-in-law just had the dealer from Evansville, In. come over and replace his 5-year old battery---in the garage! He was charged for the battery only. He was in Owensboro, KY.  |
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Marcelc
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
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| RE: ML Dead in the Water! Battery Fully Charged!
Did the keys work? The suspense is killing! |
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