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Forum Index : Electronics : Car battery charging, has computer
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| domwild Guru  Joined: 16/12/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 873 |
Hi, Bought a ten year old Mercedes ("The difference between a man and a boy is the price of his toy!)and, if one can believe an invoice, the ten (!) year old original Tcherman VARTA battery croaked yesterday and now reads 10.5 Volts. No starting. A new battery costs about $330 to $400, Happy New Year! And it has less Amphours and is probably a re-badged thing. Talked to Dr Google and one Youtube video just showed a pull-out/put-in sequence, which I do not trust. To keep the info stored in the computer, should I connect a 12V battery to the existing battery and then remove the leads from the original battery without losing the connection to the helper battery? Is this how you would do it? Or is all the info stored in non-volatile RAM anyway and I do not have to worry?? I have also lashed out and bought a MB2 diagnostic, one of those OBD2 gadgets the mechanics use during services, so I also hope to be able to reset all sorts of error codes. Interesting facts: Transmission oil is supposed to be changed every 60,000km, not done at 60 nor at 120! Question to Diesel Motors: "Why not?" Answer: "We probably suggested it to the client and the client refused??" Same with the fuel filter. I wonder if they change the oil filter during the oil change?? If the mass air flow is still within limits, they do not use compressed air any more to blow it out or change it. Does the same apply to the oil filter as the oil pressure is sensed?? No excuse for the ATF as the sensor there would measure only temperature. Please let me know how you would change the battery as I am easily confused being one of the wrinklies! Taxation as a means of achieving prosperity is like a man standing inside a bucket trying to lift himself up. Winston Churchill |
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Madness Guru Joined: 08/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2498 |
Normally doesn't hurt to reset the computer anyway, it will take a few days to get back to normal with learning. Last vehicle I did this with needed overnight to reset. There are only 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't. |
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| M Del Senior Member  Joined: 09/04/2012 Location: AustraliaPosts: 155 |
You might find some of the error codes are from the dodgy battery giving false readings, low voltage on starting can give feedback errors, and possibly a jump start or two. As madness said it won't hurt to reset. If desperate to keep the current error codes fo research etc, then jumping another battery onto the cables will work. You used to be able to buy a device that used a 9v transistor battery and a couple of short leads to do the job, the 9v was enough to maintain the computers memory. It is too long ago to remember if there was any electronics in the device or just jumper connects.  Just use a normal 12v and avoid sparks.You get some people who don't do servicing by the book and sell a vehicle before any problems occur. Do the oils etc now and get an idea of the gunk in the oil, if the oil is burnt, any metal flakes or other visible tell tale signs. Most oil capacities have been reduced over the last 25 or so years and need a schedule of changes etc because of it. Mark |
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| domwild Guru Joined: 16/12/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 873 |
Thanks for help. Is resetting done automatically just by giving it some time? The RAC here claims their people have to do the battery change as otherwise damage could occur to the computer? Is this sales bulldust? Interesting info I found: EU has a sulphur max. of 15 or so ppm, here in Oz we allow up to 50 ppm, so oil changes are recommended at 15,000km due to the sulphur messing up the engines. One vehicle had a service interval of 25,000km I looked at at a dealer, so they stuck to the oil change recommendation for the EU. Taxation as a means of achieving prosperity is like a man standing inside a bucket trying to lift himself up. Winston Churchill |
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| M Del Senior Member Joined: 09/04/2012 Location: AustraliaPosts: 155 |
RAC have probably seen too many people juddering when fitting the terminals, or leaving the keys on with late model cars, creating an arc in the module and letting the smoke out of the computer. We have had some of our fleet of vehicles at work more than double the service kms & months over the last couple of years. From 6 month/10000km to 12 month/30000kms. More to save service costs, all vehicles rotated before 100000kms If worried cut the kms between services if you do a lot of driving. You know how you treat the vehicle, so spend a little more on oil to save an expensive repair. Mark |
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| johnmc Senior Member Joined: 21/01/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 282 |
Good day, Be aware that on some model of mercedes benz, if the battery is removed the car automatically locks all locks . Before you remove the battery make sure that a door is open and the keys are not inside the car. Guess how i know? Cheers john johnmc |
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| domwild Guru Joined: 16/12/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 873 |
Hi John and others, Thanks for help. Will definitely make sure all doors are open and no key in the lock and not switched on to let the smoke out of the confuser! Taxation as a means of achieving prosperity is like a man standing inside a bucket trying to lift himself up. Winston Churchill |
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TassyJim Guru Joined: 07/08/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 6100 |
When I had the battery replaced in the MG, the battery shop bloke plugged a 12V supply into the cig lighter socket to keep the supply on during the changeover. It didn't work... so I had to put the security code back into the radio. Jim VK7JH MMedit MMBasic Help |
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| domwild Guru Joined: 16/12/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 873 |
Hi, Thanks for help. It was a simple pull-out/put-in job and no error messages so far to be reset. Noticed the time needs resetting. I did not bother with any trickling. Have ordered a OBD2 diagnostic to read off any error messages in the future. Seller told me the LH front door does not lock via remote, but during the battery problems with 10.5V,remote (key) managed to lock that door. Seller had a quote over $800 to change the door locking mechanism, but do you think it is dead as it worked during a low-voltage episode? Taxation as a means of achieving prosperity is like a man standing inside a bucket trying to lift himself up. Winston Churchill |
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| Madness Guru Joined: 08/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2498 |
If you are going to read error codes etc it is worth spending the extra for a fully functional package. I have this for my Audi, has paid for itself many times over. You can't do fairly basic stuff like changing rear brake pads without it on my car. I had an ABS module failure a while ago, got the part from USA for a tiny fraction of local prices and coded in with the interface and software. If I went to a mechanic to do it would have cost me at least double, the software has prompts and help to step you through the job and was really very easy. The software and cable I use comes from a bloke at Byron Bay and cost about $100. For things like that door lock, you would be able to operate it via the software and see what all the sensors are saying in real time. There are only 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't. |
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| George65 Guru Joined: 18/09/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 308 |
The Mercedes GLA250 is like a rocket and sips fuel at what seems to be an impossibly frugal rate, except when the AC is on. Went for a largely country Drive last weekend to give it a run and while it's nice, it's also a complicated thing that can be a bit intimidating. Thing sure handles like it's on rails and overtaking is damn quick. The faster it goes, the harder it keeps pulling. At the end of the day, I really am a lot more comfortable in my Old Nissan Patrol. Never worried about it getting scratched like the merc, not so worried about anyone running into me because they will be worse off and I'm not worried about chips and dirt on the peeling paint work. It's even cheaper to run than the merc on Veg oil, will pull heavy trailers like they are not there. When I turn up the injection pump and run a 50% Methanol mix in the water injection, it's faster than a vehicle that size and weight should be. I'm not really sure that for all the leather and gadgets in the merc I'm any more comfortable in it than the patrol but I'm definitely more relaxed in the patrol and it's a far more practical vehicle as well. In hindsight probably bit of a mistake buying a " good" car. The wife and daughters subaru's certainly aren't worth as much as the merc but they have never let us down and you can fix things, anything, on them yourself. They are just a bit small for my liking which is why I have the Patrol ( and the commodore Ute). Mrs likes the merc and the daughter loves it not that she gets to drive it too often but I'm well over the ego tripping. I Love pulling into the marriot when I go north for work and seeing the look on the guys face when I am in the tank. You can also see the look of relief on their face when I tell them I'll park the thing myself. As far as battery replacement goes, My father sold a neighbour a car and being too trusting, the guy ripped Dad off and short paid him. About 12 months goes by and guy is ringing asking why car won't go. Got told where to go then in time a few of the local mechanics told my father this guy had been ringing looking for help. Thing would not start and was completely dead, not a light on the dash. No one could fix it and speculation was going round as to what was wrong with it. Finally scumbag dole bludger offers it to my father who sends mechanic and I around to look at it. Mechanic opens Bonnet, Closes Bonnet says to me " Buy it, I can fix it in 10 Sec." I give dropkick $100 for it which he's not of course happy about but with me walking down the driveway decides to take it. Mechanic Says stay here' I'll get something so we can get it out of here. Guy signs papers and receipt and mechanic walks back. Guy says I need this out of here, how are you going to take it away? Mechanic drops Bonnet, says to me , get in and says to guy, going to drive it of course!. Guy laughs then jaw nearly hits the ground as mechanic fires it up and says see! and we reverse out and go for a ride up and down the the street and back into Dads yard next door. Guy is standing there gobsmacked and mechanic and I are laughing our backsides off at him. Revenge IS sweet. Idiot put the new battery he bought in backwards didn't he? Blew the crap out of the main fuse which killed all the power and was the clue the mechanic picked up on then saw when he looked at it. Turned out OK. We detailed the thing and Dad sold it in 2 days to a regular customer for a good price and with what scumbag neighbour had paid, did really well on the thing over all even with the wait for the return on investment. :0) |
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renewableMark Guru Joined: 09/12/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1678 |
Oh what a shame you didn't film it George, what a pisser!! Cheers Caveman Mark Off grid eastern Melb |
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| domwild Guru Joined: 16/12/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 873 |
Have cut the fuel filter open and noticed a lot of crap in it after 120,000km and never changed after ten years. Still had the original diesel fuel filter in it with a "2017" build date, matches the vehicles date. Will also cut open the oil filter as the oil is only half way up the dip stick and black after only 4,000km since service. I wonder if they changed the filter and did the oil change? Will talk to Diesel Motors in Perth again re the missing transmission oil change and the fuel filter change and see if they offer any compensation?? Wish me luck! Sad to see that the industry is still having a "horse trading" attitude. The RAC (Royal Auto. Club) in WA was very reluctant to tell me where their RAC-badged batteries came from, in addition to Amphours, etc. Worse, unlike a competitor, the RAC did not want to tell me what sort of detailed checks I am getting for a vehicle check, claiming "copyright"?? Re Madness comments: You are right suggesting I get an OBD2 diagnostic. Have ordered the MB2 diagnostic for $220, which is supposed to be better than the i980 model ($180)and allows resetting of error codes, etc. Taxation as a means of achieving prosperity is like a man standing inside a bucket trying to lift himself up. Winston Churchill |
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