Buy the factory Battery!

Buy wholesale, arm twist an indie repair guy, but get the factory one. Even a Interstate battery, which seems like the regular replacement for cars failed in 2 years on the regular SClass sedans, and the big boys (s55 and S600) require a larger capacity battery, plus all the electrical systems are very voltage sensitive. The S600 is an expensive car to maintain!

Buy nice, or buy twice.

PS: I am not an automobile mechanic, and do not engineer electrical systems, however putting a battery of the same current, capacity and amperage into a car would be highly recommended.

 

I find Duracell 12v CA at 32 degrees: 1080
CCA at 0 degrees: 900
Reserve Capacity 185
Group Size 49
Is it good for S600???

Ignore the comment above about the S600 requiring more voltage - that is ludicrous!

I'm sure that Duracell battery would be fine for your S600 - provided it fits the space available.

A few comments. Those current details you provided above ( CA, CCA, and RC) all signify a high quality battery. You don't convert Ampere/hour (Ah) to those other values - it's just a European way of defining a battery's capacity to supply current versus time.

I recently bought a 100Ah battery (Varta) with a 5 year warranty for my CLK in the UK - the original factory-fitted battery had lasted me 8 years. I'm not sure what warranty is normally offered in the US.

 

One other consideration is that the type of battery you buy must match your charging system. Automotive battery construction is wet cell, gel, or AGM, and each has different charging requirements (even though they are all 12v batteries). The consequence of using the wrong battery with your charging system is early battery failure. There is more to it than simply matching the CE, CCR and RC ratings. The W220 S-Class Encyclopedia has information on this - including imbedded links to the informative article at BatteryStuff Articles | Guide to Understanding Flooded, AGM, and Gel Batteries - and also tells you how you can have MB install the battery for you and avoid the labor charge.

You do want to match or exceed the ratings, but you also want to keep the same construction.

The easiest way to avoid the problem is to install a battery having the same type of battery construction that your original is - the type can be from different manufacturers. The battery in my S500 is AGM (absorptive glass mat), and it would have cost $289 from MB 2 years ago - but I don't know if your S600 uses the same battery.

BTW - in years past, in other cars, I have had excellent results with Interstate batteries. I suspect that folks who had bad results installed a battery that was the wrong construction for the charging system - 2 years of use is about what you will get if you do that.

 

Thanks for the education...

Skylaw:

Thought it was odd the battery failed so soon. My indie mechanic picked the battery, not me.

I will carefully read the post, and keep foot planted in my mouth for future electrical posts!

:bowdown:

 

My batteries died while the lens was out and now the lens will not retract and he camera will not come on. Is this the end of my camera?

No. - unless you have forced it...

Are you sure that you have put the new batteries in the right way round?

 

I wound up getting one for my 2004 S430 (I know it is a different car than what we are discussing) at Advance Autoparts here in the U.S. It was half of the dealer price and it looks identical and came with a 7 year warranty. I paid with tax $175.72 You might check there if you are in the U.S., it turned out to be a good deal for me.

 

SLI49AGM Xtreme AGM Battery 2003 to 2005 V12 5.5L 825CCA S600 Mercedes Benz Car and Truck. This Battery is for the S430 and S500 from 2000 to 2005 also. Also, You could put in an Interstate battery or Varta battery which is made by Johnson Controls. Just make sure it is rated for your vehicle. The parts store will be able to tell you that. Interstate makes Mercedes batteries! They just put the Mercedes name on it and ship it to the dealership and charge 3x as much!! The last statement is allegedly from an 8 year Mercedes Benz master certified technician.

I found this information doing a Google search specifically for the S600, S430 and S500 within the 2000 to 2004 date range. I found it interesting that they all showed the same Battery requirement, which is the SLI49AGM and a Group 49 Battery. This battery is $137.99 at Batteries Plus. I called these folks and was told that battery is made by East Penn Manufacturing Co in Pennsylvania.

Ok nuff said, I'll go back to sleep now...

 

Your tech is correct on the manufacturers of batteries It's even in the Encyclopedia, at post #7, Dead battery , cant get in trunk or inside car, how to jump start? HELP!!! - MBWorld.org Forums - if you read it, note that what my dealership's parts guy told me was a fable. As far as I know, there are still only two automotive battery manufacturers in the U.S. - Johnson Controls and Exide (each at several manufacturing locations). Johnson Controls manufactures the MB-branded batteries in the U.S. Regardless of brand, any battery you buy in the U.S. is made by Johnson Controls or Exide.

Thanks for the additional information. And don't forget the info in post #4 above - the type of battery construction and matching your charging system matters more than the brand!! However, a battery manufactured by Johnson Controls having the same physical size, the same construction (wet cell, AGM or gel), and the same CCR, CE and RC ratings will be the same as the Mercedes branded battery, no matter what brand it carries. Johnson Controls owns global brands Varta, Optima, LTH and Heliar; and in the U.S., it manufactures Interstate, Die Hard (Sears), Duralast, Kirkland, Everstart and Prostart (as well as the MB-branded batteries and batteries branded for other car makers). They supply batteries to Advance Auto Parts and Western Auto as well. See http://bestbatterytips.com/best-brand-battery-manufacturer/johnson-controls/ for more.

 

And Warren you are correct sir about Johnson Controls and Exide companies however, if you look at that website post again at the very bottom, you will see the East Penn Company listed. They too make batteries for a myriad of purposes however, I don't recall a DEKA battery.

 

Yes, East Penn is owned by Johnson Controls and is one of the Johnson Controls manufacturing facilities. Also, I didn't try to list all of the brands - that's why I provided the link.

 

Now I'm confused. Check this out my friend Car Battery Comparison Chart for Top Brands and Models - CarsDirect

 

I don't recall where I saw that Johnson Controls owns East Penn - but East Penn claims to be the largest manufacturer of batteries in the U.S. on some of its sites, and it didn't get there out of the blue, or by making just the DEKA brand battery. It would seem East Penn could make that "largest manufacturer" claim only be being part of something else - such as, perhaps, a wholly-owned subsidiary.

In any case, Johnson Controls makes the Mercedes-branded battery, and many other brands that are identical to it, for far less cost than a dealer charges - that's the point, and beyond that point, I lose interest.

Exide, I am sure, makes a lot of good batteries under different names, but I don't know if they are just the same as the OE MB batteries. The only ones I know of are those from Johnson Controls - and when it comes time to replace my (now) 8-year old battery, it will be one of the Johnson Controls brands.

 

If you think explaining battery manufacturer/retailer relationships is hard, you should try to explain basic battery technology to people- nearly impossible at times! There are three "major" automotive battery manufacturers here (JCI, East Penn & Exide) and countless other smaller manufacturers both here and abroad.

JCI does have a stake in Interstate and is a major supplier to them, but does not own them outright, as was suggested in one of the links. I have yet to see a site that listed manufacturers and retailers that didn't have outdated or inaccurate information, as contracts are always coming up for renewal and suppliers are changing as a result. Some retailers use exclusive suppliers, while others have multiple suppliers, based on the product or geographical location.

The key to long battery life, regardless of brand, is proper voltage maintenance. When any battery is discharged below 12.4 volts and left sitting in that state, sulfation begins to form, which diminishes both capacity and lifespan. That makes a quality battery maintenance device an excellent investment for any vehicle that doesn't see regular use.

If your battery does become deeply-discharged and you need to jump-start your vehicle, you should fully-recharge the battery with a battery charger as soon as possible. Relying on your vehicle's charging system to perform that task can lead to a cycle of dead batteries and jump-starts, until either the battery or alternator fails. If anyone has any questions about our products, I'll do my best to answer them.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
OPTIMA® Batteries (optimabatteries) on Pinterest

 

Thanks for the explanation. And you're absolutely correct, the sites discussing ownership do conflict. Good to hear from someone in the industry.