203 Battery Change Procedure

colechelle

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After so much right and wrongs on this subject a couple of us thought it might be helpful to other members to help explain what can go wrong with battery changes and jump starting.

First of all i wouldn’t recommend anybody jump starting from there car to another or other way round!!!

You can buy jump and carry booster packs which have surge protection built in, when you connect up to your flat battery the jump pack slowly increases the voltage up to 12.50 volt, hence no surge, also taskmaster sell a good set of jump leads which have a surge protector built in.

Flat batteries

For whatever reason you might find yourself with a flat battery, rule number one, don’t jump from another car! The other car would be running and the battery voltage would be far higher than the safe 12.50 volt.

203 (and other) models tend to blow the rear sam, have also seen dashboard modules blown, EIS blown, front sams and so on, all due to jumpstarting! I admit sometimes you might not have any other choice but to use jump leads, if that’s the case my advice would be, key out, heads lights on, other car not running, connect leads, start other car, tick over only, turn light back off and let other car just put some charge in for 5 mins, no need to rev the hell out of the car your using to jump, max outlet from alternator is around the 1500rmp mark, then try starting.
As said that’s only my advice!!!!

Battery changes (203)
Needed will be a set of leads and a slave battery,
push the red button on the bonnet stay in to open the bonnet to its full
just next to the battery you will find a red cap with a + on it, this is the so call jump point, this is where you would connect your positive lead from the slave battery, on the off side you will find an earth point bolted to the top strut, use this for your earth lead from slave battery, now the car is live, disconnect the positive lead from the battery and tape up fully, this will stop any shorts, where the lead comes thought the plastic, you can lift up the small bit of trim and remove lead right out the way, just be aware that the clips holding this trim are very sharp, then what I do is pull the lead right out the way and tuck it under the brake pipes, hence the tape, disconnect neg lead and battery clamp, replace battery, do not disconnect slave battery until both leads are back onto new battery otherwise damage COULD be caused.

This is only the way I change them and I’m sure other people will have their thoughts on this, if it saves just one person spending out then I will be pleased,

if you want to add any views or anything you think I have missed Malcolm please feel free to correct or add,
Cost of rear sam about £225!
cole
 

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Rich-J

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Many thanks for the tips, nice new bosch silverline fitted with no issues, just wished the battery wasn't so heavy lol
 

television

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Many thanks for the tips, nice new bosch silverline fitted with no issues, just wished the battery wasn't so heavy lol

And you do not like spinach
 

pre_1970

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Hello
ive just bought a 2003 W203 220cdi at auction, 173K on the clock, and after repairing the electric wire in the drivers seat & a few fuses, i'm ready to drive, but i knew the battery/alternator - visit workshop light was on the dash. Ive put a volt meter accross the battery, 11.8v without enging running & 13.8v with engine running. Its starting fine, should i use it a bit & see if the battery charges up, or after 6 years, should i be looking at a new battery?
 

Cole@MBS

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New battery,

And i am Colechelle who wrote that thread!!

Welcome to the forums!!
 

ducatt

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I have a Problem

Yesterday my batteries was death I do a jump sart with another vehicule and i let the engine running. This morning i start my w203 and the cluster and the wipper not working. I check all the fuse and ther was ok. What did you sugested to me and what to do. Tanks in advance
 

television

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Looks to me like the front SAM blown
 

CITYBOY

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Jump Start

I read your piece,re battery change/jump start,I thank you for that.
Can you explain the difference in using a slave battery that is in isolation,and one that is on another car,I raise the question in relation to your advice in not jump starting,as I see it if the other car is not running then it is exactly the same as a stand alone slave battery,and just as safe,or have I missed something.
 

bruno2009

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I read your piece,re battery change/jump start,I thank you for that.
Can you explain the difference in using a slave battery that is in isolation,and one that is on another car,I raise the question in relation to your advice in not jump starting,as I see it if the other car is not running then it is exactly the same as a stand alone slave battery,and just as safe,or have I missed something.
I have to jump start my car twice recently and have had to have the engine running on the donor car to enable my W203 CDI to get enough charge in to just turn the engine over.
I tried it without the engine running first and after 10 minutes the engine would not turn at all.
I gave my MB garage a call and they told me that i would have to run the engine on my donor car or that battery would soon get flat.
 

CITYBOY

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I have to jump start my car twice recently and have had to have the engine running on the donor car to enable my W203 CDI to get enough charge in to just turn the engine over.
I tried it without the engine running first and after 10 minutes the engine would not turn at all.
I gave my MB garage a call and they told me that i would have to run the engine on my donor car or that battery would soon get flat.

I agree with you I was just wondering why the OP was saying,not to do this and use a slave battery in stead,in your case the slave battery would not have started your car. I do understand of course the benefit of surge protectors in the jump lead circuit,although I have neither used or seen one.
 

television

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A lot depends on the thickness and the lenght of the jumper leads
 

toadoftoadhall

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Hi,, long time since anyone replied to this thread, so no idea if its still live.

I need to change my battery , mercedes C220 CDi 2002 estate, which I guess makes it a W203. I dont have a spare battery to use as a slave, but I do have a battery charger that can be put on trickle charge, can I use that instead?
I do remember though, at my last battery change at a shop, they didnt use any backup at all. Just dont want any more trouble with the can than needs be, out of work at the moment, and cant afford it.
toad
 

television

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The problem is that the output voltage from your charger on the lowest setting must not exceed the 13.8 running voltage, so measure the output under no load, it is a hard call though measuring with no load and just having a small bulb across the outputs may give a better indication like a side lamp bulb or number plate bulb.
 

toadoftoadhall

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not sure its going to work. Tried measuring the voltage across the charger clips on trickle, and I get 0.5v Even setting it to quick charge, has no effect, so I am guessing there is some switches inside the charger to operate under load only. Its a good RAC charger, but not happy about changing the battery with it, or without it.
Is there any other precautions I could do , other than getting another battery. What about using a small battery, like a pp9 torch battery.
 
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DY2

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could you not use a set of jump leads and connect to another (turned off),car ?
 

television

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not sure its going to work. Tried measuring the voltage across the charger clips on trickle, and I get 0.5v Even setting it to quick charge, has no effect, so I am guessing there is some switches inside the charger to operate under load only. Its a good RAC charger, but not happy about changing the battery with it, or without it.
Is there any other precautions I could do , other than getting another battery. What about using a small battery, like a pp9 torch battery.

OK that is a load sensing auto charger, and I do not think it will work:(
 

television

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A pp3/pp9 is only 9volt

What is the state of the battery in the car,, is it dead flat
 

HERBIEMERCMAN

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it's all about transiant voltage spikes, solid state components don't like these and get expensively damaged. SO if you can change your battery with a stable 13.6 volts slave, eg the car does not know you have changed the battery as the slave has kept everything stable, and never let anyone give you a jump start, then you should avoid this common problem.
ECU settings should also enjoy the situation and settings should remain unchanged.
jump starts are not good in any circumstances but ok if you do what a previouse member described, eg, allow your flat battery to have an outlet for spike runs, headlights on etc, then connect the donar vehicle's battery, + first. neg last, wait 3 or 4 mins, then start the donor vehicle on tick over only, wait another few mins then try cranking, all this keeps the supply voltage within non spike limits. hope this helps. herbiemercman.
 
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