c180 2004 battery/alternator light on

[alpo12]

hello everyone!
i’m clueless in all this technical car matter so forgive me if i name things wrong.

today while driving my mercedes’ engine cut out, i restarted it immediately and then on the dashboard battery/alternator visit workshop light popped on. i nipped in to a nearby quick fix but they sent me away to get in touch with mercedes garage. after starting the engine the light was off but again - while driving my car cut out, i restarted it and light came back on the dashboard.

i read some threads already - i’m not going to do it myself as i mentioned, the only thing i know about cars is how to drive them, i just want to have a rough idea what i can expect to be told by a mechanic - to avoid being befooled as once i had been.

other thing i can add is that my car drives beautifully - no weird sounds, no smells. engine starts asap when i turn the key.

by any chance can anyone tell if it’s quick and moderately expensive repair? i’ll be so grateful to know your point of view. thank you.

 

[pgh13]

Not sure about the engine cutting out, but battery not charging you should be looking towards the alternator. Is the serpentine belt in good condition and are all the pulleys turning?

The belt also drivers the water pump, power steering etc. of the pump isn't running you'll soon see overheating.

The other thing to check is the alternator itself. Is you can check the battery with a voltmeter, with the engine running, you should see approaching 14v.

My alternator failed a fortnight ago.... The most likely reason is the brushes have worn down (if it's the same alternator since 2004, that's pretty likely.)

The brushes come with a replacement voltage regulator which cost me £34. In some cases you can replace this part with the alternator in place.

For added peace of mind you could replace the whole alternator which may cost £150 ish

There's nothing mysterious about a Merc alternator; chances are it's Bosch. Just need to identify the correct one.

 

[pgh13]

If you indicate your rough location, there may be suggestions as to where to take it