[awini]

My father's 2009 Mercedes-Benz C230 has been a bit difficult to start for the past few days so I had the authorised dealer in Delhi T&T Motors check it out. They say that only the battery needs replacing, which I agree with. However later in the day I got a quote of a little over Thirty Thousand Rupees for replacing the battery! I asked them what brand of battery they intend to fit, and they only say its the OE Mercedes-Benz battery.
Does anyone know what battery is correct for the car and what is its MRP in the open market? Isnt it illegal to charge over and above the MRP? I cant believe that a battery for a 7 year old C Class has an MRP approaching Rs30,000!

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by awini

Does anyone know what battery is correct for the car [2009 Mercedes-Benz C230] and what is its MRP in the open market?

Battery Bhai gives prices between Rs. 8,000 - 11,000 for the C230. These are all 80 Ah batteries. Check your car's owner's manual or pop the hood to confirm that what's in the car is also 80 Ah.


Amaron and Exide don't seem to be in stock at their site right now, but at least the pricing gives you an idea.

[bhandary]

Originally Posted by awini

My father's 2009 Mercedes-Benz C230 has been a bit difficult to start for the past few days so I had the authorised dealer in Delhi T&T Motors check it out. They say that only the battery needs replacing, which I agree with. However later in the day I got a quote of a little over Thirty Thousand Rupees for replacing the battery! I asked them what brand of battery they intend to fit, and they only say its the OE Mercedes-Benz battery.
Does anyone know what battery is correct for the car and what is its MRP in the open market? Isnt it illegal to charge over and above the MRP? I cant believe that a battery for a 7 year old C Class has an MRP approaching Rs30,000!

Maybe its Rs 5,000 for the battery and Rs 25,000 for locating the fault?

Why dont you just look inside the bonnet and check the brand and specification of the existing battery and verify the price online. Alternatively if you have the car manual check the spec of the battery in the manual. Third option, visit a neighborhood battery shop and he may have the answer to your battery needs.

Good luck and keep us posted on your findings

[Turbanator]

Does anyone know what battery is correct for the car and what is its MRP in the open market?

They must be giving you Mercedes OE Imported battery. I am not aware if C230 was CKD or CBU, in case it was CKD, there might be some Indian equivalent unless they never developed something. Your best bet will be to go to some reputed independent car dealer and pickup Amaron / Exide with similar capacity and more importantly size that fits . Do take your original battery or if dealer allows have a look at what they are supplying.

But it's good to know that OE battery has lasted for 7 Years and if you plan to keep your car for a longer period, you can pick up OE. In case your running is low, invest in trickle charger.
https://www.batteriesplus.com/batter...benz/c230/2009

[awini]

Im trying to figure out on what legal basis can ADs jack up the prices so much? Even if you put in labour, its not more than an hours worth. Maybe a class action lawsuit can be made? Parts have to have an MRP if they are legally imported and you cant deviate from the mrp declared to customs im told.

[akshaymahajan]

Originally Posted by awini

Im trying to figure out on what legal basis can ADs jack up the prices so much? Even if you put in labour, its not more than an hours worth. Maybe a class action lawsuit can be made? Parts have to have an MRP if they are legally imported and you cant deviate from the mrp declared to customs im told.

From what I know:

If MB gets its battery's from Exide (lets say as an OEM supplier) and puts a MB logo instead of the the Exide one, it can put any MRP it wants to on it. Its a supply and demand market.

Its not the AD thats marking up the prices, its MB.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by awini

Im trying to figure out on what legal basis can ADs jack up the prices so much? Even if you put in labour, its not more than an hours worth. Maybe a class action lawsuit can be made? Parts have to have an MRP if they are legally imported and you cant deviate from the mrp declared to customs im told.

I am not sure car batteries have MRP printed on it. Also, as the poster above said, MB could put any sticker price for its own brand and there's nothing you can do, other than not buy from them.

[GTO]

Is this the original battery that the car came with? If so, WOW! Usually, the high-end Europeans need a new battery every 3 - 4 years. If this is the original battery, replace without a second thought. If it isn't, first check the status of the current battery and ensure that the starting problem's cause doesn't lie elsewhere (related article).

Yes, it's a rip-off, but people like you & me who care about value aren't their target customers. The CEO addressing the boardroom doesn't have time for all this - his PA would be interacting with the dealership. To them, it's a simple cheque from the corporate account.

Batteries are a big, big profit center for the Audi / BMW / Mercedes workshops. The advisors even scare customers saying that, if they get a battery from outside, the electrical system will go kaput.

I'd gotten my C220's battery for about 8 - 9k. Keeping inflation in mind, 11 - 12k sounds reasonable. Just ensure that you get one of the exact same specs.

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by GTO

Is this the original battery that the car came with? If so, WOW! Usually, the high-end Europeans need a new battery every 3 - 4 years.

GTO the original battery in the 2008 E60 530D that i know of was still going strong till couple of months ago. I haven't seen the car since then, as I quit. Its a special kind and not like one i have seen before in regular cars. Its placed in the boot in the space between boot cladding and RHS rear fender. Its a slim unit.

[earthian]

i had to replace the battery in my C 200 Kompressor. Charged me Rs 24000/-. According to the service person, in the Merc the alternator kicks on every time we use the brakes and hence using an OEM battery may be recommended.
Have no idea whether this is true.

[R2D2]

Please check the type of battery before buying online. Modern Mercedes Benz/BMW/Audi models use gel cell AGM batteries NOT the flooded WET types. This is one of the reasons why batteries for the big 3 Germans are so expensive.

VRLA batteries have different charging voltages and operational characteristics compared with flooded types. Interchanging them is not recommended.

[lurker]

optima was gel cel, yet it didn't cause any particular shortcomings to charging or discharging. My guess it that all these are tall tales of scaremongering, although power outgo from battery in mercs and audis may be higher and more frequent needing a more robust battery design and thicker plates.

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by earthian

i had to replace the battery in my C 200 Kompressor. Charged me Rs 24000/-. According to the service person, in the Merc the alternator kicks on every time we use the brakes and hence using an OEM battery may be recommended.
Have no idea whether this is true.

This is the regenerative braking control. The system recovers the kinetic energy as electricity and this has got nothing to do if you replace with a battery of the exact spec.

[earthian]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

This is the regenerative braking control. The system recovers the kinetic energy as electricity and this has got nothing to do if you replace with a battery of the exact spec.

Yes, it is the regenerative braking system. What the service consultant explained was unlike conventional recharge systems which are linked to the engine and hence charge at a certain rate when the engine is running; these regenerative systems charge only on application of brakes and hence the opportunity for charging would be lower than that of a conventional system. Hence OEM batteries are designed to quickly charge at the opportunity given ie: when brakes are used.
As i said, i have no idea if this is entirely true or not.

[71Convertible]

Yes, Merc uses AGM batteries. I've found these to last much longer. The one in mine is now 9 years old and going strong. The AGMs are also designed to be used in unvented spaces like trunks (or even in the cabin like in the Miatas). For proper usage of a wet cell battery in a closed space, it should be vented to the outside. Merc/BMW to my knowledge don't have vent exits designed into he trunk space.

Mercedes "OE" parts are often 2x or more than the same non-Merc branded part. Which is why I prefer to buy the non-branded parts from OE suppliers. Sundaram quoted me 85K plus labor for brake disc and pad replacement. I bought ATE discs and Akebono pads and replaced them myself for just under 20K for everything. But, battery is one of thoe things that I cannot buy in the US and bring in. I don't see anyone bringing in good AGM batteries either. So, when my battery goes, I'll get the Merc OE battery but from my independent Merc tech for about 24k.