Electrical Short? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

McRoth · #1 02-20-2004, 11:37 AM

On Saturday I finally fixed a squealing belt on my 82 240D, the alternator was loose is all. Well, on Wed. I noticed that my lights didn't seem as bright as usual. Now yesterday morning I tried to start her up & it wouldn't turn over fast enough. I put it on the charger last night & this morning it was even deader than it was yesterday! When I turn the key to the glow position I still hear the click of the relay, which is about the only thing I found in a search on this, so I don't think it's fused.
Any ideas what I should check to find the drain? I'm assuming there's a hot short to the body someplace. Is this a correct assumption?
Thanks for any help!

#2 02-20-2004, 03:34 PM

You might try removing the positive, or the ground from the battery and putting it on the charger again. If the battery still does not take a charge, then what you have is a dead battery.
Or you could look at the front of the battery, if it reads EXIDE, then it would either be a dead battery, or is going to die a horrible death any day now.

McRoth · #3 02-24-2004, 01:07 PM

Well, I found my problem this weekend. I put my volt meter on the battery after I got it running & it measured something like 1.8V!! I went to pull the brushes out of the alternator to see if that could be the problem. Before I did that, I pulled the plug out of it & found that one of the wires was only on there by 1 or 2 strands! Of course none of the parts stores have that or can even get it so I had to call the parts dept. at my local dealer. It's going to take 3 or 4 days to get in, of course, but hopefully I'll be up & running soon.

Thanks for your help!