2014 Slow battery drain

wifeofbim

New member
Could the ECM drain the battery? The dealership replaced the original battery in July and by mid August the battery was dead. It will not hold a charge. I noticed that the cover on the ECM is missing after having service done. It now looks corroded. Sorry to sound naive but my husband died and I'm just trying to get my 2014 Sprinter working again and I don't trust what the MB dealer is telling me. Can someone out there let me know what questions to ask the dealership? Many thanks.
 

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borabora

Well-known member
I doubt that the ECM is the cause of the problem but you should get a replacement cover for it.
You or the dealership need to find out if it is a charging problem or a discharge problem. In other words, does the battery not get recharged while driving or is there a parasitic load on the system when the engine is off that slowly drains the battery?
Also, is this an RV with a house battery or a stock cargo/passenger Sprinter?

Many Sprinters have grounding problems that would translate into poor battery charging. That's an easy thing to test for.

If you want to figure yourself if the problem is charge or discharge then get something like this:


You can plug this into the upper 12V outlet on the dash and observe the voltage while driving. It should be 14V or more after a minute or so after starting the engine. Then after the vehicle sits overnight, plug it into the lower outlet (the one that is always powered) and observe the voltage before starting the engine. It should be between 12.5V and 12.8V.
Best of luck.
 

showkey

Well-known member
The original battery lasted 6 years is average maybe slightly above the average life if you live in HOT climate. Think the average battery life is 4-5 years with most any vehicle.

If the new battery is going dead or low then:
How much is the Sprinter being driven ?
Sitting for weeks with the battery connected will drain the battery. Most vehicles siting unused for 30 days is very problematic As far as the battery self drain ( parasitic draw). This “drain time” will vary with weather conditions, short trips do not help the situation.

My 2008 ECM never had a cover from new:7F848BB4-BCEC-470D-A177-5E6AE2D89FC0.jpeg
 
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wifeofbim

New member
I got the brand new battery (installed by MB) in July then drove it for 19 miles and it sat for 2 weeks while I was on a business trip. When I returned I went out to start and it was DEAD. Tried jumping it but to no avail. Nice neighbor took a look at it today and it was only drawing 2 amps. He now has it on a charger and after 4 hours it is only at 6 amps.
 
D

Deleted member 50714

Guest
Unfortunately, your battery is probably toast.
 

wifeofbim

New member
The original battery lasted 6 years is average maybe slightly above the average life if you live in HOT climate. Think the average battery life is 4-5 years with most any vehicle.
Is the new battery going dead or low after the repair or were just asking about the 6 years of use and replacement by the dealer.

If the new battery is going dead or low then:
How much is the Sprinter being driven ?
Sitting for weeks with the battery connected will drain the battery. Most vehicles siting unused for 30 days is very problematic As far as the battery self drain ( parasitic draw). This “drain time” will vary with weather conditions, short trips do not help the situation.

My 2008 ECM never had a cover from new:View attachment 153456
The original battery lasted 6 years is average maybe slightly above the average life if you live in HOT climate. Think the average battery life is 4-5 years with most any vehicle.

If the new battery is going dead or low then:
How much is the Sprinter being driven ?
Sitting for weeks with the battery connected will drain the battery. Most vehicles siting unused for 30 days is very problematic As far as the battery self drain ( parasitic draw). This “drain time” will vary with weather conditions, short trips do not help the situation.

My 2008 ECM never had a cover from new:View attachment 153456
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
The NCV3 Sprinters (2007-2018) have a persistent battery drain such that MB recommends disconnecting them if you're parking it for longer than 2 weeks.
They provide a "master disconnect" in the form of a fat cable held by a button-operated release, down near the gas pedal.

Here's the owner's manual section about it:

BattDisconnect.png

What it looks like:
BatteryDisconnectNearPedals.jpg

--dick
 
D

Deleted member 50714

Guest
I booked mark that excellent post Dick, mind if I share in the future?

The stud not being clean and sufficiently torqued was an issue brought up on webcast topic.

IMG_0048.JPG
 

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