Diesel RVs: Re: [diesel_mercedes] Re: Caitlin's No Start

Caitlin,

If you look at the battery tray, now that the battery is out, you'll notice some holes along the edge. With closer inspection, you will notice that they are threaded.

Those are holes for bolts, that go through holes in stamped metal pieces that clamp the lower edge of your battery. I'm not at my 126 right now, but if I recall correctly, there are two clamps on a 126.

These are relatively easy to find in p-a-p yards. The yards pull the batteries by unbolting the clamps and just dropping the clamp plates and bolts and walking away with the battery. So the clamps will be on the ground, or inside the engine compartment. The clamps are the same as the one used on the 123, if I remember correctly. The bolts will also just be lying around.

Since the clamps are basically stamped metal in a mostly flat shape, SOME junk yard shoppers might find that they just drop into a pocket and get forgotten when it's time to check out and pay for all your 'new' parts. Then they get rediscovered when they start clanging in the washing machine.

A similar thing happens with the bolts, and various other bits, like monovalves. This can make significant others quite upset when they hear the clanging in the washing machine. So it is usually a good idea to rummage through the pockets after leaving the junk yard, to discover what has, inadvertently, fallen into them.

While you have the battery out, get in there with a vacuum cleaner and really suck out the space below the battery tray. That is a zone designed to collect leaves and schmutz, and to serve as a breeding ground for rust. So get it clean and then keep it clean.

Tom

In a message dated 11/1/2011 8:46:42 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, tinymachine@gmail.com writes:

Q: Is there a way to secure the battery to the tray that isn't a giant PIA? How necessary is this? (mine wasn't attached in anyway, just sitting in the shallow tray, as reported by the mechanic)

Thanks!
Caitlin in Santa Fe

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