When it comes to luxury and comfortability, Mercedes Benz is known for bringing the best out of every model they launch. Talk of the sleek design to the upgraded features, there is much to see on these vehicles. However, the additional features, such as the seat control module, come with their disadvantages. Now and then, the seat control module has been associated with draining the car’s battery.
Why is my Mercedes seat control module draining the battery? With time, the seat control module in your Mercedes may become defective, thus drawing excessive charge from your battery when the ignition is turned off.
How Does It Drain the Charge from the Battery?
The cases of waking up to a flat battery are common among most drivers. It doesn’t matter the vehicle model you have, as long as there is a loophole, your battery will be drained overnight. Often, Mercedes owners have complained about flat cells caused by a drain that they find hard to explain. More often than, the seat control module has been the primary victim of the draining.
Well, the module you rely upon for that extra seat comfort can be the reason you are always waking up to a flat battery. When dealing with a faulty seat module, you ought to be quick as it can drain your entire battery within a single night. There is nothing that feels weird than your Mercedes failing to start all because of a faulty battery. With the class associated with these vehicle models, you aren’t supposed to fall victim to such troubles.
However, the fact that Mercedes are machines made by man, it means that they are likely to develop a problem here and there. One common problems shared by Mercedes drivers is a faulty seat control module. What happens when a seat control module becomes defective is that it continues to suck some charge from the battery even when the ignition is turned off.
Like it’s with parasitic drain caused by the radio, for example, the module can drain your battery. The only significant difference is that for the seat module, the waste may be high. Therefore, whenever the module becomes faulty, you are likely to wake up to an empty battery come the following morning.
What Should You Do When the Seat Control Module Starts Draining Your Battery?
Say, for instance, you have been enjoying all the good things that your Mercedes has to offer. Then, all of a sudden, your battery starts to misbehave. Experiencing a flat battery is one disaster that no vehicle owner wishes it appears. It does come and only hits when you least expect. Various drivers have reported the seat control module to be behind their unexpected battery drains.
So, What Can You Do When You Learn that the Seat Module Is Behind the Drain?
Well, there are many ways to face the bull by the horns. The first and most effective way to deal with the battery drain is by replacing the entire seat module. Yes, that’s the only sure way that you can ensure that the problem is gone for good.
However, you should know that replacing the seat control module doesn’t come cheaply. You will have to cough some cash. The figure we are talking about in this case isn’t that small. Currently, the cost of replacing the seat module in your Mercedes ranges from $100 to even $600.
The price is dependent on the garage, as well as the car model. For the older models, you may be lucky to spend less. But, if you are using the recent models, you have to prepare yourself for enormous spending.
Based on the high prices, many people find it hard to perform the replacement. Some prefer ignoring the drain. By doing so, they end up risking the life of their car batteries. As you are aware, car batteries aren’t designed to be drained now and then as this affects even their performance. Therefore, ignoring the drain shouldn’t be among your options.
Some drivers opt to switch off the seat control module manually. Well, that works at least because it means that the module won’t suck any charge from your battery once the car is turned off. However, turning off the modules means losing your car’s added feature, which is a comfort.
You can even go ahead and test which of the seats are behind the drain by switching off one at a go. However, that may take much time because you will have to leave the car overnight for a few days to arrive at the victim.
What If We Tell You that There Is a Trick You Can Use to Deal With the Battery Drain Problem for Good?
This may sound like a surprise to you, but it’s a hack that has been there for long now. It’s a straightforward procedure that you can perform by yourself. You only need a wire clipper and touch to access the power seat module.
The power seat control module is usually located somewhere beneath your car seats. As stated earlier, the module causes a parasitic drain when faulty, and that means that it continues to drain power from the battery even when the car’s ignition is turned. Therefore, the trick is to ensure that the module only receives power when the ignition is on. So, how can you make that possible?
After spotting the seat control module, you will see a plug containing three wires, and which go into the module. This should be your area of interest. There is usually a brown wire, typically the ground wire. There is the pink-black wire, often termed as the switch power. Then, there is the third wire, colored red and green.
It would help if you began by peeling off the insulation seal around the plug to allow some space to work on the wires. Once the insulation seal is out of the way, your next move should be to work on the switching power and the constant power wires. In this case, the cables in question are the red-green wire and the pink-black wires. Using your wire clipper, you should cut off the red-green cord and tie it to the pink-black power.
By joining the two wires, you will be removing the constant supply of power from the power seat control module. As a result, the module will only function whenever they are switched, and the car is on. It’s the only trick that can see you continue enjoying the beauty of power seats.
Sources:
1. Mercedes E220 Battery Drain – Autosessive.com
