Where is the location of the 12 V sockets in the Mercedes Benz E Class?
By
Vroomouk
This article will answer the following questions: where is the location of the 12 V socket in the Mercedes Benz E Class? What is the use of a 12 V socket in a Mercedes Benz E Class? Is it possible to retrofit the 12V socket in the trunk? And can you charge the vehicle battery through the 12 V socket?
Where is the location of the 12 V sockets in the Mercedes Benz E Class?
The location of the 12 V socket in the Mercedes Benz E Class is in the fort of the centre console near the ashtray or storage space. There is one more 12 V socket at the bottom of the rear air conditioning control panel for the occupants in the backseats.
The 12 volts socket is used to heat the cigarette lighter. Many 12 V accessories are also available which can be powered by the socket. However, the 12 V socket is discontinued in the fourth generation of the E class model series W212.
It is replaced by the type A USB ports in the W213 E class and type C USB ports in the latest facelift model of the E class. The stowage compartment in the centre console now features a wireless charger and there is no inbuilt ashtray like it used to be in older models.
The 12 V socket is still present in a few markets like India and China where the vehicles are shipped with portable air compressors but it is only accessible from the rear seats. There is no cigarette lighter in the 12 V socket, it is covered by a spring-loaded plastic cap.
The 12 V socket is powered directly by the 12 V onboard main battery. There is a 25 A fuse in the rear compartment fuse box and a 12 V socket is connected to it via a dedicated electrical line. The fuse is located on battery live circuit 30 and hence it is always powered by the main battery in the vehicle.
What is the use of a 12 V socket in the Mercedes Benz E Class?
There are three 12 V sockets in the Mercedes Benz E class. The uses of the 12 V sockets are as follows:
- 12 V socket in the front:
The 12 V socket in the front is primarily used for the cigarette lighter but customers can use it to power any electrical device under 180 watts and 15 A. some of the possible devices are
- Dashboard cameras
- Smartphone chargers
- Air purifiers
- 12 V additional USB ports
- 12 V socket in the rear
The 12 V socket in the rear is for the rear occupants. Mercedes Benz also sells a rear entertainment system with two additional displays in the back of the front passenger seats. The 12 V rear socket can also be converted to 115 V and 230 V sockets. There is a genuine accessory available or it can be factory fitted.
There is a risk of electrical shock as 115 and 230 V are considered high voltage. Never unplug the electrical device without switching it off and always keep the socket dry
- 12 V socket in the luggage compartment.
The 12 V socket in the luggage compartment can be used to power the cool box, and a small-sized refrigerator can also be placed in the trunk to keep the bottle cool.
The 12 v socket is very useful to power the emergency portable air compressor in the event of a tyre puncture.
Is it possible to retrofit a 12 V socket in the trunk?
Yes, it is possible to retrofit a 12 v socket in the trunk of the Mercedes Benz E class. Few E-class sold in markets like south-east Asia and India do not have a 12 V socket in the luggage compartment. Following is the procedure to retrofit the 12 V socket in the luggage compartment:
Things required to retrofit a 12 V socket in the luggage compartment are a 12 V socket, electrical line, 15 or 15 A fuse and a Digital Multimeter.
- Remove the cover on the rear fuse box
- Locate an empty slot on the fuse box and note don’t the number of the slot
- Turn off the ignition and check the voltage in the empty fuse box, you will need an empty slot with circuit 30 or an uninterrupted power supply from the battery.
- After finding the correct spot, connect the positive electrical line to the empty side of the fuse slot.
- Connect the ground electrical line to any ground point available in the luggage compartment.
- Connect the electrical coupler to the 12 V socket and check if it is working.
You can also make a hole in the rear luggage compartment side panel or keep the 12 V socket on one side with the additional electrical cable.
Can you charge the main battery through the 12 V socket?
No, it is not possible to charge the main battery in a Mercedes Benz E class by plugging a battery charger into a 12 V socket. The 12 V sockets are connected to the battery live supply but they are not designed to handle the high electrical current required to charge the battery.
Most 12 V sockets have 15 A fuses and attempting to connect a live electrical line into the socket will create an electrical short circuit and damage electrical lines. Always connect an external battery charger to the jump points in the engine compartment or if the battery is accessible then connect the charger directly to the main battery.
The Mercedes Benz E class also has a battery disconnect switch that will open if there is a parasitic drain in the vehicle and prevent the main battery from getting discharged. There is also a hibernation mode that can be turned on from the command menu.
In hibernation mode, the vehicle goes into extreme power saving and the battery disconnect switch remains open until the customer disables the hibernation mode. It is extremely useful if the customer is not going to use the vehicle for a longer period.
Other articles about Mercedes Benz you may be interested in
Does Mercedes Benz use manual transmission?
What does AMG mean on Mercedes Benz cars?
Conclusion
The 12 V socket in the Mercedes Benz E class can be very useful since it is an executive sedan and many customers use it for everyday commuting. Therefore Mercedes Benz is upgrading the 12 V and USB A sockets in the front and the rear to USB type C ports as all modern electronic devices can be changed directly from the USB port.
