Some engineers should be shot

[BoatCop]

Not a "new" idea. Every classic VW Bug made has it under the rear seat.

 

[Cray Paper]

A hot tip. Raise the seat all the way before you disconnect the battery . And find something to cover the small battery’s leads. Sparks like a sumbitch when it hits the bare metal of the car .

Thanks for the heads up, the battery is getting weak and I didn't think it was a priority. After watching a couple of videos, I will be picking up a new one tomorrow and replacing it. In the videos, it appears that it is still a really confined space to turn wrenches / sockets to get the cables on and off.

 

[Cray Paper]

Tesla X is like 30 fasteners. To change the starter battery. When it died had to YouTube how to open the front trunk to access it with it being dead. Then YouTube the swap. No where sells the damn battery but Tesla. And it has a 1 year warranty from them like all there parts. The one I replaced wasn't even 2 years old. They wanted $700 to come out and change it. The original did last 6 years.

Maybe my reading comprehension is worse than I thought., and I don't know shit about electric vehicles....but why would an all electric vehicle have a battery to start it?

 

[oldman]

Not a "new" idea. Every classic VW Bug made has it under the rear seat.

But that seat basically just lifts up, no tools needed.

 

[Cray Paper]

There is an access plug in the fender well that helps.

I just went out to look to make sure I wasn't remembering wrong and found this under the hood.. I havent drove it in a couple months

View attachment 1489093

View attachment 1489094

Are you using that engine bay as a smoker? So much critter carnage in it..

 

[Cray Paper]

for all the bitching....thats not a horrible spot to put the battery. in the cab it isnt subjected to the heat and/or extreme cold compared to under the hood. the battery will last longer and perform better.

it cant be that big of a deal to take the seat out.

Agreed, but their is a downside. Much longer cables, the issue with off gassing and potential for over heating and fire in the cabin. Not to mention lack of ease of accessibility for a maintenance item.

 

[Cray Paper]

Hold my beer.........

View attachment 1489099

Northstar GM V8?

 

[oldman]

Northstar GM V8?

Toyota 4.7 V8 circa 2000's

Northstar.

 

[4Waters]

Jesus guys, no need to take apart the front of the car to change a light bulb when all you need is to top off your headlight fluid

 

[NicPaus]

Maybe my reading comprehension is worse than I thought., and I don't know shit about electric vehicles....but why would an all electric vehicle have a battery to start it?

Hell if I know. But it definitely has 1 to run all the 12v stuff. Crazy part is a little you tube and nothing is safe in the front trunk from thieves.

 

[JUSTWANNARACE]

Are you using that engine bay as a smoker? So much critter carnage in it..

Nope just the one critter. And it "was" very much alive. It was in that bed of leafs it made. I started pulling the leafs out and he stuck his head out, then I poked it with a broom stick and he scurried behind the engine(the second pic) and got stuck. I wedged it out with the broom stick. Then it jumped out. Made it about 10' and I got to try out my exploding pellets...

 

[spectras only]

My 99 Viper had the battery inside behind the left rear wheel well. It had a plastic cover for protection,lol..
At least 99 percent viper drivers park their cars during winter months, so no slush gets in there,haha

 

[Runs2rch]

Toyota 4.7 V8 circa 2000's

View attachment 1489158

Northstar.

Porsche had the same great design.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

Hell if I know. But it definitely has 1 to run all the 12v stuff. Crazy part is a little you tube and nothing is safe in the front trunk from thieves.

This, the traction battery runs at some goofy voltage. The 12V battery is there to run the more traditional car type stuff in the interior, probably more accurate to say it is there to act as buffer between the two systems.

 

[OldSchoolBoats]

I had to jump my Transit van one day and had to Google where the battery is and how to jump start it. Damn battery is under thr drivers seat and there is a post in the engine compartment that you use to jump it. With out the internet, I would have never figured it out.

 

[Runs2rch]

I had to jump my Transit van one day and had to Google where the battery is and how to jump start it. Damn battery is under thr drivers seat and there is a post in the engine compartment that you use to jump it. With out the internet, I would have never figured it out.

Same applies when the battery box is tucked under the cowl. There will be posts. Tons of newer vehicles like that.

 

[77charger]

Have you had to change a headlight bulb yet on the jeep? Talk about a PITA

2008 silverado passenger side headlight is a real bitch too.2007 and older 2 min job to do both headlights.

 

[JUSTWANNARACE]

I had to jump my Transit van one day and had to Google where the battery is and how to jump start it. Damn battery is under thr drivers seat and there is a post in the engine compartment that you use to jump it. With out the internet, I would have never figured it out.

The Jeep GC's are the same, they have charging/jump posts under the hood.

 

[17 10 Flat]

I bet they make a tool for that.

Gonna need a 10MM socket too....

 

[TPC]

I often had to work on German refrigeration equipment.

They never considered some poor bastard had to fix it one day.

3 hours to get to the problem, 20 minute fix, 3 awkward hours re-assembling.

 

[rivermobster]

You probably can confirm this but...

The Bimmer forums back in the late aughts were full of stories of owners taking their E39s in for service and ending up with the cars bricked because the first order of business was to reflash the software to the latest build from BMW. But the updates has to be done in sequence and if you had an old software build and the tech didn't catch it... It got very expensive.

Yaah no...

The E39 had Very little software in it. That's definitely an old wives tale.

The programming issues started with the E65 7 Series. That's when the shit started to hit the fan as far as bricked "modules" goes. But even if one did fail during programming, you just grabbed/ordered a new one and started over. It's impossible to brick a whole car.

As a tech, you have zero control over the "order" of what module was programmed first, so that's another wives tale right there. The programming computer checked each module individually, and updated it accordingly. You would set the vehicle up to program at the end of the day, and if the gods allowed, it would be good to go by 8am. It took awhile to program close to 70 different modules. Gawd I don't miss those days!!!

The stick shift E39 was arguably the best vehicle Ever produced.

You know how people in forums are...

Buncha silly asshats!

 

[rivermobster]

for all the bitching....thats not a horrible spot to put the battery. in the cab it isnt subjected to the heat and/or extreme cold compared to under the hood. the battery will last longer and perform better.

it cant be that big of a deal to take the seat out.

It could be, IF someone disconnected any of the air bag components or sensors.

Late model cars has seat belt pretensioners, occupant sensors, and sometimes actual air bags!

But you're right...

Remove four bolts and tip the seat forward. Don't unplug anything, and you're fine.

But it's unlikely the manufacturer made that "necessary" due to the reasons I mentioned above.

One never knows anymore.

 

[Cray Paper]

Nope just the one critter. And it "was" very much alive. It was in that bed of leafs it made. I started pulling the leafs out and he stuck his head out, then I poked it with a broom stick and he scurried behind the engine(the second pic) and got stuck. I wedged it out with the broom stick. Then it jumped out. Made it about 10' and I got to try out my exploding pellets...

Possum? Those bastards are built like a brick shit house, thick skin, really thick bone structure and tough... I killed one once with a croquet mallet, the crime scene wasn't pretty, had to wash everything down and that thing must have weighed 45 pounds when I stuffed it a couple of garbage bags. I was surprised by the girth of it.

 

[Cray Paper]

The Jeep GC's are the same, they have charging/jump posts under the hood.

I noticed the same thing last night on my Durango. Passengers side cowl area.

 

[BabyRay]

I had a 2008-ish Cayenne that ate several batteries, which was fun since the battery was under the driver’s seat. It was larger than typical, weighing about 50 lbs., and because of the awkward position, was difficult for one person to lift it out of its cubbyhole.

Steps to Access the Battery:

1. Prepare the Vehicle:
   • Park the car on a flat surface and engage the parking brake.
   • Turn off the ignition and remove the key to avoid any electrical issues.
   • If the battery is dead and the power seat won’t move, you may need to jump-start the car temporarily or use the jump terminals under the hood to power the seat adjustment.
2. Move the Driver’s Seat Forward:
   • Adjust the driver’s seat all the way forward to access the rear seat rail bolts.
3. Remove the Rear Seat Rail Covers:
   • Locate the plastic trim pieces covering the rear seat rail bolts (one on each side, near the back of the seat).
   • Use a flathead screwdriver or trim removal tool to gently pry off these covers. They should pop off with light pressure.
4. Unbolt the Rear Seat Rails:
   • Using an M10 triple-square driver, remove the two rear bolts securing the seat to the floor. Keep these bolts safe for reinstallation.
5. Move the Seat Backward:
   • Slide the seat all the way back to access the front seat rail bolts.
6. Remove the Front Seat Rail Covers:
   • Similar to the rear, pry off the plastic trim pieces covering the front seat rail bolts using your screwdriver or trim tool.
7. Unbolt the Front Seat Rails:
   • Remove the two front bolts with the M10 triple-square driver. With all four bolts removed, the seat is now loose.
8. Tilt the Seat Back:
   • Carefully tilt the seat backward to expose the area underneath. You may need to disconnect any electrical connectors under the seat (e.g., for seat controls or heating). Note their positions for reconnection later.
   • If needed, secure the seat in place with a strap or have someone hold it to keep it out of your way.
9. Access the Battery Compartment:
   • Lift the carpet flap under the seat to reveal the battery cover. If the carpet isn’t pre-cut, you may need to carefully cut along the perforated lines with a utility knife.
   • Remove the battery cover by releasing the four clips (one in each corner) with a flathead screwdriver or your fingers.

 

[Cobalt232]

Neighbor has a Ford Focus and they needed a battery.
I said no problem I'll do it.
Sunavabitch. Buried by the driver's firewall under the windshield wiper.
Need to remove air intake system and front of battery tray.
You can't even get to the negative post where the battery cable management system is.
Negative cable corroded and needs a $75 cable.

Yep, I had to do my daughter's Focus's battery a couple of weeks ago. You can see that battery, you just can't get it out. You cannot get a grip on it to slide it forward to rotate it to get it out of the stupid box it is n. Took me over 45 minutes to remove the old one - in the rain. The negative cable is long enough to pull it forward to remove it though.

 

[petie6464]

Have to agree the age of "snap together" vehicles will drive anyone insane.

I spend more time trying to disconnect wiring connectors and even fuel lines; it's maddening.. Primary lock, secondary locks push here pull there, click your heals together three times and the things still break..

Recently had a fuel line, secondary lock snaps off; No you can't buy that you have to buy the whole fuel line.. $260 it's 8" long come on.. I have a drawer fuel if this kinda stuff.. Nope never seen this style before.

A hose clamp is only a dream..

 

[JUSTWANNARACE]

Possum? Those bastards are built like a brick shit house, thick skin, really thick bone structure and tough... I killed one once with a croquet mallet, the crime scene wasn't pretty, had to wash everything down and that thing must have weighed 45 pounds when I stuffed it a couple of garbage bags. I was surprised by the girth of it.

Yes possum! The pleasures of living in the country..

 

[Good Stuff]

Agreed, but their is a downside. Much longer cables, the issue with off gassing and potential for over heating and fire in the cabin. Not to mention lack of ease of accessibility for a maintenance item.

On this note make sure you get the right battery. There are hoses that vent the gasses out of the battery to the outside of the car in the battery compartment. They should be connected unless someone else got in there before you.

 

[rrrr]

I often had to work on German refrigeration equipment.

They never considered some poor bastard had to fix it one day.

3 hours to get to the problem, 20 minute fix, 3 awkward hours re-assembling.

This reminded me of working on German Piller 400 Hz mainframe computer motor generators and three MG paralleling units back in the day.

They had hundreds of 16 AWG stranded control conductors inside the enclosures, and all of them were one color, red. Making it more fun, the schematics and manuals I had were in German.

Was für ein Schmerz im Arsch.

 

[Orange Juice]

It’s not engineering. It starts with sales telling engineering they don’t want to look at a $350 battery with the customer. They told us to hide it.

 

[DaveH]

this thread makes me wonder if its the direct result from the elimination of shop classes in school.

 

[OCMerrill]

Neighbor has a Ford Focus and they needed a battery.
I said no problem I'll do it.
Sunavabitch. Buried by the driver's firewall under the windshield wiper.
Need to remove air intake system and front of battery tray.
You can't even get to the negative post where the battery cable management system is.
Negative cable corroded and needs a $75 cable.

Just a week ago I put a new one in my daughters Focus. This is the third time since we bought the car in 2015 and NO it doesn't get any easier with repetition either.

The charge cycles must cause the battery to outgas and create the cable problem. I have my daughter pour Baking soda on the terminal ever 6 mo or so.

$200 little POS battery.

I am doing the 100k Service today. Hope I can get the coil boots off the spark plugs.

 

[185EZ]

Just a week ago I put a new one in my daughters Focus. This is the third time since we bought the car in 2015 and NO it doesn't get any easier with repetition either.

The charge cycles must cause the battery to outgas and create the cable problem. I have my daughter pour Baking soda on the terminal ever 6 mo or so.

$200 little POS battery.

I am doing the 100k Service today. Hope I can get the coil boots off the spark plugs.

The neighbor's Focus battery went bad again a couple weeks ago.
They are from canada and leave the battery on a tender for at least 6 months at a time.
I walked in the garage and could smell the battery was baking and it was dripping acid out of the vent hole.
They couldn't even get it out of the garage without leaving my jump start pack hooked up.
They just had it towed to the dealer.
It was less than 2 years since the last battery.
The battery management system or what ever that thing is on the negative post was corroded bad.

 

[Bigbore500r]

If they put batteries there, where would they put their feet to brace themselves while they stretched the wiring harness so it would get long enough to plug into everything?

lol….thats exactly what they do! Every wire on our Jeeps engine harness looks like it was “stretch to fit” and on the verge of failure. Fucking Chrysler …

 

[PlanB]

2016 Harley Davidson Street Glide. The battery is buried under the electronics under the seat. The first time I went to find it I could not figure out how to get to it.

 

[4Waters]

Just a week ago I put a new one in my daughters Focus. This is the third time since we bought the car in 2015 and NO it doesn't get any easier with repetition either.

The charge cycles must cause the battery to outgas and create the cable problem. I have my daughter pour Baking soda on the terminal ever 6 mo or so.

$200 little POS battery.

I am doing the 100k Service today. Hope I can get the coil boots off the spark plugs.

I have been using this for 30yrs and have never had a corrosion problem. This gets put on about every 12mo

I have bought a couple cars that had corrosion on them and I used this and a small wire brush to clean it up.

 

[941Punk]

Yea, so my wife had to have this MB she’s had her eye on, the AMG SL55. We found a two year old one with super low miles and made a good deal on it.
Well when we get it home and I start doing research on the car so I can DYI the maintenance, I find out there’s a standard 12v battery in the trunk and a 48v battery under the hood. WTF? Yeeeeah the 48v battery is $2000 and they recommend replacing both batteries at the same time. My ass is bleeding already.

After like 8 of them, I'm on my last MBZ.
I just can't anymore. CLS550, realllly love the car, hate the DIY part of it. It's one big fucking computer!

 

[OCMerrill]

I have been using this for 30yrs and have never had a corrosion problem. This gets put on about every 12mo

I have bought a couple cars that had corrosion on them and I used this and a small wire brush to clean it up.

Its a challenge to even see the buried rear battery cable. You can't even loosen it without a 1 foot socket extension and you actually have to disassemble the battery box and pull the battery up at a 60 degree angle to remove it.

Easiest way to rid the issue is to use an AGM battery but nothing available to fit this car that I could find. We use a Permatex spray on the 2004 Ram because it over charges the Lead Acid batteries but its pretty difficult to coat that terminal under the cowl of that focus.

The other factor is the car's completely worthless because of all the transmission issues. We're currently fine but when the Dual Clutch trans shits the bed again the car will be donated. Hopefully she's finished her upper education and is making money at this point.

 

[ChrisV]

Job Security

 

[Crazyhippy]

Porsche had the same great design.

And were kind enough to run plastic coolant lines over the top of it!

 

[Runs2rch]

And were kind enough to run plastic coolant lines over the top of it!

Not brittle at all over time.