Changing the battery

[EricG]

About to change the battery, been over 5 years now and these colder mornings have me not wanting to chance it much longer. Took a look under the trunk cover, looks like 2 10mm bolts on the terminals, only thing is the battery appears to be attached to the car on the side, to the passenger side of the car? Didn't look immediately obvious to this non-mechanic how to free it, so I ask if any of you have encountered this and in there an easy way to pluck it out? Thanks!

 

[SilverBillet]

Look closely at it. You can figure it out.

 

[HWDan]

Don't overlook the vent tube, but you should be able to figure that out too.

 

[Jack_Toepfer]

That’s probably just the hold down clamp, loosen that and it’ll come up

 

[EricG]

Don't overlook the vent tube, but you should be able to figure that out too.

Yeah I did see that, was going to include that in my first post but forgot. I assume the new one will have this too. The last battery I changed myself was back in about 2010 in my 300C SRT8 and back then they didn’t have the tube if I remember correctly. Anyway - hope to get to this over the weekend and will report back!

 

[DGatzby]

I did mine, release the strap, loosen the terminals. My lithium replacement required MUCH less effort than that heavy old one to put in.

 

[GNBRETT]

Yea, I asked my buddy to help me take my Lithium Antigravity battery out cause it was so heavy. He banged his head on the trunk lid llifting it up so hard. He pulled so dam hard thinking it was like 50 lbs lol when it was like 14 lbs.

He didnt think it was so funny..... I got an "Ur an asshole" but it was funny it was worth it anyway ha.

I did mine, release the strap, loosen the terminals. My lithium replacement required MUCH less effort than that heavy old one to put in.

 

[DGatzby]

Yea, I asked my buddy to help me take my Lithium Antigravity battery out cause it was so heavy. He banged his head on the trunk lid llifting it up so hard. He pulled so dam hard thinking it was like 50 lbs lol when it was like 14 lbs.

He didnt think it was so funny..... I got an "Ur an asshole" but it wass funny it worth it anyway ha.

It IS a dramatic surprise!! AND those seem to have power to spare as it rips that starter over. Noticeable difference IMO. I swear that rear end loves the elimination of about 40 lbs on the right side too.

 

[ACMAVRO]

Lighter is better. I ran the amazon one for about a year and it completely discharged maybe from the cold? Also, I had to replace the starter shortly after

 

[covidcommander]

Lighter is better. I ran the amazon one for about a year and it completely discharged maybe from the cold? Also, I had to replace the starter shortly after

Which one? What'd you replace it with?

 

[DGatzby]

I got this one. We had a thread on it a while back.

 

[vortecd]

Lighter is better. I ran the amazon one for about a year and it completely discharged maybe from the cold? Also, I had to replace the starter shortly after

Cold never good for a battery but I found letting it sit in car would run it down. If not driving the car for a week or more it needs to be unhooked from car or a tender needs to be hooked up

 

[ACMAVRO]

Cold never good for a battery but I found letting it sit in car would run it down. If not driving the car for a week or more it needs to be unhooked from car or a tender needs to be hooked up

Right, I let it sit for 2 weeks in winter killed it.

 

[ACMAVRO]

Which one? What'd you replace it with?

Same one Kepworth, went back to agm. I'm not sure the high cranking amps are good for the starter, like I said I had to replace mine. But then again mines a 2015 with 54k miles so who knows?

 

[vortecd]

Same one Kepworth, went back to agm. I'm not sure the high cranking amps are good for the starter, like I said I had to replace mine. But then again mines a 2015 with 54k miles so who knows?

Higher amps will not damage the starter. I had a regular battery in one of my cars over the winter that was parked in a garage but not heated and it killed the battery. Was only 2 years old. After that I never leave a battery outside, I always pull it for the winter.

 

[EricG]

Well in a not-shocking manner my battery died today after I got home from work. Fortunately my neighbor was home to jump me and I drove straight to Costco and had to buy an Interstate AGM battery for $180. Had to pull and install on site. Bottom bracket revealed itself once I pulled everything out of the trunk to swap. Unfortunately the vent tube is a different size and does not go into the feeder hole in the battery. Think it is ok to wait to Sunday afternoon to future that out? I am a wrestling coach and we are wrestling today and tomorrow…and Sunday morning lol. I will be driving the car.

 

[covidcommander]

Higher amps will not damage the starter. I had a regular battery in one of my cars over the winter that was parked in a garage but not heated and it killed the battery. Was only 2 years old. After that I never leave a battery outside, I always pull it for the winter.

You had one of the lithium batteries?

 

[covidcommander]

Well in a not-shocking manner my battery died today after I got home from work. Fortunately my neighbor was home to jump me and I drove straight to Costco and had to buy an Interstate AGM battery for $180. Had to pull and install on site. Bottom bracket revealed itself once I pulled everything out of the trunk to swap. Unfortunately the vent tube is a different size and does not go into the feeder hole in the battery. Think it is ok to wait to Sunday afternoon to future that out? I am a wrestling coach and we are wrestling today and tomorrow…and Sunday morning lol. I will be driving the car.

Yeah, just a vent for the gases. It should be hooked up but shouldn't matter much for a few days unless your alternator is over charging the battery.

 

[vortecd]

You had one of the lithium batteries?

I currently do have a lipo4 battery since 2021. The battery I was talking about was 20 years ago. Cold killed it so why I don't leave batteries in my car over the winter

 

[jroyk]

Battery Tender works for me. In an unheated garage, five months a year, my oem battery is eight years old with no sign off weakening.