Discussion
My battery went flat some weeks ago and I jump started with the micra - all was fine. On Sunday I decided to take it out for a spin (was left a full week), it wouldn't start so again I started it with the micra.
Today (only 2 days after) the car won't start, slow whining of the fuel pump, flights on but no action. A new battery needed? not garaged so no access to power points to recharge regularly.
Today (only 2 days after) the car won't start, slow whining of the fuel pump, flights on but no action. A new battery needed? not garaged so no access to power points to recharge regularly.
morgala said:
is it easy to replace the battery yourself, or is it a pro job?
Its a pain in the arse job, and takes a good hour or so, but nothing an amateur cant handle. Have you got the "bible" by steve heath? all explained easy enough in there. If its the first replacement you will need to drill out the rivets holding the top of the battery box down
There is a chance you'll need an angle grinder. I've a 97 Chim too, so I assume your car has the same arrangement as mine. If so, the battery box will be bolted through the bottom of the car. The heads of the bolts are glued into the battery box. If the nuts under the car have rusted onto the bolt, when you try to turn them you may find, as I did, that the battery box gives before the nuts start to turn. You are then left with the head of the bolt spinning inside the battery box when you turn the nut ... i.e. impossible to undo the bolt. At this point it is time to reach for the angle grinder to cut through the bolt. Big pain in the arse.
>> Edited by ATG on Wednesday 11th August 11:26
>> Edited by ATG on Wednesday 11th August 11:26
If you have not given the car a good long run, used it for a couple of days on the trot etc..the battery would not have gotten a good charge and would discharge sufficiently over a day or so to make it hard to start.
You really need to stick it on a charger overnight.
Getting the battery out is the fun bit though !!
If planning to leave the car for long spells it's wise to invest in an Accumate battery conditioner..
Edited to add:
Oops....just read your post again and noticed you have no power outlets....sorry....must read every line
...wireless AC anyone ??
Stu.
>> Edited by Stu247 on Wednesday 11th August 11:35
You really need to stick it on a charger overnight.
Getting the battery out is the fun bit though !!
If planning to leave the car for long spells it's wise to invest in an Accumate battery conditioner..
Edited to add:
Oops....just read your post again and noticed you have no power outlets....sorry....must read every line
...wireless AC anyone ?? Stu.
>> Edited by Stu247 on Wednesday 11th August 11:35
ATG said:
... angle grinder... If so, the battery box will be bolted through the bottom of the car. The heads of the bolts are glued into the battery box. If the nuts under the car have rusted onto the bolt, when you try to turn them you may find, as I did, that the battery box gives before the nuts start to turn. You are then left with the head of the bolt spinning inside the battery box when you turn the nut ... i.e. impossible to undo the bolt. At this point it is time to reach for the angle grinder to cut through the bolt. Big pain in the arse.
bloody hell, there's no way I would be able to do that. Angle grinder - I don't even know what one is. I'm that much of a numpty.
shnozz - > not sure if it's the first replacement - I assume that if it has been replaced in the past the 'hard work' (removing the rivets etc) would have been done, so it might be just lieing free - in that case I can drag it out?
morgala said:
shnozz - > not sure if it's the first replacement - I assume that if it has been replaced in the past the 'hard work' (removing the rivets etc) would have been done, so it might be just lieing free - in that case I can drag it out?
if you want to jump start it and drive down to southampton I'll do it for you. my usual payment is a 6 pack of lager...
The rivets I was talking about are on top of the battery box. The ones that may need angle grinding are underneath the car attaching the box to the floorplan - ie you cant pull out the battery box until they are removed
Here are a couple of pics of the battery - if you need any more info I can pop out and take some more 
..im off work today.
shnozz -> would gladly accept the offer, but time is the only factor. I'm working this weekend and the w/end after i'm going to V festival (in micra). Although I do have next Tuesday off, 17th, buts you're prob at work.
..im off work today. shnozz -> would gladly accept the offer, but time is the only factor. I'm working this weekend and the w/end after i'm going to V festival (in micra). Although I do have next Tuesday off, 17th, buts you're prob at work.
morgala said:
Here are a couple of pics of the battery - if you need any more info I can pop out and take some more
shnozz -> would gladly accept the offer, but time is the only factor. I'm working this weekend and the w/end after i'm going to V festival (in micra). Although I do have next Tuesday off, 17th, buts you're prob at work.
thanks for the pictures but I had a fair idea what a battery looked like
no more info really that I can give over the internet mate. There are 2 bolts underneath the floorplan. They attach to the battery box. Undo them. However, BEFORE YOU MOVE THE BATTERY BOX MARK ON THE FLOOR INSIDE THE CAR EXACTLY WHERE THE BOX IS POSITIONNED. Do that with tipex if your floor is black or a permanent marker if its untreated fibreglass colour. if you dont do this, lining up the bolts afterwards is a nightmare.
Once the bolts are removed, you can pull the battery box (read "yank") towards you and lift it out of the car. Drill out the rivots on top of the box, remove battery, stick in new battery and either chuck away top of battery box or replace with rivets. I personally wouldnt bother as the chance of the battery escaping out of that footwell in the event of the car turning over is very minor IMHO. My early chim doesnt even have a "top" of the box....
then a case of the reverse process - slide battery box into base of footwell, play about with it until its roughly lined up with the markings, get under car and try and screw in the 2 bolts. Curse when they arent lined up. move box another mm in one directions. under car. curse when they are not lined up. repeat until an hour later than are lined up, tighten up bolts and da da! power.
I would be inclined to check the new battery is all sorted ok before you fiddle about in the base of the footwell for ages to line up the bolts. nothing more frsutrating than doing all that to find the battery doesnt work....
shnozz said:
PS - as it happens I am off work tuesday as I am flying back from amsterdam so will be around for the afternoon if you do need help...
well, if you wouldn't mind helping out that would be great. But I'm sure the last thing you'll want to do is toy round with some numptys car after a hedonistic weekend in the dam
morgala said:
PS - as it happens I am off work tuesday as I am flying back from amsterdam so will be around for the afternoon if you do need help...
well, if you wouldn't mind helping out that would be great. But I'm sure the last thing you'll want to do is toy round with some numptys car after a hedonistic weekend in the dam
"Are those bolts lined up now?"
"Who cares?"
morgala said:
PS - as it happens I am off work tuesday as I am flying back from amsterdam so will be around for the afternoon if you do need help...
well, if you wouldn't mind helping out that would be great. But I'm sure the last thing you'll want to do is toy round with some numptys car after a hedonistic weekend in the dam
see how you get on - if its not done then feel free to pop down and we can sort it out. I'll let you do the heavy bits and just shout instructions
worse comes to the worst and you end up removing the old one and unable to put in the new one properly then you can always leave it loose on the passenger floor just to drive the car down slowly.
anyways, the offer is there..e-mail me if you want my phone number and I should be back after about 1pm. my place is really easy to find just off the M3 as well.
For what its worth, the first job I had when I got my Chim was changing the battery when it wouldn't start on Monday morning. Not garaged so could not get a charger to it, no-one handy to jump start me, and no way of getting it to a garage, so I did it myself.
Now, this is before I got the bible, so I was ignorant of potential problems. Mike at Austec told me about the underfloor bolts, and fortunately they were easy to undo. He also told me that the AA have a habit of ripping out the battery box by brute force ....
Bought a battery from Halfrauds for about £72, and set about it. Bolts out, lift relays etc off top of battery, slide box out (never pausing to mark the spot ...) . Undo connections and the alarm went off. Reconnect battery, switch off alarm and seemed OK when I disconnected it again. The rivets just needed a quick application of my largest drill bit in a rechargeable drill to drill them out (they are soft metal) and swap the battery. I have a rivet gun (or buy a cheap one for a tenner) so put enough rivets back in. Apparently these are only to keep the battery in place if you invert the car, which I am not planning to do, but did it anyway.
Then put it back in place, and fortunately the bolts went into the nuts with just a bit of fiddling, and bob was my uncle. I think that if you try the bolts and they start to undo easily you will be OK, but mark the box as advised as I was probably lucky. Ignorance is bliss in this case. Oh, and make sure you don't lock yourself out with no battery in.
Now, this is before I got the bible, so I was ignorant of potential problems. Mike at Austec told me about the underfloor bolts, and fortunately they were easy to undo. He also told me that the AA have a habit of ripping out the battery box by brute force ....
Bought a battery from Halfrauds for about £72, and set about it. Bolts out, lift relays etc off top of battery, slide box out (never pausing to mark the spot ...) . Undo connections and the alarm went off. Reconnect battery, switch off alarm and seemed OK when I disconnected it again. The rivets just needed a quick application of my largest drill bit in a rechargeable drill to drill them out (they are soft metal) and swap the battery. I have a rivet gun (or buy a cheap one for a tenner) so put enough rivets back in. Apparently these are only to keep the battery in place if you invert the car, which I am not planning to do, but did it anyway.
Then put it back in place, and fortunately the bolts went into the nuts with just a bit of fiddling, and bob was my uncle. I think that if you try the bolts and they start to undo easily you will be OK, but mark the box as advised as I was probably lucky. Ignorance is bliss in this case. Oh, and make sure you don't lock yourself out with no battery in.
morgala said:
I'm going to have a shot...the bible bangs on about some sealant when putting the battery back in place. Nobody has mentioned it so i'll assume its not important.
shnozz - i will mail you if it goes tits up. cheers
you gotta love these cars...
oh yeah - forgot about that. I did a battery swap for another local PHer - Voltaire53. When I refitted the bolts underneath the car i applied a lashing of black silicon sealant to ensure it was watertight since it sits right behind the front wheels.....
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