Battery fitting 98 Chimaera.

[Bomber Denton]

Well it finally looks like the battery has finally given up the ghost on the Chimaera, in the 95 car I had it was a doddle to get the battery in/out (reasonably) but the new car has the fibreglass housing, I couldn't really see how it mounted in the new one(stood on my head with a Mini-Maglite ) and haven't had the need to fit one before.

What's the routine for replacement, just so I don't have to make two trips for tools!

Thanks,

Corin

[jwt63]

Hi Corin,
Althought I have done it I belive that the Rear side of the box is bolted through the floor, take a look under the car you should be able to see 3 or 4 self tapping heads, seem to remember wondering what they were when I took my seats out.

[Bomber Denton]

Thanks John,
Sounds about right the earlier cars were also bolted through the floor, sounds like a ramp might be easier!

[coach]

We changed ours without ramps and I'm a bit of a "tubby tommy"!

Just a bit of a crunch getting all the cables/ECU out of the way of the box to get it out.

Small wife helps!

Coach

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Mine is a 99 chim. There are 2 bolts under the car holding the battery box in place. before you undo these draw a line in the foot well where the battery is to aid refitting. (otherwise the bolt holes won`t line up from under the car).

Undo the 2 bolts slide battery box forward, undo cables from battery.
lift box out. if it has not been changed before you will probably have a cover over the top of the battery that is pop rivited on, remove this, by drilling them out, to remove the battery.
I put this back on with some self tapping screws after fitting the new battery.

Once new battery in the box slide box back into the car up to the line that you marked earlier.
refit the cables, refit the bolts under the car.
Then push all the wires and ECU back in.

Think thats about it. Took around an hour and a neck ache to do mine i think.

[Tyre Smoke]

What ads said.

It's a right barsteward of a job, not difficult but fiddly.

Good move to mark the position of the box.

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Tyre Smoke said:

What ads said. It's a right barsteward of a job, not difficult but fiddly. Good move to mark the position of the box.

Thanks, I realised about marking the position after the first time! which took me about an hour to find the holes!

[victormeldrew]

Tyre Smoke said:

What ads said. It's a right barsteward of a job, not difficult but fiddly. Good move to mark the position of the box.

Its even more of a barsteward when one of the bonded in nots decides to come unbonded and spins like a top (it was rusted to hell). I ended up grinding off the bolt underneath, then I had to bond in another nut. Caution to anyone using a fibreglass repair kit for the first time - the resin gets feckin hot as it goes off.

Not one to suffer the same misshap twice, I bonded in an aluminium nut, and secured the battery with aluminium cap screws from underneath, with a stainless repair washer and a large rubber washer beneath to ensure no further water seepage. Sound as a pound.

[tigertiger]

[redacted]

[.Mark]

victormeldrew said:

Its even more of a barsteward when one of the bonded in nots decides to come unbonded and spins like a top (it was rusted to hell). I ended up grinding off the bolt underneath, then I had to bond in another nut. Caution to anyone using a fibreglass repair kit for the first time - the resin gets feckin hot as it goes off.

I second that! Arse of a job.

and I'm not sure I fixed mine correctly as I'm sure I felt it break loose as I was pinching the bolt up

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tigertiger said:

Did mine a few weeks ago. Don't forget to seal the bolt heads afterwards.

Oops, forgot to mention that. nice bit of sealent round the bolts. otherwise wet carpets!