1993 TVR Chimaera - battery issues

[andrewcheesman]

Simple/dumb question - is this standard?

Have a low battery, want to get in to connect a trickle charger and familiarize myself with the access process, and this is what I see in the passenger footwell. I was expecting to need to undo some bolts under the car - but it looks like it all comes off straight back?

Thanks all...

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Some boxes were originally riveted!

Off topic, (ish) but as standard the cigar lighter is live. I always (over 20+ years) plugged my conditioner into the lighter socket.

[andrewcheesman]

Fascinating! Don't think my conditioner has an attachment for the cigarette lighter - a decent future purchase I suppose

And as I'm learning - behind that fiberglass front plate is the battery itself (no shock there, pun unintended) and the terminals are connected to the posts that poke through the top of that panel.

I'm a little squeamish to connect to those posts in the interior (in the presence of old felt, old carpet, goos and oozes of various types, etc etc) but I guess this is just how it was designed?

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

It always been a snakes nest down there!

My 100A fuse became loose & set fire to its plastic casing...that was interesting!

Yes, a conditioner with a lighter adapter is a godsend. (But check your lighter socket is live without the ignition on. All of mine have been....but it is a TVR

[sixor8]

From about mid 1995, the battery boxes are bolted to the floor making access a little bit easier (relatively!)

Being an early car, your battery box is sort of suspended above the floor slightly and it may have been modified a bit to give easier access.

ETA: It may have been '96 with the first facelift.

Edited by sixor8 on Sunday 11th September 20:06

[phillpot]

Rather than mess around down there you could clip positive lead onto big connection on back of alternator and negative to any good earth (alternator casing)

[andrewcheesman]

Thanks for advice all - turns out that PO installed a standard connector that snakes into the engine bay and can use that for a charger...! Always an adventure

Edited by andrewcheesman on Monday 12th September 21:33

[EdGoulden]

I seem to have Anderson plugs under my hood but no connection to the battery? Is that how it’s connected, through the alternator?

[Belle427]

The Alternator cable goes back to the battery via the starter terminal so yes it’s a way of connecting the positive cable.

Edited by Belle427 on Saturday 3rd December 18:54