Gramps Posted June 24, 2023 Report Share Posted June 24, 2023 Possibly as a consequence of my on-going suspected High Pressure Fuel Pump issues, and the resultant extra cranking when starting from cold, my battery decided it had had enough. Which was fine as I do like to have a nice new battery, it's a bit liking fitting new tyres, always gives you a bit of a feel good factor. But I was always concerned with the size of my current battery, which came with the car and of which I had no idea how old it might be, as it has always had to deal with the opening and closing of the roof multiple times every time I drive the car, stop somewhere and get back in, and the opening/closing for maintenance. That must take a lot out of the battery, as such it is always something I do with the engine running, other than for maintenance. The existing one always looked kinda small in there. So when it came to replacing it I wanted to get the highest capacity one I could which would fit. My existing one was an Exide EB712. The battery's cold cranking current is 670A and storage capacity 71Ah, which are not big figures IMO. Replacement for the exact same would've cost about £70 delivered, so relatively cheap. After much trawling I opted for a Bosch S5 013, cold cranking current 830A and storage capacity 100Ah £118.30 + £7 delivery. Blimey what a difference when cranking, it really whizzes round compared with the previous battery, which although being on it's last legs it still seemed ok when cranking till it gave up the ghost. When it did finally give in I couldn't even pop the bonnet so my "battery charger extender mod" was used in anger for the 1st time and it worked a treat. I've extended the battery terminals with the relevant connector plug/socket out to appear under a section of the lower windscreen panel next to the drivers side (Uk) wiper arm, which you can just pop off, and plug it into your charger. So bonnet easily popped.https://flic.kr/p/2oJXV2Y It's got to be said that having the battery positioned right in the middle by the bulkhead makes it a real pain to get the battery in and out, especially the extra large, and therefore extra heavy, new one. Leaning that far over lifting that kinda weight is not easy on the back. The dimensions for the original battery are 175W x 175H x 278L, the dimensions of its Bosch replacement are 175W x 190H x 353L. So 15mm taller and 75mm wider. So, did it fit? Yes, just. And it now sits about bang middle, roughly equi-distant from either side.https://flic.kr/p/2oJXV3z Width and length were not an issue, it was the height I was worried about, as at 15mm taller would I still be able to get the battery cover back on (thought I might just leave it off if it didn't). But the battery cover fits back on fine without any forcing of anything. The only issue was with the clamp that holds the battery in the tray. There is a hole in the tray for the clamp bolt in exactly the right place (75mm along from the one used previously, must all be part of the battery design) but sadly there is no "nut" below the tray panel hole to screw the clamp bolt in to??https://flic.kr/p/2oJWffNhttps://flic.kr/p/2oJVwpf Anyone came across this before? If so what was your fix? Admittedly I've not looked too deep for a fix myself so far. Should anything untoward happen I do not believe there is any danger of the battery going anywhere as there is very little space between the bonnet and the battery and it is obviously well strapped up by the battery leads. As an aside, does anyone know what this connector which is sitting next to the battery is for? Just general interest.https://flic.kr/p/2oJWfg4 So if anyone is looking to replace/upgrade their battery with a super heavy duty one I'd recomment the Bosch S5 013. And if anyone knows the answer to the clamp bolt conumdrum, please let me know. Cheers All Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted June 24, 2023 Report Share Posted June 24, 2023 The 4 holes in the plate for the battery bolt should be threaded, certainly are on earlier models, and parts cat doesn't show any additional nuts to go with the clamp and the bolt. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iborguk Posted June 24, 2023 Report Share Posted June 24, 2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sword Posted June 24, 2023 Report Share Posted June 24, 2023 Yep I did the same thing. I initially bought a larger bolt cut it to length and the thread just grips the battery plate to hold everything in place - that worked well for some time. Longer term I asked a very friendly garage to tack weld a nut on the back of the battery plate so I had more thread to screw into - which fixed mine completely Hope that helps 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted June 24, 2023 Report Share Posted June 24, 2023 Helicoil the hole? No heat from welding then. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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