Removing the Battery to the Trunk, Now With Pics..

**Goku** · 03-17-2007, 06:39 PM

Removing the Battery to the Boot (Trunk)

Read through this before you attempt it, so you can be sure of what you will need.

Things you will need

• A marine battery box
• A New Battery ( One large enough to fit in the box ) (Optional)
• A mounting bracket that has solid rubber in the center (Muffler shops will have this, No idea what it’s called, look at the picture)
• 6+ meters of welding wire, or another thick copper cored wire (1.0 gauge)
• 2 Ring terminals ( Large enough to be attached to the wire )
• New terminals + and -, that will fit the wire ( Generally Audio stores or auto electricians have these )
• Cable ties, large ones
• Electrical wire
• Silicone sealer
• Spanners, Pliers and a Crescent
• A ratchet set
• A screwdriver ( Possibly both Philips and Flathead )
• A Drill with an assortment of drill bits
• A sharp knife or blade
• A soldering iron and solder ( A high wattage iron would be best )
• Assorted bolts, nuts and screws ( varies on the vehicle and where you want to attach parts )
• At least 2 hours

Step 1: Disconnect the battery and remove it from the car. If you are going to use the battery you have removed, then place it into the box and make sure it will fit properly.
Open the boot (trunk) and remove the carpet / covering, aswell as anything else that might be in the way.
Take the rear seat base out and place it somewhere that you aren’t going to stand on it. I have seen it happen, kinda sux when you have nice upholstery. Remove the back of the rear seat if you need to.

Step 2: Place the battery box into the boot (trunk) at the approximate location you want it to be. I chose a section that’s not really used, so it’s out of the way.
The box should come with a bracket to mount it over for the safety strap. Once you have decided on the location, take the bracket and line up where you want the holes to be. (Make sure it’s not above your fuels tank or any lines, Look under the car to make sure) Take the drill and a small drill bit (smaller than the self tapping screws that should come with the box) and drill the holes necessary. Mount the bracket and then place the box over the top. Once you are happy with how it sits, take it out and drill 4 small holes in the base of the box, one in each corner. Drill 2 larger holes in the middle of each side at the base of the box, to allow the battery brace to hold the battery in place. Grab the battery brace, take the legs off and push them through the holes in the sides of the box, with the hooks at the bottom. Get 4 self tapping screws and screw them through the smaller holes in the box to make sure they fit nicely then remove them. Place the box back over the bracket, and mark out the holes from the box onto the boot (trunk) floor. Drill them out, feed the strap through the bracket and mount the box.

**Goku** · 03-17-2007, 06:42 PM

Step 3: Now some fun stuff. Look at the firewall in the engine bay; find a grommet that’s large enough to have the wire pass through it. Remove the grommet from the firewall and start to feed the wire through into the cabin carefully. Alternatively you can skip ahead a little and drill / cut a hole large enough for the wire in the centre of the grommet, place it back in the firewall and feed the wire through it. (You might need to lubricate the wire)
As you pull the wire through into the cabin, start to feed it under the carpet. I ran mine down the side, which just involved removing the kick plates and pushing it down into the seam. Feed it right through the car to the boot (trunk) and up to where you have the box placed.
At the engine bay end, maneuver the wire around till it reaches where the battery terminals are. Cable tie it in various places so it won’t move around while driving. Cut the wire to length (making sure it’s not too taught, leave a bit of slack at both ends) and keep the off cut as it will be used later.

The wire can be hidden awa in the engine bay..

Step 4: Solder one of the ring terminals to the wire at the engine bay end, wrap the bare wire in electrical tape along with the base of the ring terminal. Remove the bolt from the + terminal. Put one end of the mounting bracket through the + and ring terminals, along with anything else that was attached to the + terminal that you want to keep in the engine bay. (Some drilling / filing may be required to get the terminals to fit).
Now take the other end of the mounting bracket and screw it into a spare 10mm bolt hole (most cars have a few). Then get a 10mm nut and washer, tighten the terminals to the bracket.
Take the – terminal and find another spare bolt hole, mount this directly into the hole as this will earth it to the chassis.(You can lengthen the wire if need be by using 2 more ring terminals)
Once you are happy with how it looks head back to the boot (trunk), taking the off cut of wire with you.

Step 5: Attach the new + Terminal to the wire and place it into the box. Put the lid on and check if you have to cut a section of the box away, so it can sit comfortably without bending the wire too much.
Take the off cut wire and attach the new - terminal to it. Repeat the process from the + terminal. Once you are satisfied with how the wires sit, get the drill and a medium sized drill bit, drill a hole in the floor next to the - terminal side. Get larger drill bits each time until the – wire will slip through it.
Place the Battery into the box, use the brace to secure it in place and attach the – terminal. (do not attach the + terminal)
Feed the – wire through the hole and go underneath the car. Look to see if you have any bolt holes in your chassis rails, if so, solder a ring terminal onto the wire and get the right sized bolt with a washer, bolt it to the chassis. If not, then you will need to get a 10mm rive nut. Drill a hole into the chassis rail just big enough for the nut, mount the rive nut then attach the ring terminal with a bolt and washer.

Feed the negative wire out

Attatch to the chassis

Get the silicone sealer and seal up the hole in the boot (trunk) round the – wire, the bolt attachment on the chassis rail and anywhere else you feel needs to be covered.

Step6: Attach the + Terminal to the battery, put the lid on the box and strap it down.
Turn the key on, and start the car.
Clean up your mess, put the seat back in along with the kick plates etc…
And we’re done.

Enjoy!!

Edit: I can't get a good pic of the rubber bracket, I'll have to get one later

**seth98esT** · 03-17-2007, 07:53 PM

Nice writeup! Heres mine:

MAKE sure you get a nice strap, something better then the one that comes with the box! The one I have is trash, you cant tighten it enough and I broke the plastic connector that holds the strap tight. You need a leather strap or a wratchet strap or just bolt the box to the floor.