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Hi all,
My renault trafic is currently parked on my drive (in a fairly impossible to tow position) with a dead battery. I've been having problems with the battery anyway so I've treated the van to a nice new Bosch S4.
So far, so good.
However when i've come to remove the battery clamp to release the battery from the battery tray, the bolt was very stiff and then after loosening a bit (I think) the captive nut on the underside of the tray has rounded the plastic bit it was sat in. I now have a bolt that just rotates as one and can't be loosened.
So far I've tried:
- Seeing if I can bend the plate and get the battery out to improve access - didn't work as the plate is pretty thick steel and i'm worried i'll crack the battery casing and dump acid everywhere.
- Hitting it with a 2x4 and a mallet to try and get the bolt to slide down the hole letting me get a spanner on the underside - doesn't work - bolt is stuck
- Lots of penetrating fluid - still spins as one
As far as I can see my options are:
1 Remove the battery tray - a nightmare as I can't turn move the van to get it on wheel ramps
2 Angle grind the bolt - not sure if I can actually get at a bit that it's useful to do this on - i'd be doing this on my back with no space under the van so not ideal!
3 Get a really long drill bit and try and drill it out - not sure if this would work and in any event I don't have a drill bit long enough to reach the bottom of the tray
Any other suggestions welcome!
Bottom view: [img] 
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View from the top: [img] 
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use new battery to jump start van so you can move to an easier location to perform surgery
Have you tried a trickle charger like an Optimate 6 to see if the battery is recoverable?
Yup, had exactly the same problem on mine, last year. I ended up smashing the battery clamp out in a massive fit of pique. A crowbar down between the battery and clamp first though to get the batt out.
Yup, had exactly the same problem on mine, last year. I ended up smashing the battery clamp out in a massive fit of pique. A crowbar down between the battery and clamp first though to get the batt out.
I'm worried if I do that I'll crack the battery as the lever point will be on the battery...
Yeah, I had the same fear, but a wee thin plank of wood between the lever point and the battery and you'll be fine. Lever one end first and the clamp bolt will bend, then the other end. Eventually you'll bend it back so far its relatively easy to get it out. Relatively. Gloves and safety glasses though.
When I got mine out, I used a combination of a hammer and chisel to break away the captive nut underneath. Agricultural but I was steaming angry by that point.
Long nose Vise Grips on the captive nut and get someone to unscrew the bolt from the top?
Right. The screwdriver method got the battery out (and put an extra hole in the tray!) . I think i'm going to try and now angle grind off the top of the bolt....
Ok, angle grinded it off. All now sorted, van working on new battery 🙂
Phew, thanks all for encourging the brute force option!
Its the only way, sadly.
notmyrealname: unfortunately the bolt just spins when you do that (it was the first thing I tried and doubtless Ewan did too). Thanks though.