Fabia Battery Terminals

[Welliesorter]

The battery in my Fabia is completely flat. The engine doesn't turn over and the remote central locking doesn't work. This is to be expected as the car hasn't been started for a few weeks.

I've borrowed a charger and have opened the battery cover but can't see how to remove the terminals.

If you Google for guides to removing a car battery you'll find plenty, but they all skim over the issue of actually removing the terminals. All the pictures of terminals that I find on line look very simple and it's very obvious how turning a bolt enables them to be removed.

I've looked at the terminals on my battery and they look nothing like anything I've seen in the on line guides. It isn't obvious to me what's actually holding the terminal in place. Other threads mention a 10mm spanner being needed to remove the battery so I'm guessing that I need to loosen the nut on the left in the attached picture. Am I right?

A couple of other questions:

How hard is it to lift the battery out? The lid of the cover is hinged from the left and has a red cable running through it. It doesn't look as if it wants to lift up completely.

If I'm making such heavy weather of simple task like this, should I be leaving the job to someone who knows what they're doing?

Thanks in advance!

[sifelicia]

ys you are correct you undo the nut on the left and pull the terminals upwards.

If the car has electric windows they will need to be reset for the auto function:thumbup:

I found it easier to undo the red cable from the battery top cover if that makes sense;)

[dxg]

Ironically, I had a flat battery this morning. Something to do with leaving my tomtom plugged in and turned on for over a week, I suspect...

Can you not just connect the charger insitu? That's what I did and all is well.

You probably won't be able to get the clips on the actual battery terminals, but the small hex bolt you can see in your picture is just as good (or the bolt where the earth cable mounts to the suspension tower). For the positive side, I just connected to the end of the short cable running away from positive terminal itself - lift the cover and you'll see what I mean.

Only problem is you can't shut the bonnet when connected in this way, but luckily it's been sunny up here today.

[Welliesorter]

Thanks for both replies. I didn't want to start loosening things willy nilly. I'll have another look later.

@dxg, charging in situ isn't really an option as I'd have to trail a cable across a public pavement where children are running around. I don't have my own driveway. I'm guessing a completely flat battery will have to be left to charge for quite a while.

@sifelicia, can the battery be lifted out without removing the cable from the lid or did you just mean it makes the task easier? Not too concerned about the electric windows as they seem to have a mind of their own anyway.

[DGW]

The official Fabia Workshop Manual states that you should neither oil nor grease the battery terminals, so clean off all the grease (Copper Ease?) while the battery is out of the car.

[Welliesorter]

The official Fabia Workshop Manual states that you should neither oil nor grease the battery terminals....

That's interesting. Mine seem to be smothered with grease but it certainly wasn't put there by me.

[sifelicia]

Mate it just makes things easier i found, as it allows the top cover a bit more movemet to get at the terminals and the battery:thumbup:

And yes make sure you clean all the grease off as mine were coated and that seemed to stop the problem of the power steering light coming on and also it seems to be charging better now:D:D

[Welliesorter]

And yes make sure you clean all the grease off as mine were coated and that seemed to stop the problem of the power steering light coming on and also it seems to be charging better now:D:D

That's interesting as mine has suffered from that. At first it only happened from a cold start in freezing weather but over time it has become more common. Usually, stopping and restarting the engine cures it.

Are those symptoms of the usual sensor problem or something more serious?

Mine is an early '03 with the bog standard 8v 1.4 engine. I noticed in other threads that people have said that the sensor problem doesn't happen in some later models.

[sifelicia]

That's interesting as mine has suffered from that. At first it only happened from a cold start in freezing weather but over time it has become more common. Usually, stopping and restarting the engine cures it.

Are those symptoms of the usual sensor problem or something more serious?

Mine is an early '03 with the bog standard 8v 1.4 engine. I noticed in other threads that people have said that the sensor problem doesn't happen in some later models.

Yep and yep:thumbup: I haven't seen the light come on for a good while now since cleaning the terminals, but as you say was worse in cold weather and a stop/restart cured it, I think it was because the grease doesn't allow enough current through to charge/hold charge the battery:thumbup:

[Welliesorter]

Yep and yep:thumbup: I haven't seen the light come on for a good while now since cleaning the terminals, but as you say was worse in cold weather and a stop/restart cured it, I think it was because the grease doesn't allow enough current through to charge/hold charge the battery:thumbup:

Useful info. Thanks again.

[sifelicia]

No problem buddy

[ap0gee1978]

Nobody's mentioned the 'impossibolt' holding the battery in...

[sifelicia]

Nobody's mentioned the 'impossibolt' holding the battery in...

Yep your absolutely right there mate:O forgot all about the bolt that holds the battery in place Bit of a bugger to get at as there is not much room between battery and back of headlamp:eek:

[AndyPandy]

It is better to clean the terminals with a clean rag,or paper towel,and refit them . They have to be very tight,but not as tight as to distort the soft lead.The secret is to use a small short,10mm open ended or ring spanner. Test that you cannot move the clamp on the post Then apply battery grease to stop corrosion on the outside of the terminal and post. You can buy a spray battery grease.

[jshankar]

Yep your absolutely right there mate:O forgot all about the bolt that holds the battery in place Bit of a bugger to get at as there is not much room between battery and back of headlamp:eek:

Flat battery today. I figured how to remove the + and - leads, but I need to remove the battery out of the locking plate. The impossibolt mentioned previously....I can see it.. How do i get at it??? Help please... I need to move the battery indoors as its parked outside across the road :( How did you deal with the locking bolt?

[MoggyTech]

Flat battery today. I figured how to remove the + and - leads, but I need to remove the battery out of the locking plate. The impossibolt mentioned previously....I can see it.. How do i get at it??? Help please... I need to move the battery indoors as its parked outside across the road :( How did you deal with the locking bolt?

Simple, 13mm socket with an extension bar.

[mogwye]

Can the vehicle be Jump Started ?

A half hour run in daylight should very near re-charge it up.

DB.

[giandougl]

As this thread is over 2 months old, I must assume the problem over removing the battery has been resolved.??

[Welliesorter]

Sorry, was remiss of me not to say how I eventually sorted my battery issue.

The impossibolt defeated me and I ended up calling out a well known on-line tyre fitting company who also do batteries. I wasn't entirely certain that the battery needed replacing, but six years seemed a good innings, especially after the abuse that I'd given it.

Past experience of changing a headlamp bulb made me realise what a cramped part of the engine compartment this is!