Help! Can't re-attach positive battery bolt!

[GoRovers]

A simple procedure of adding an SAE connector to my battery (for Battery Tender) has become difficult. Inside the Frunk I removed the maintenance lid, I left the battery's rubber strap in place, I removed the negative side bolt, slipped on the new SAE connector, and re-attached the bolt. No problem.

On the positive side I cannot re-attach the bolt through the positive side. The connector (with red rubber boot) has several 90-degree bends, but it simply will not lay flush enough to the terminal to start the bolt (even without the SAE connector). I went to the hardware store to buy a 2mm longer bolt (M6-1.0 x 12mm)...still no luck.

Am I doing something wrong? Any helpful advice is appreciated.

 

[Ryan-Wi]

You may have checked this, but did the nut move? Depending on the battery the nut can come completely off, move a little over, or need a little help lifting it up so the bolt can thread in. Hope that helps

 

[supertux1]

A simple procedure of adding an SAE connector to my battery (for Battery Tender) has become difficult. Inside the Frunk I removed the maintenance lid, I left the battery's rubber strap in place, I removed the negative side bolt, slipped on the new SAE connector, and re-attached the bolt. No problem.

On the positive side I cannot re-attach the bolt through the positive side. The connector (with red rubber boot) has several 90-degree bends, but it simply will not lay flush enough to the terminal to start the bolt (even without the SAE connector). I went to the hardware store to buy a 2mm longer bolt (M6-1.0 x 12mm)...still no luck.

Am I doing something wrong? Any helpful advice is appreciated.

You may have to loosen the strap and pull the battery out a little bit to get some slack in the cables. Try putting the positive side on first etc... The connector looks like this, if it helps:

There is supposed to be a square nut in there and my guess is you lost it, look around your garage floor.

 

[Grey1one]

or more likely it's fallen into the bodywork .. I keep the ones from the old batteries when I replace one, just in case

 

[GoRovers]

The nut is still there. Without the thick positive cable, I can easily attach the bolt. It seems to be the bends in the metal connector covered by the red rubber boot that is preventing a flush fit.

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[GoRovers]

Maybe I should remove the rubber strap and pull the battery out?

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[sumo]

Maybe I should remove the rubber strap and pull the battery out?

I don't think so. Something has slipped down or over or something. All those 90 degree angles and the red rubber boot were flush and connected before you removed the bolt. If it won't go flush now there is 'something' in the way. A wire or connector has slipped down from above and is now in the way.

 

[GoRovers]

I think you're right, Sumo. Illuminating that dark frunk is half the struggle. ;-)

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[Grey1one]

The "nut" does not fill the area it's in, if you can get a small 90º piece of metal or maybe a bent scribe behind it to pull it forward you should be able to get the bolt threaded. good luck

 

[670cc]

I sometimes wedge a wooden toothpick behind the nut to bring it forward and make it easier to engage the threads with the bolt. The wood is safe since it's non conductive.

 

[mike5100]

yeah - it's almost certainly because the nut is too deep down and you need to push something in to get it closer to the bolt end. I always now put some foam sponge under the nut so that it's pushed hard up under the metal bracket. Not needed if you only have one wire connecting to the terminal but I now have 3 wires and the bolt just doesn't reach far enough without the foam sponge.
Mike

 

[Dave Modisette]

I had a heck of a time doing the same sort of thing when I changed batteries. Not enough room to work.

 

[GunNut37086]

I've done so much electrical work lately that I have learned to hate these battery terminals with a passion.

I take the frunk lid completely off to have room to work, but still can't my paws in there.
That damn little nut fell out and went down inside the body work once.
I had too many rings and was forced to add an aux fuse box (no, I don't run all that much stuff at the same time).

I added a GPS this weekend and was so sick of that little nut that I used an open-ended connector instead that I could slip in behind the other rings, just to avoid taking out the bolt and restarting that nut.

 

[Deleted member 5383]

Another thing I appreciate about the EarthX and some other batteries I've seen: better terminals with good threading and no nut that can fall out. What's even worse is when the area around the nut is lead and starts bending or smushing up like it did on my ATV batteries...

 

[GoRovers]

Battery Tender success!

With the help of a friend I finally got the Battery Tender pigtail on the positive terminal. Then I drilled a small hole in the upper corner of the toolkit depression. The rubber strap keeps everything nice and tidy.

 

[AsureDawn]

You know there's a small compartment at the bottom of the frunk for storing your owner's manual...didn't notice it until about a week after I got my bike, and of course it had everything but the owner's manual in it (including the previous owner's mc insurance and the reflector bolts for the license plate).

 

[GoRovers]

You know there's a small compartment at the bottom of the frunk for storing your owner's manual...didn't notice it until about a week after I got my bike, and of course it had everything but the owner's manual in it (including the previous owner's mc insurance and the reflector bolts for the license plate).

Yes, and the owner's manual will soon find its way down into that hidden area. For now, with my week old bike, I'm reading the manual frequently, so I need it nearby!

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