Can't remove battery, frozen bolt?

MagicMarker

Any boardsies have any magical formulas involving butter and dental floss to untighten a bolt holding in a car battery? Car wouldn't start this morning and can't jump it. I've bought a new battery but can't get the friggin old one out!

Help?

If it's frozen poor hot water over it, it's not frozen though I imagine as it would come off easily enough if that were the case, probably rusted in, if you don't have a socket set and are relying on spanners spray some penetrating fluid on it before trying again. If you have a socket I would advise you to try harder.

biko

Instead of pouring really hot water on a cold battery I suggest pouring the water into a container first into which you can put the tools to heat up. This way the battery won't get hot water on it.

sundodger5

wd40 & leverage if the nut is ok. if nut bad vice grips and leverage. if all fails junior hacksaw and cut the bolt. easy to replace.
if none of the above work you can buy replacement battery terminals, just make sure you have enough slack in the cable to reconnect.

MagicMarker

I have a socket set but it's adapted onto a screwdriver type handle, so I don't really have much leverage. It's really not budging!

AmberAmber

just to put my opinion up also ,
how do you know for sure the battery is flat?
why cant you jump start it ?
it may just be a cold starting problem or frozen fuel line or such.
did you leave your light on over night to run flat the battery.
just dont know why you rushed out and bought a new one, when a jump start is a 5 min job.

if you need to loosen a blot a drop of break fluid is great for that cost €5 for a 500mls bottle , dot 4.

MagicMarker

AmberAmber wrote: »

just to put my opinion up also ,
how do you know for sure the battery is flat?
why cant you jump start it ?
it may just be a cold starting problem or frozen fuel line or such.
did you leave your light on over night to run flat the battery.
just dont know why you rushed out and bought a new one, when a jump start is a 5 min job.

if you need to loosen a blot a drop of break fluid is great for that cost €5 for a 500mls bottle , dot 4.

Because I tried to jump start it, and it didn't work

Graham_B18C

Magnus wrote: »

Instead of pouring really hot water on a cold battery I suggest pouring the water into a container first into which you can put the tools to heat up. This way the battery won't get hot water on it.

AFAIK its ok to get hot water on the battery, a mechanic (a very good one at that) told me to pour hot water on the terminals of a car battery to get the whit stuff off that does build up on them

Anan1

MagicMarker wrote: »

Because I tried to jump start it, and it didn't work

When you first tried to start it was it completely dead or did the dash lights come on? When you tried to jump start it was there any difference?

Magnus

Magnus wrote: »

Instead of pouring really hot water on a cold battery I suggest pouring the water into a container first into which you can put the tools to heat up. This way the battery won't get hot water on it.

I advised the OP to put the water on the bolts, not the battery, I presume its the bolt that secures the battery to the car is the "frozen" one

MagicMarker

Anan1 wrote: »

When you first tried to start it was it completely dead or did the dash lights come on? When you tried to jump start it was there any difference?

Well being honest it wasn't me who did it. It was my brother. But yes the lights do still work. When I try and start it now it barely turns over.

All I know is he was trying for over half an hour with no luck. I've jump started it plenty of times before without a problem.

I'm gonna head out now and give it another try with some hot water.

MagicMarker

MagicMarker wrote: »

I have a socket set but it's adapted onto a screwdriver type handle, so I don't really have much leverage. It's really not budging!

Bummer, that won't give you the leverage you need, can you get a spanner on it at all ? Whereabouts are you in Ireland ?

Anan1

RoverJames wrote: »

I advised the OP to put the water on the bolts, not the battery, I presume its the bolt that secures the battery to the car is the "frozen" one

I think the OP means the bolt holding the battery into the car.

Tipsy Mac

Get a socket set and spray some wd40, will shift it a lot easier.

Anan1

Anan1 wrote: »

I think the OP means the bolt holding the battery into the car.

So do I

MagicMarker

Anan1 wrote: »

I think the OP means the bolt holding the battery into the car.

RoverJames wrote: »

So do I

Yup!

Na, it's not budging at all!

peasant

Try and get a grip on your screwdriver type socket handle ...this would do the job, if you have one

With one hand press the handle down on the bolt, with the other turn the grips and the handle.

(try not to totally shred the handle while you're at it )

MagicMarker

It's times like these I wish I had proper tools:D

biko

Grahamo999 wrote: »

AFAIK its ok to get hot water on the battery, a mechanic (a very good one at that) told me to pour hot water on the terminals of a car battery to get the whit stuff off that does build up on them

RoverJames wrote: »

I advised the OP to put the water on the bolts, not the battery, I presume its the bolt that secures the battery to the car is the "frozen" one

Cool, I was just worried that hot water on a cold battery could lead to disaster, after all the plastic around it could crack.

MagicMarker

Well, I finally got the fúcker out.

No luck though. New battery is turning over but it's not starting, it comes really close but it never quite happens.

biko

That's what happened to my gfs car recently. Old battery was crap (had to jump it a few times) so I got a new one and the battery was fine but car car refused to fire up.
I was going to push start it but couldn't do it alone so left it a couple days. Tried late one day to start it again, after it had been left in the sun all day and lo and behold it started right up.

beachlife

Is it petrol or diesel.If petrol just keep your foot flat to the floor until it gets going,don't "pump" the pedal or lift off your foot the ecu will sort out the rest!!!

MagicMarker

If only there was sun between now and tomorrow morning!

MagicMarker

beachlife wrote: »

Is it petrol or diesel.If petrol just keep your foot flat to the floor until it gets going,don't "pump" the pedal or lift off your foot the ecu will sort out the rest!!!

That's what I did a few times, for about 20 seconds or so, just never quite got there, it's petrol.

kazul

Are you sure there's fuel in it?
Are all the HT leads and connections ok?

kazul

AmberAmber wrote: »

if you need to loosen a blot a drop of break fluid is great for that cost €5 for a 500mls bottle , dot 4.

MagicMarker

kazul wrote: »

Are you sure there's fuel in it?
Are all the HT leads and connections ok?

Don't know what HT connectors are.

All the connections were as they were prior to removing the battery. The only problem I had was no matter how much I tightened the negative connection, it still stayed quite loose, but the lights and radio etc were all working so it was definitely connected.

kazul

If a jump start didn't work then the problem was more than likely NOT the battery in the first place. If the "donor car" in the jump start was running and connected properly then it would have supplied enough power even if your battery was dead.
Does the car have an immobiliser fitted?

jimmyw

MagicMarker wrote: »

Don't know what HT connectors are.

All the connections were as they were prior to removing the battery. The only problem I had was no matter how much I tightened the negative connection, it still stayed quite loose, but the lights and radio etc were all working so it was definitely connected.

How fast is the starter turning? That connection needs to be sorted. The radio and other things might work but the starter takes more current so needs a better connection.You could have starter trouble.

MagicMarker

Any suggestions on fixing the connector? There wasn't really much I could do bar tighten it, which wasn't really doing anything.

beachlife

Are you talking about the battery post connector or the batter retaining strap connector?

Graham_B18C

MagicMarker wrote: »

Any suggestions on fixing the connector? There wasn't really much I could do bar tighten it, which wasn't really doing anything.

A quick fix until you can change the clamp for a smaller one or whatever, is to wrap a few layers of tin foil around the terminal to make it bigger and that should give you a good connection

jimmyw

Try taking off the connector from the battery and tighten the bolt up as much as you can and try again.Otherwise try what Graham said.

kazul

MagicMarker wrote: »

New battery is turning over but it's not starting, it comes really close but it never quite happens.

Then you have power but no spark...sounds like your battery connections are ok.

Does the car have an immobiliser?

MagicMarker

kazul wrote: »

Then you have power but no spark...sounds like your battery connections are ok.

Does the car have an immobiliser?

Nope.

Jimmy - Yeah I tried that, no difference.

Thanks Graham I would have never thought of that.

jimmyw

I have doubts about it been the battery in any event though. Could be wrong .

kazul

Are you sure there's fuel in it?

MagicMarker

kazul wrote: »

Are you sure there's fuel in it?

Definitely, probably close to half a tank.

hop2it

try locking and then unlocking you car some times the immobilises needs to re-set

Darragh29

MagicMarker wrote: »

Any boardsies have any magical formulas involving butter and dental floss to untighten a bolt holding in a car battery? Car wouldn't start this morning and can't jump it. I've bought a new battery but can't get the friggin old one out!

Help?

WD40 is your friend!