Main battery replacement

Getting it out

The battery is in the front compartment, near the washer bottle. Owners say the job ranges from easy to one of the worst on the car, depending on the battery and the wiring around it.

1. Open the front bonnet and lift out the washer (screen wash) bottle.
2. Unbolt the battery terminals.
3. Push the cables and anything else in the way to one side. Several owners cut cable ties on looms running to the front of the opening to give room.
4. Unbolt the washer bottle bracket.
5. Lift the battery out.

Variations from the thread:

• The simple way. One owner just lifted out the washer bottle, unbolted the terminals and wiggled the battery out. His battery had a top-mounted handle, which he says made it easier. Another says it is a pity for those whose battery doesn't have a handle.
• A strap. Another owner removed the washer bottle and bracket, cut the ties and pushed the wires aside, turned the battery on its end and looped a belt under it to pull it out. It took about 20 minutes.
• More room. A third removed the washer motor shroud, clipped the cable ties, unscrewed the fuse boxes from the arch liner and disconnected the brake servo hose, though he says the last steps may be optional. See Brake servo hose.
• A coolant hose clips the corner of the battery and needs pushing out of the way (one owner).
• Rusted bracket bolts. One owner found the bolts holding the retention bracket had rusted and snapped off years before, so he had to work the battery out without removing the bracket.
• A struggle. One owner spent 45 minutes fighting a battery and calls it one of the worst jobs on the car. Brute force finished it.

Which battery

• OEM size. One owner says TIS gives 38 Ah (no cold-cranking figure). The thread asked how small you can go for starting but no answer was given.
• Fitted without trouble: a Bosch S4 063 (2015) and a Bosch S5001 (2012, see the charging guide).
• Easy-fit conventional. A 2020 owner fitted a Yuasa YBX5202 (440 A cold cranking), which he says lowers straight in without the usual wrestling because it is smaller. It sits about 5 mm higher than the standard battery, so he says you may need to enlarge the holes in the holding brackets slightly.
• Lithium. One owner uses a lithium battery of only 2.3 kg. Another showed a small lithium unit (15 Ah, about 420 A for 30 seconds, 2.4 kg). A lighter battery is easier next time and saves weight. The thread has no more detail on charging or longevity.
• Life. Owners vary: one car ran on its original 2003 battery, another had one from 2004 until 2016 on a trickle charger (about 26,000 miles), another has replaced three in five years of ownership. See Flat battery and charging system.

Garage or DIY?

• One owner had a high street chain fit one in 40 minutes for £10 (he supplied the battery, 2016). Another owner had a firm quote £60 for a mobile fit, then call back to say it was a "two man job", and he did it himself.
• One owner says he would worry about damage a fitter might do to the area, and advises being careful who works on the car.

Loose positive terminal

One owner's car kept cutting out at start-up and going dead, and wiggling the wires fixed it. The positive terminal housing was loose and wouldn't tighten. Advice in the thread: you can replace just the terminal and keep the cable, as long as you can remove the old one without shortening the cable. The terminals corrode and fray at the end of the cable, and the cable itself is unlikely to be the problem.