D'oh!
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 11,601
Likes: 0
From: San Francisco CA
St. Jude Donor '07
D'oh!
Well, I had the pleasure of waking up bright and early Friday to my car horn. At 2 am. I've always had a problem with it, especially the contacts in the steering column, and I don't think when I had it replaced the mechanic used the right part, but rather a more generic part. Anyway, I think the contacts shorted out and I ended up pulling the battery connectors and then disconecting the horns. My question is, does anyone have a parts diagram so I know what I'm looking at when I take the contacts apart or can someone point me to somewhere that does?
On a related subject, who thinks putting the battery behind the driver's seat was a bad idea?
On a related subject, who thinks putting the battery behind the driver's seat was a bad idea?
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
From: Las Vegas NV
Re: D'oh! (rickmhsd3)
Here you go, no thumbnails but...
http://home.earthlink.net/~rickmhsd3...horn/horn1.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~rickmhsd3...horn/horn2.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~rickmhsd3...horn/horn3.gif http://home.earthlink.net/~rickmhsd3...horn/horn4.gif http://home.earthlink.net/~rickmhsd3...horn/horn5.gif
http://home.earthlink.net/~rickmhsd3...horn/horn1.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~rickmhsd3...horn/horn2.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~rickmhsd3...horn/horn3.gif http://home.earthlink.net/~rickmhsd3...horn/horn4.gif http://home.earthlink.net/~rickmhsd3...horn/horn5.gif
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
From: Boise, ID
Re: D'oh! (Buffalo Dude)
Battery behind the driver's seat isn't so bad. It's way easy to run power for amps and stereo equipment. :D
On the other hand, who came up with the brain-damaged idea of putting a sidemount battery back there? For some reason utterly unknown to me, not only is the battery a sidemount type (which should not exist anyway...has anyone *EVER* succeeded in connecting them in the tight spaces they're always jammed in without cross-threading 47 times? :mad) but the lip of the battery compartment itself is grounded. You guessed it...using metal tools to disconnect the battery and...
ZZZZZZAP! *FIZZLE* <-- (insert girly scream here) :eek:
Remember the board game 'Opertaion'? :p: So this week I went down to Schuck's and invested in a battery with both sidemounts and TOP POSTS (mine croaked over, won't hold a charge no more :() and I'm going to convert the durn thing. Fit is fine, I have no *clue* why GM designed it the way they did. I stow the car in winter and I'll go bonkers connecting, starting and then disconnecting time and again with the blasted sidemounts. :crazy:
On the other hand, who came up with the brain-damaged idea of putting a sidemount battery back there? For some reason utterly unknown to me, not only is the battery a sidemount type (which should not exist anyway...has anyone *EVER* succeeded in connecting them in the tight spaces they're always jammed in without cross-threading 47 times? :mad) but the lip of the battery compartment itself is grounded. You guessed it...using metal tools to disconnect the battery and...
ZZZZZZAP! *FIZZLE* <-- (insert girly scream here) :eek:
Remember the board game 'Opertaion'? :p: So this week I went down to Schuck's and invested in a battery with both sidemounts and TOP POSTS (mine croaked over, won't hold a charge no more :() and I'm going to convert the durn thing. Fit is fine, I have no *clue* why GM designed it the way they did. I stow the car in winter and I'll go bonkers connecting, starting and then disconnecting time and again with the blasted sidemounts. :crazy:
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 10,861
Likes: 713
From: Beverly Hills/Pine Ridge Florida
Re: D'oh! (UltimateAlternativeWaver)
You shouldn't have to continually connect and disconnect the battery cables. Just buy a quick disconnect for the battery. Two types are available, the "green wheel" type or the "knife switch" type. The green wheel costs about $5.00. The knife is about $20.00. Pull the knife, or turn the green ****, and your battery is turned off. You might not be able to close your battery compartment lid if you switch to a top post. Double check the height of the battery you buy. Also be careful if you cut your battery cables to put top post connectors on...you might find the cables too short, and then you'll have to replace them. Negative is easy....Positive cable is a day long job. Chuck
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
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From: San Francisco CA
St. Jude Donor '07
Re: D'oh! (UltimateAlternativeWaver)
I'm gonna have to agree with the battery position. At 2 in the morning when I had to disconnect the battery, it took me a lot longer than it should have first because it was dark second because i couldn't get the wrench I had to fit in the compartment so I had to get a different size wrench that was the right size and fit into the compartment. Looks like I should look for a quick disconnect...or at least the right size wrench :D
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
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From: Exiled to Richmond, VA - Finally sold my house in Murfreesboro, TN ?? Corner of "Bumf*&k and 'You've got a purdy mouth'."
CI 6-7-8 Veteran
CI-VIII Burnout Champ
St. Jude Donor '06-'10, '13
Re: D'oh! (Buffalo Dude)
My sidemount (in an '80) uses an 8mm bolt for the ground cable.
I use a small ignition wrench, and leave it duct taped to the top of the battery. It is too small to short out on anything and very cheap to buy.
But you are right the sidemount is a real PITA, and I need to go buy a switch.
I use a small ignition wrench, and leave it duct taped to the top of the battery. It is too small to short out on anything and very cheap to buy.
But you are right the sidemount is a real PITA, and I need to go buy a switch.
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Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 10,861
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From: Beverly Hills/Pine Ridge Florida
Re: D'oh! (BSeery)
I had a sidemount "green wheel". It was a PIA to turn...fitting my big mitt down the front and turning the wheel with my thumb and forefinger. Bought a "Wirth Co" knife switch for a side mount battery, available from both J. C. Whitney and NCRS for about $20.00. Now, I can easily open the battery compartment, pull the "knife" and disconnect the battery. The lid will close easily with the switch connected. The only MINOR problem is that with the switch thrown open to disconnect the battery, you have to leave the battery compartment lid open. Chuck
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 33
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From: Las Vegas NV
Re: D'oh! (UltimateAlternativeWaver)
I have always disconnected the negative cable first, then nothing is ground. This is a leftover from working on Harleys, my battery is inside a wraparound oil tank and you have to do it that way
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,023
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From: TEXASTEXASTEXASTEXAS TEXASTEXASTEXASTEXAS
St. Jude Contributor
Re: D'oh! (rickmhsd3)
I got a switch type battery disconnect (the racing car sort--you can get 'em at all the online parts stores) & a couple of 8' cables I bought cheap off ebay and mounted the switch under the hood. It fits nicely onto the driver's side wheel well & the cables tucked neatly behind the rocker panel all way back to the battery compartment. Now when I'm working on the car or if I just don't want it to burn down my garage, I just turn the switch.
JB
'78SA
JB
'78SA
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 135
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From: Cave Creek, Az, US
Re: D'oh! (Buffalo Dude)
Agree in both aspects about the battery placement. Can be a real PITA at times but it does come in handy when doing stereo work. Also agree about the side mounts. :cheers: :flag