The battery of my daily driver had died so I went out to buy a new battery. I got the Optima red at Costco at $102, and since there was still room in the cart (Costco sells everything in big packaging, even DVDs!), I got one for the Vette too.

I went home and proceeded to install it on the Eclipse. Perfect fit! Fired it up and the turbo hissed into life. Now the vette's turn. What a nightmare. I inspected the battery and I saw leakage! :eek: So I took terminals off and discovered that the positive side is badly corroded. I could not turn the screw loose. I was doing this for an hour. I got frustrated and yanked the terminal and the lead connector of the battery went with my battery wire!! :eek: :eek:

I went to Autozone and made a new terminal. I installed the battery but the battery does not firmly sits on the battery tray - and I have a leftover part that looks like a plastic wedge. Where does this go?

How did you guys brace your Optima? Thanks. I was so tired that I wasnt paying attention on how it was seated in the first place. Seeing leakage kinda scared me.


[Modified by c5chris, 10:59 PM 1/29/2003]

 

Plastic wedge is why your battery isn't firmly held in place. The wedge part points towards the battery, and the whole thing gets held down against the battery bottom flange by the holddown bolt going through the hole in the middle of the wedge. I hope that makes sense.

Sam

 

There's a ledge on both sides of the bottom of the Optima. You need to push the Optima firmly towards the back of the battery tray until the ledge engages a sort of slot in the tray. That locks the back of the battery in keeping it from lifting and sliding. Then you attach the front bracket to the front ledge on the Optima. The angled portion of the bracket mates with the angled front ledge on the Optima.

Attach the positive terminal first and then the negative. Torque to no more than 13 ft.lbs. :cheers: