Original thread:
'03 OEM battery finally dies...rapidly
I bought mine at Pep Boys. I'm not sure if it is sold elsewhere. Currently $109.
http://www.pepboys.com/product/detai...ive_batteries/
This isn't a DIY per se. This is just what you need to know to make this battery work. I'm assuming you already know how to install a battery! Also I'm not endorsing this battery over OEM or other choices. I had to buy it. I suggest getting one that is the same height as OEM if you can. I just figured I'd throw this DIY up so if you find yourself installing this battery you'll know what you're in for.
From above you can see the batteries are not exactly the same size. The Bosch battery is 0.5" shorter and 1.5" narrower than OEM. However, the depth of the two is equal.
Side by side you can see the Bosch is 0.5" shorter. You'll need something in the bottom of the tray to make up this difference due to the nature of the positive cable. We'll get to this later.
On the left is the OEM battery vent tube and tube-to-battery connector. On the right is what comes w/ the Bosch. The wide end of the tube connects directly to the Bosch battery. A "joiner" (90 degree or straight) is only needed to connect the Bosch tubing to OEM tubing in certain applications. Our car is one of them.
You WILL NEED BOTH old OEM parts (and the long Bosch tube) or your vent tube won't reach outside! The straight joiner is not used.
This is your battery compartment. As you can see the bottom has four raised areas and the hole for the vent tube is also visible.
This is a piece of plywood I placed in the bottom of my tray. The plywood is 0.5" thick and is 15.5" wide and 7" deep...give or take. It doesn't have to be perfect because contact with the raised feet is all that matters. I also notched the corner so the wood doesn't pinch or cut through the tube. Not pictured, but after the first battery test fit I noticed the tube still touched the wood. I actually turned that triangle cutout into a square to keep the two things away from each other.
This shows the battery reinstalled with the union of the old OEM tube, old OEM 90 degree elbow, and new Bosch tube. The Bosch vent hole is centered along the back edge of the battery whereas the OEM hole is along the short edge right above the vent hole. This means you need to join the OEM and Bosch tubes. Sadly the straight joiner provides the best physical fit to the Bosch tube,
BUT you need to use the 90 degree one to make the turn to the vent hole. This is too bad because the fit between the 90 degree OEM joiner and the Bosch tube isn't great. It doesn't fit in snug enough so I used a bit of electrical tape just to be sure. If I ever find just the right elbow somewhere I'll upload that info. in the future. I'm sure an auto parts store or a home center has something, but this works.
Also you can see why this battery needs the 0.5" shim under it. Without it the battery sits too low and you can't get the positive clamp and battery terminal at a 90 degree angle to each other for the correct fit. I didn't put any shim material to the left of right of the battery. With the two cables on it and the foam reinstalled on top I'm sure it doesn't budge.
After the positive terminal is re-attached you'll notice when you try and put the OEM foam spacer back on top it won't push down correctly. This is because of the location of the vent tube on the new battery. You just need to cut out a small bit at the rear edge of the foam for a perfect fit.
Don't forget to grease up your posts fellas!
As far as terminal tightening goes. I just tightened them until the clamps would no longer rotate on the terminals. I didn't want to be the guy that broke his clamp. Heard this is a nightmare!
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