MK2 Battery Strap

[.Martin]

 

 

Hi guys, 

This is going to sound incredibly stupid but how do you remove the battery strap on an 06 focus 1.6 petrol

 

I've been trying to follow the below video. At 1:43 he non chalantly removes the right nut, however I have absolutely zero space to get the ratchet down. 

 

[stef123]

You are only removing the nuts on top of the bar, don’t need to go down the side of the battery. I think this is what you are asking. 

[.Martin]

Thanks for the quick reply stef. 

 

I have a bolt on the left, similar to this pic 

It's still stuck solid on the right. 

[stef123]

Slightly different to what I had in mind, it’s been a while since I changed one.

are you sure you can’t fit a deep socket down there? 

@Ford_lover38 you’ve done this recently lol

[Ford_lover38]

I did indeed do one recently with some very helpful information given to me by @stef123

I had the exact same problem your having, it was virtually impossible to get the ratchet down (either that or I was missing something dead simple!). What I ended up doing was just taking off the plastic surround which covered the battery and that exposed the nut to be easily taken off. To loosen the plastic front bit simply just lift it up and it will click out of place. Have a look at this video (skip to 12:32) its for a MK3 but the plastic bit is the same as our cars, it shows you how to unclip the plastic big you want to take off.  

 

12:32

 

[Ford_lover38]

Ah I found a picture I took when I done mine! This is what it looks like after you take that front plastic housing off. Its a little fiddly getting it off but its so worth it, it makes the rest of the job so much easier and its gives you lots of room to get the battery in. 

I'm sure there is a easier way of getting to that nut but I couldn't find it lol 

[.Martin]

Thanks so much for the help! I'll give it a go in the morning and report back! 

[.Martin]

Your advice certainly helped me so thanks very much! 

Unfortunately my new battery is 30mm shorter than my old one. 

I'm raging because I bought it on eBay and used the vehicle selector to get the right one. I know I should have measured. Teach me not to rely on technology. 

I just hope they'll give me a refund. It was a Bosch s4 and it was £69 delivered

 

Once again

[Ford_lover38]

30mm shorted than your old one? If its shorter it should be able to fit in easier. Its when its bigger that it becomes a problem. 

I got a Bosch s4 for my car of EuroCarparts (as they are always on sale 🤣). It was quite abit larger than my old battery and only JUST about fit my car. Was very snug but it just means there is no chance of it ever moving around! 

[.Martin]

This is driving me crazy. Everywhere I look online it says I need a 242mm. The old battery is clearly 30mm longer. 

[.Martin]

Ahhh right. I thought you had to get the exact same measurements. I suppose the strap will keep everything in place? 

[williamweb]

I think your Ford battery uses SAE an American based system although international and the Bosh Is probably EN (European Normal) so the specification amp/hours and cold crank amps on the battery labels are also going to be different.Generally the larger the battery the higher the reserve capacity.

[Ford_lover38]

3 hours ago, .Martin said:

This is driving me crazy. Everywhere I look online it says I need a 242mm. The old battery is clearly 30mm longer. 

No mate, to be honest I didnt even check the size before buying it. I just pluged my reg into EuroCarParts and went for the S4 as that was a recommendation. 

The old battery I had was much smaller than my new one. As long as it supplies and correct amount of power and fits into the battery slot it shouldnt be a problem (well that’s what I found anyways)

[.Martin]

Well it's in! Everything seems good so fingers crossed! 

I do love working on the car in the pishing rain 😞

Thanks for the help everyone. I'll be sure to register properly to make sure I'm giving back to the community. 

[Ford_lover38]

Well done mate! ☺️