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Moving battery from rear to front
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 6:14 pm
by hennared323i
This will probably be viewed as a bit of an odd question but how easy is it to take the battery from the rear wheel well of a 325i and relocate it to the front battery tray ala other engined cars?
Re: Moving battery from rear to front
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 6:18 pm
by zaust
Yes it is fella. you will be doing the revrese of the re location kit so you have evreything you need already.
Re: Moving battery from rear to front
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 6:41 pm
by hennared323i
Oh good - is their a guide avalable for the relocation kit?
Re: Moving battery from rear to front
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 9:21 pm
by Brianmoooore
You won't need a 'relocation kit' for this, but you'll have one at the end.
I'm not certain if you can use the earth strap from the rear, but I expect it will fit at the front. Fits to the earthing point on the RH suspension turret, where the engine loom already connects.
For the battery positive terminal, you need to remove the phantom terminal from the bulkhead (plastic part), which should leave you with a terminal that will fit the battery +, and another smaller wire. This wire fits onto the battery terminal as well.
Re: Moving battery from rear to front
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 6:55 am
by hennared323i
Thanks for that
Re: Moving battery from rear to front
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 5:23 pm
by android
So if I bought a 320 (which I am thinking of, as, like Rachel Stevens, it has a good body) and wanted to slot my 325 engine into it, I could leave the 320 battery in the front?
Re: Moving battery from rear to front
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 5:55 pm
by Oggy
android wrote:So if I bought a 320 (which I am thinking of, as, like Rachel Stevens, it has a good body) and wanted to slot my 325 engine into it, I could leave the 320 battery in the front?
Yes.

Re: Moving battery from rear to front
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 6:46 pm
by capri_rob
Up to you of course hennared but why would you want to do this ? surely BMW had good reason for mounting the 325i battery in the boot in the first place

Re: Moving battery from rear to front
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:24 pm
by Oggy
capri_rob wrote:Up to you of course hennared but why would you want to do this ? surely BMW had good reason for mounting the 325i battery in the boot in the first place

It's mounted upfront in the 325i Touring, or atleast it is in mine... for now.
Re: Moving battery from rear to front
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:49 pm
by Brianmoooore
AFAIK, it's only in the back of a 325 saloon as a weight distribution exercise.
Re: Moving battery from rear to front
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 7:15 am
by hennared323i
capri_rob wrote:Up to you of course hennared but why would you want to do this ? surely BMW had good reason for mounting the 325i battery in the boot in the first place

I need to get at the rear wheel well and find out the reason for the lake in there while keeping the car as a daily driver
Re: Moving battery from rear to front
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 7:24 am
by capri_rob
Aren't rear light seals, boot seal and aerial ( if fitted ) the only possible culprits for a leaky boot ? - assuming of course that the inner arch isn't holed and water is coming in through there
If you can't find the leak you could always do what I did on my old 320i and just drill a small drain hole at the lowest point ( obviously paint the bare metal with hammerite or similar to stop any rust after you've drilled the hole. )
Re: Moving battery from rear to front
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 2:48 pm
by Daf318is
I just found the leak in my boot yesterday - turned out it was 2 leaks . to find it do the following - only takes 10 mins but needs 2 people.
Pull all the carped out of the boot, splatter some talc everywhere in there, get in the boot with a torch and close the lid (make sure you take a socket set with you if you don't trust your helper

)
Have person no 2 spray the back end of the car with water. You will see wherever the water is coming in and be able to trace the source by following the lines in the talk. Much easier than moving your batt
Mine was a cluster seal and the boot lid seal - quite cheap from BM, certainly cheaper than some welding in 12 months!!
Re: Moving battery from rear to front
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 6:02 pm
by hennared323i
Rob and Daf - investigations shall begin in the morning, cheers for the tips
Brian, what on earth is the thing that looks like a coiled spring that is attached to the suspension turret?
Re: Moving battery from rear to front
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 6:54 pm
by Brianmoooore
hennared323i wrote:Brian, what on earth is the thing that looks like a coiled spring that is attached to the suspension turret?
???? Pics, or further description, please!
Re: Moving battery from rear to front
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 7:57 pm
by hennared323i
I'll post a pic tomorrow
Re: Moving battery from rear to front
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 8:53 pm
by sati
you sure its not the boot spring? as i seen a few with them.
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 12:44 am
by Dave_M3
Boot spring is a torsion spring and it's attached along under the parcel-shelf anyway so it's not that
Re:
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:58 am
by hennared323i
It is attached to the front turret by the battery tray opposite the bulkhead
Re:
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 5:07 pm
by hennared323i
This is the thing I mean - attached to the turret, it is like a small coil spring enclosed in a metal cover with wires:
What on earth is its function?
Re:
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:36 pm
by Brianmoooore
The only thing I can think of that looks remotely like that is the heater fan resistor in an early or aircon car, which appears to have escaped from under the fan motor.
Is it mounted like it belongs there?
Re:
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:58 pm
by hennared323i
The car has dealer fit aircon on it - it looks like it has been there a long time
Re:
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 9:33 pm
by DanThe
Looks like an aftermarket aircon system, Italian junk isnt it?
Re:
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 9:54 pm
by Daf318is
Has it got any numbers on it or any stickers or anything? If it has it has try bashing them in to google - you might find out what it is/was
Re:
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 9:56 pm
by DanThe
I would just bash it with a hammer

Re:
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 10:04 pm
by Daf318is
I would just bash it with a hammer
Then we could all answer the question "what is it".... A useless flat piece of metal

Re:
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 10:27 pm
by hennared323i
DanThe wrote:Looks like an aftermarket aircon system, Italian junk isnt it?
The car has dealer fit aircon on it - it looks like it has been there a long time
Re:
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 10:31 pm
by DanThe
Bet it doesnt work?
Re:
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 10:48 pm
by hennared323i
ask barx325i
Re:
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 10:51 pm
by DanThe
Sorry?

Re:
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:16 pm
by hennared323i
DanThe wrote:Sorry?

Northern lad - you must know him - he lives north of watfotrd
Re:
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:31 pm
by DanThe
I thought he was Welsh? You know, other side of Offas Dyke..
Re:
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:42 pm
by Bob_S
what are we asking him?
Re:
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:43 pm
by DanThe
If hennareds aircon works
Did he repair it or something?
Re:
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:47 pm
by Bob_S
did he serve the 4dr up to hennared without the lsd and a lovely slushmatic?