MOT failure!

[e30kid6]

Morning people,

My IS went in for its MOT yesterday and failed due to the battery not being clamped down. This surprised me because I have never seen an E30 with a battery clamp. This is my 3rd E30 and im left a little confused. It doesn't even look like there is supposed to be a clamp there.

Can anyone help me out?

Cheers

[daimlerman]

Both of my E30's have a clamp.

Should be a 'Z' shaped bracket held by an M 8 bolt.

[bigwinn]

Think it came into force last year that batteries need to be properly secured

[magpie]

i'm sure you can get 3 points for an insecure battery .

[bigwinn]

http://www.motester.co.uk/mot-general-i ... -continued

[e30kid6]

It failed that and my headlights being aimed too low which seems to happen every year, but they'll adjust it on the retest. I can't really see how a clamp would fit but okay does anyone know where I can get one? (I have 10 days)

On Ebay i found this, but it doesn't look Z shaped or any good.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140956570320? ... 749wt_1074

[Brianmoooore]

If you search back through my previous posts, you can see what can happen to an unsecured battery in a relatively minor crash. If I hadn't seen the results in person, I wouldn't have believed it possible.
It should have been an advisory on previous MOTs; now it's a definite fail.

[magpie]

yes that is the clamp .

[Brianmoooore]

It failed that and my headlights being aimed too low which seems to happen every year, but they'll adjust it on the retest. I can't really see how a clamp would fit but okay does anyone know where I can get one? (I have 10 days)

On Ebay i found this, but it doesn't look Z shaped or any good.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140956570320? ... 749wt_1074

That's the one, but its probably cheaper from BMW!

[e30kid6]

I can understand it being dangerous, it just does seem like a silly failure. But getting it sorted nonetheless obviously

[e30kid6]

Ok cheers, what does the bolt go through?

[FinalD]

I had mine as an advisory in Feb due to not being secured. I have that bracket thing but after I removed it from the car to treat surface rust in the tray area I totally forgot where it is meant to bolt too....think I also lost the correct bolt for it.

Anyone got a pic of it in use and ideally, also without a battery too (to give a full idea where it is meant to be).

[magpie]

Ok cheers, what does the bolt go through?

a bolt hole lol.....

on the battery tray to the right near the clutch fluid reservoir area

[andyp]

i got 2 points for no battery clamp in 1985 and 1 point for no water in the washers lol, so its been the law for a longtime

[FinalD]

a bolt hole lol.....

on the battery tray to the right near the clutch fluid reservoir area

Which one....





I take it you mean the one on the corner?

[Quaser]

top right in the corner - its threaded

mine has a snapped bolt in it - any alternatives guys??

[e30kid6]

Ok cheers, what does the bolt go through?

a bolt hole lol.....

on the battery tray to the right near the clutch fluid reservoir area

haha I guessed that, I've just never seen a clamp like that before. But it all makes sense now.

Cheers lads

[magpie]

Ok cheers, what does the bolt go through?

a bolt hole lol.....

on the battery tray to the right near the clutch fluid reservoir area

just make sure you've seen the pic as i edited my post to add it.
as you can see it does not bolt to the corner hole but the one before it .

[B7]

I can understand it being dangerous, it just does seem like a silly failure. But getting it sorted nonetheless obviously

As Brian has intimated, this is far from a silly failure.

If you want to drive over to my workshop on Saturday, you can take the one out of a 320 breaker I have and then you'll see how it all goes together. Near Horsham west Sussex. PM me if you are interested.

[e30kid6]

Yes you're right, but then why has it only just become a fail?

I've managed to source one now from a local breaker for a couple of quid, picking it up this evening.

But thanks for the offer, well appreciated!

[capnmchl]

Where is this post Brian made of a battery being insecure?

[Brianmoooore]

The law and MOT test requirements are completely separate things! You can be pulled over and done for many things just as you leave the test station with your nice new MOT certificate (or sheet of A4 as it is now).

[Brianmoooore]

Where is this post Brian made of a battery being insecure?

A car left the road at the end of my lane, crossed a verge and crashed into a telephone pole. The battery from the car tore loose, flew across the road, completely cleared the house opposite, then scored a direct hit on a caravan in its back yard. It punched a perfect battery shaped hole in the caravan roof, and ended up on the floor inside.

[harry_p]

nice

I had assumed it was more to do with not being able to touch bodywork or weaken / break the cables over time which could cause a short.

Mind you, it's a bit old lump of lead and acid you don't really want knocking you on the head

[daimlerman]

I seem to remember having a Morris Minor pick up truck fail it's MoT due to an insecure battery back in about 1976....

But I've had E30's passed in more recent years without the battery clamp in place!

[Topblag]

Where is this post Brian made of a battery being insecure?

A car left the road at the end of my lane, crossed a verge and crashed into a telephone pole. The battery from the car tore loose, flew across the road, completely cleared the house opposite, then scored a direct hit on a caravan in its back yard. It punched a perfect battery shaped hole in the caravan roof, and ended up on the floor inside.

Did it lever off the bonnet or tear through it ? On a lighter note, that's one less caravan on the roads

[scallyally]

Remember many years ago seeing a guy rushed into a&e his face swathed in wet towels screaming. Apparently having dropped a battery whilst removing it from a car. Secure them and treat them with respect.

[scallyally]

Remember many years ago seeing a guy rushed into a&e his face swathed in wet towels screaming. Apparently having dropped a battery whilst removing it from a car. Secure them and treat them with respect.

[Brianmoooore]

Did it lever off the bonnet or tear through it ? On a lighter note, that's one less caravan on the roads

No idea - I never saw the car close up. I did, however get a tour of the caravan.
Nothing wrong with properly driven caravans. Anyone can drift with four wheels - it's six wheel drifting that takes the real skill!

[FinalD]

The top right a bracket bolts on to it also you need the white plastic block as well.

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h112/ ... 7a733d.jpg

&

just make sure you've seen the pic as i edited my post to add it.
as you can see it does not bolt to the corner hole but the one before it .

I only ever had the clamp thing with a bolt through it and where the red circle is, there is no hole. Also, my battery isn't small...

[magpie]

Where is this post Brian made of a battery being insecure?

A car left the road at the end of my lane, crossed a verge and crashed into a telephone pole. The battery from the car tore loose, flew across the road, completely cleared the house opposite, then scored a direct hit on a caravan in its back yard. It punched a perfect battery shaped hole in the caravan roof, and ended up on the floor inside.

top gear would be proud of that one