My favorite is when they hide the battery underneath an electric powered seat like in some vehicles. Some engineers need to be forced to work in a mechanics shop before designing anything automotive.
I'm a 65 year old farmer, many years ago Duetz Fahr frm equipment companie of Germany required their engineers to work one year on the line and one year in the field making repairs before they were allowed to woke in design. don't know if they still do but what a great idea
@@dvdosterloh The way they put together Audis, for example, I highly doubt it. But then, designing using computer technology could only shut out field experience, to a degree
They give you "jump start" locations you can use to provide 12v to power the seat. I don't mind interior installed batteries because they stay nice protected inside
@@dvdosterloh:that is a great idea and one more companies should make mandatory. They need to see what they create in the world as a functional object and how it’s serviced.
Chrysler putting the battery behind the plastic bumper covers in a lot of vehicles is very stupid. There are a lot of Chrysler vehicles even recently that have the battery in that location. As someone who works at a collision repair/body shop. I've seen a lot of smashed batteries from somewhat minor collisions. Real fun to deal with battery acid all over everything. Just makes no sense to put something so important in such a dangerous place
This kind of batery location is bad enough, on some vehicles, you also need to reset the ECM (Engine Computer) whenever the battery is replaced because a "Check Engine" light will come on if you replace the battery.
First hitting something and then rolling over could even spread acid onto any accident victim pinned in such a vehicle. Maybe if that happens enough, subsequent lawsuits may force a re-design, just like what happened when Ford knew that the Pinto's fuel tank was vulnerable to rupture during rear-end collisions. Chrysler probably wanted to save copper on otherwise running a positive cable into a preferable battery location like under a back seat
@@billdang3953 A shop I worked in provided these "Memory Savers" a 9 Volt battery on a power socket plug, you plugged it into the cigarrete lighter or power outlet before you unhooked the battery. It was supposed to save the computer memory. Didnt always work though.
All cars should have: -Access to the fuel sending unit/pump via the trunk with "dip" in top of tank for filter allowing replacement through same access hole -Battery located in the trunk area if it will not fit under the hood -Starter and alternator easily accessible without removing other components -Headlamp assemblies that can come out within 20 minutes with knob style fasteners/locking tabs -Heater core that can be removed through the glove box opening once the glove box is removed -Redundant controls/buttons for basic functions in case the all in one display is damaged -Under body panels to aid with aerodynamics as well as providing a barrier for converter theft -Accessible washout ports (covered or not) to avoid derbies sitting in the drains -Doors that are bolted to the unibody to allow for adjustment -Disconnect male/female connections at removable body panels such as doors and tailgate -Standardized Diagnostics -The thing still movable and not bricked due to accident or issue with a update
The vehicle being immovable after an accident us a safety feature. Neither you- nor do I- want the lift pump pushing fuel out of a broken fuel line on top of a hot engine or exhaust. I also don't want you or grandma to drive away after t-boning me Diagnostics are already standardized.
Proof that Chrysler engineers did not need Germans around to do things entirely stupidly. Of course, with that 2.7 L engine, the odds are the engine would die before the battery so no need to worry about replacing it
Had 255K on my 2.7 2000 Intrepid when I traded it, other than water pump failure at 200K, it never missed a beat. It did have the largest timing chain I've ever seen, it was replaced with the pump. The dealership I traded the car to used it as a service loaner until they went out of business 5+;years later.
This kind of design engineering is what got Chrysler (now Stellantis) to where they are today; at the bottom of the heap and swirling around the bowl, headed toward bankruptcy. Keep up the great work, Adam.
One of the tool truck guys that used to come around the dealerships in Car Country Carlsbad (CA) had been a Chrysler tech. He paid cash for his tool truck when most everyone else had to finance. His contention was that there was more money working on Chrysler products than any other vehicles. Or, as we at Ford liked to say "the two biggest pieces of crap on the road, Chrysler and VW, were ironically sold at the same dealerships."
Battery is in the trunk of most chrysler and dodge cars. It's just mainly brands with swapped badges. Like the new Hornet. European designed vehicles. Is what he hasn't mentioned. Many have 2 batteries now. My jeep has 2 batteries. One is just for the starter system.
and as usual when the battery fails in the middle of winter.removing the tire & fender liner in snow & wind to replace a battery is what we all want in a vehicle.especially setting in a curbside parking spot while traffic flying by splashes you constantly with salt water.
That was what happened to me. Having tp change one on a cold winter day. When I went to reinstall the splash shield, several of the fasteners wouldn't line up.
I worked in the collision repair industry for nearly 44 years. I can think of several more stupid ideas such as the 97-03 Malibu power window motors. They were the same essentially but left and right were not interchangeable. The passenger side motor was something like $65.00. The driver’s side was over $300.00. Which one typically requires replacement first? The Cadillac Northstar engine fuel rail was another “great” design. We had a customer with an older Seville and a leaky fuel rail. I forget what the cost was but it was nearly what the vehicle was worth. My all time favorite though was the Ford products where the interior lights wouldn’t turn off. I remember a Lincoln where we ended up replacing all four power door lock actuators before we found the culprit. I could go on and on.
Fords with the sticking dome/door ajar switch built into the latch assembly is a very common issue. Worst is the F250 and up super duty truck platform, where most forum FAQs suggest blasting the latch with copious quantities of something such as WD-40 to wash away dirt and hopefully free up the switch plunger.
@@abpsd73 How about certain Ford models where you had to cut an opeming in the metal fender liner in ordeer to replace the climate control (heater/Air conditioning/Vent) blower motor?
@@abpsd73 I heard another solution to this problem: one guy suggested applying power from grid (110/220 V ac) through a current limiting resistor on disconnected lock to the end-switch and continuously open/close it to get rid of all dirt that way. Some people said it works better than flooding it with WD-40. BUT IT'S DANGEROUS!! DO NOT TRY IT AT HOME!!!
The fuel pump on my son's 2010 Journey failed and had to be replaced. It's located on top of the gas tank, so not only was it expensive to have it fixed, the tank had to be drained of fuel. So ... to add insult to injury, it had to be gassed up. Is this a common place for fuel pumps? I remember the ol' days when the fuel pump was in the engine compartment.
The last year I worked as an auto repair tech - at a Ford dealer, ironically. I did make it through the Firestone recalls, however, so there's that. Someone remarked that Ford had a lot of recalls, and that was true. Many were relatively minor - stickers to put on fan shrouds, and in glove boxes, for instance. Others were a step or two up, such as the left-handed bolt to keep the Focus rear driver's hub and wheel from departing the vehicle during driving. Or the more serious ones such as transmissions, head gaskets on diesels, and so on. But, as someone else pointed out, GM's typical response to such things was to ignore them and pretend nothing untoward was going on with their vehicles until the Federal Government stepped in and made them issue "campaigns," as they called them.
My '53 Chevy pickup had the battery hidden under the passenger side floor. Perfect location and easy access. I had a trickle charger constantly running because I Rarely drove it as I got older and my mobility was more limited. It was easy to pull out and replace. Being a 6 volt vehicle, it had a thicker positive cable and a braded ground strap.
I remember changing these batteries and the cables turned to green dust. The road salt would get up there and destroy them. The bolts would snap off in the side post terminals.
@@marko7843but wouldn't plastic bounce back but an old school metal bumper permanently bend? There is still an actual bumper under the plastic! Plus if an idiot plows into your legs you have a less chance of serious injury. Well that doesn't matter for tall vehicles
@@zzoinks Take a look at how much hard, shattering plastic some cars have in the front end these days. The grill work is not protected, the headlights cost $1,000 apiece, etc.
I admit I was lucky... but my '97 Stratus ES (2.0/5-speed) was one of the most-enjoyable cars I've ever owned. Bought new, and traded at 80k, before anything broke! There's a reason these early cloud cars were on Car and Driver's 10Best list! I could have kept it longer, but I was the meat in a three-car sandwich chain-reaction collision... and after nearly $10k of work, it was still never right....
@@dennislippert8875 Yeah, they were well designed and engineered for the most part, but C&D can’t take into account reliability in their 10 best. Still, they were good but not great cars.
The 3.3 liter engine ones were very easy to work on, the 3.5 liter ones sucked! And they were the ones that something always needed repair, for some reason the 3.3 cars didn't have nearly as many problems, even with things that had almost nothing to do with the engine. The inner tie rod ends were rubber bushed, and failed quite often, but I never saw a bad one on the 3.3 liter ones. Replacing the bushings were a huge pain on the 3.5, being buried behind the engine, the 3.3 were totally out in the open and looked very easy to get to
One of the worst inventions / features I've seen is the no key lock trunk/gate and electric release only! Same for door latches, very poor for safety! Thanks for another informative and interesting video.
Bentley took that idea to the next level by putting *both* batteries in the boot. Electrically operated only. Guess what my Dad did? Yep, let both of them drain down to a level where the trunk couldn't be opened.
I own two cars like this. And indeed occasionally it's VERY frustrating. Especially when the actuator in the latch goes out and you gotta emergency release through the back seat just to get in to fix it😂
Especially if the battery is in the trunk and there's no other places to connect jumper cables. My neighbor had a Lincoln LS with all of those features, and of course the battery died in the dead of winter in below zero temperatures, so he had to basically destroy the back seat and fight his way into the battery compartment only for the jumper cables to not reach. That's what happens when two terrible brands such as Ford and Jaguar decide to team up and build a terrible car together.
Great episode, Adam, thanks! Oh, let me tell you....Chrysler/Jeep is still at it. Last month, bought a new 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Awesome vehicle all around, love it !!! But once home, I got to poking around my new car, checking everything out....no battery to be seen!!! Jeep stuck the main battery, an AGM, under the DRIVERS SEAT !!! The car has the auto 'stop-start' system like most new cars today, so it's got TWO batteries. The main (normal size) battery, under the drivers seat, and the 'auxiliary battery', also an AGM battery, under the front PASSENGER SEAT, along side a large FUSE/RELAY BOX !!!! What a pain in the arse it will be someday to change those batteries. They claim longer battery life because they're located inside the passenger compartment. Both batteries have a rubber vent hose attached going outside under the car. Oh, and by the way, NOT ONE WORD is printed in the owners manual about the battery placement. I learned about them on TH-cam, and the Jeep forums.
The last gen grand cherokee was even worse as they crammed both main and auxiliary batteries under the passenger seat. Being a dealer tech I'd usually just zip the seat bolts out and flip the seat back but it was a pain. I like the new GC but they are plauged with issues mostly electrical. the v6 has bad issues with the electric motor mounts pulsing in gear. I have a 4xe hybrid in my stall right now for multiple wiring issues. Hope it treats you well as I know being a tech means I only see the broken ones.
@@ChrisTheBmxGuy Thanks Chris. So far, it's awesome. First Jeep I've ever owned. Lots of reasons I bought it, but the main reason it's one of only a very few natural V6's available these days, without the stupid turbo crap. So many new cars I looked at all have the turbos, and/or only THREE cylinders....what a crap show that is. I do wish we could once again be allowed to CHOOSE what options we want on our cars, such as opting out of the stupid stop-start feature, and all the other bells and whistles that we're forced to buy whether we want those items or not. I did get the very basic Laredo model with as few options as I could get, with a basic drive line. It drives like a dream, very comfortable and quiet, and for $30K, it's hard to beat. Most every other vehicle I looked at was $45K and up.
The battery in the cab or the trunk is actually a good idea keeps the battery away from the weather and street oils along with helping the balance of the vehicle. They put post underneath the hood for jumping if needed. Keeps it clean.
It had pros and cons. It kept the battery cool and away from the engine. If you were changing a battery in your driveway it wasn’t a big deal. Now if you have to change your battery in an inconvenient location, in 10 degree weather, on soft ground ( you have to jack up the car and take the tire off) it was awful
Guess what? Even with a lift at the shop we still hated doing these batteries. Cold climates got a heating blanket around them that turned to dust after one winter. Also the hold down and battery terminals needed replacement as well from all the corrosion. The fender liner screws would strip or break.. Dodge Journey has the battery in the same spot!
I had a 2001 Dodge Stratus. Original battery lasted 15 years (cool location?) and the simple 2.4 engine with exhaust toward the rear was IMO a good idea. The idea of changing the battery seemed harder than the actual job. I did have wait for a nice sunny day and had to hack-saw the battery terminals off.
We had a 2005 Dodge Stratus which was in an accident. As a result, the car lost its front clip. Come time to change the battery, which I thought would be easy because there was no front clip. No. One still has to take the drivers' wheel off because the brace that hold the battery down faced the wheel. What's more, during this era, the lug nuts that Chrysler used at the time were of subpar quality where they were prone to swelling and the outer material peeling off. Funny enough, the car had a spacious trunk and was owned by a German company. Why couldn't they put the battery in there? Adding to the misery is that the battery decides it no longer wants to power the car on the coldest day of the year. Another bad battery issue was my brother's Chevy HHR, which GM did put in the rear compartment because the vintage design meant no room under the hood at all. Only problem was if the battery dies, one need to give the car juice through the terminals under the hood to unlock the rear hatch. Why? Some genius accountant must have figured it costs too much to put a keyhole on the rear hatch door. Mr. Lutz was right about the bean counters running amuck in car companies. Sorry about the rant. I enjoy the random obscure topics but this one hit a nerve. Thanks.
At least they did put jumper terminals under the hood... l personally think they put the batteries in the center of trunk ( J platforms) was because of crash standards. If the vehicle is involved in any forward, rear or side collision the changes of the battery being ruptured are minimal. Leaking batteries, hazardous waste.. look at the big Buick Lesabre under the back seat. Special and expensive battery. The old VW's bugs also had them under the back seat.
The "swelling" lug nuts are the result of ham-fisted, careless mechanics and impact guns. ALWAYS use a 6pt socket and a breaker bar on those lugnuts. Oh, one more thing, my son's Lincoln had the same lugnuts on his car, so it was not just Chrysler.
@@budlanctot3060 yeah the lug nuts on my ford were perfect until I got my tires changed and the shop used an impact on them. Now they are distorted. I rotate my tires with manual tools and 6 pt sockets and they haven't gotten worse over the years.
I had the pleasure of swapping out batteries on a Concorde and a Sebring. Naturally both in the winter. One was at a Park & Ride on the Southside of Milwaukee. In the Snow.
Ugh! I have a 2004 Sebring convertible, it is truly an obnoxious place for a battery. My friend gifted the car to my older son a few years ago. It only has 44k on it. It's a fun car to drive, decent on gas, but our first task was to replace that battery so we could drive it home! My kid learned some good car skills that day.
@@member57 Free car is a free car, and the water pump issue doesn't come up until closer to 80-100k, so at only 44k I'm not worried. It's also a fourth car meant for one of my kids, so it's fine. I really like the car and like driving it, and when the engine inevitably needs heaps of money I will just junk it. It also came in handy when my wife's car was rear-ended and had to be totaled. So I would call her a friend, the car has helped me a lot and has yet to cost me any money other than inspection.
Had to change the battery on someone's PT Cruiser... in the dead of winter, while it was windy. Nothing like needing to pull the air cleaner housing to access a battery that (while being jumped) turned-over the engine just enough to become flooded, causing a hard start that nearly killed a brand-new, higher CCA rated battery I just put in! Fortunately, I was right to suspect what I described having occurred, and was able to get it started by doing a "clear flood" command, then pulled it into the garage--just to get out of the wind--and finished reassembling things under-hood while it ran. Now, in retrospect: I'm just glad it was the battery I had to change... and not the timing belt!😰
I went on a test drive of a new LH car back in the day. The dash gauges were intermittent. The salesman's solution was to smack the top of the dashboard. He did not seem surprised. We did not buy the car.
I owned a first gen Stratus and the battery placement really wasn't an issue. It still had jump posts. I loved that car. It looked so much more modern than the Accord and Camry. I think I had to get rid of it around 140k mile mark because, of course, the transmission went. After that, the "merger" of equals took place and everything out of Dodge and Chrysler quickly went down hill. Such a damn shame.
Jump posts are fine, unless the battery shorts out internally. No battery should ever be installed where you can't easily inspect/test it. It's often the first part to need replacement; not including some of these modern tires with a 30K lifespan.
I bought a new 2001 Sebring. Had motor mount failure, air in the coolant so no heat at idle, rear glass distortion, radio failure, steering column failure, front wheel bearing failure, drivers side window failure, exhaust banging on the underside of the car and fuel pump failure. I sold it before the 3 year warranty ended. Never had to change the battery once!
Hello Adam, Another really interesting video as always. I owned a '97 Intrepid ES and loved the car. Drove it for almost 200,000 miles before trading it in on a low mileage 2004 Intrepid ES and also drove this one for 200,000 miles before selling it to buy a low mileage 2020 Honda Accord Touring. My only complaints about both Intrepids was the relatively cheap interior trim parts that broke easily and the HORRIBLE front and rear suspension designs that ate suspension struts like they were going out of style. The rear strut replacement procedure was even worse than the fronts - it was both frustrating and back breaking. Overall I loved the exterior design, especially the 2004. Yes the battery replacement on the 04 was a PITA and it was located on the passenger side behind the front wheel, not the driver's side. Keep up the great work making these videos of the cars we loved and grew up with !
I was thinking the same thing. My mother had the second gen concord with the 3.5 and it was longitude orientation. Also the engine was installed 180° with the front of the engine casting mounted to the trans.
There were others from that era that had the same FWD longitudinal layout, most notably all the Audis, the 1998-04 VW Passat, the 1991-95 Acura Legend, 1996-04 Acura RL, and the 1995-98 Acura TL. Serving wasn't too bad on the Acuras, but the Audis and Volkswagens were nightmares. To replace the timing belt on the Audis and VW Passat, the whole front end has to be removed, including the bumper, radiator, and the core support, not fun.
I had a 99 intrepid, thankfully with the 3.2 and not a 2.7…I did the timing belt on it was super easy. My sister’s Subaru timing belt was also a snap due to the engine north south placement. The battery location on the LH cars was annoying but it was not that bad of a job to replace, nice thing was the original on mine lasted over 10yrs it was only car i ever had that a battery last that long maybe due to the fact it was not exposed too much to engine bay heat in the summer probably extended its life.
A family friend found that out, the belt failed at around 240k miles and when I asked her why she didnt have it changed even when her mechanic told her it needed doing she said it cost too much….Hard lessons
An ex girlfriend of mine had a 1998 Intrepid. One day she inadvertently left the headlights on when she got to work that morning. After she clocked out and discovered her mistake, she called me and asked to come down and give her a jump. I must have spent twenty minutes trying to follow the wiring to find the damned thing. What should have taken me less than five minutes wound up taking over an hour. In December. In Northern Minnesota. When the temps quickly plunge below zero after the sun goes under the horizon at half past four in the afternoon. Fun shit.
The jump connector is by the shock tower. It has a big red 3" square cover in it that's labeled 'jump here' and battery cables running out of it. I can see why you missed it.
That design originated with the 1967 Saab 99, and was born from the fact that Saab couldn't afford to develop a new drivetrain, so the new engine was actually a Triumph design, while they kept the old transaxle which was configured for a longitudinal engine mounted ahead of the front axle. But older Saab models had either a compact three cylinder two stroke or a V4 bought from Ford. The new Inline 4 would have added far too much length ahead of the front wheels so they flipped it by 180° and mounted it on top of the transaxle.
once upon a time in the year 2013, i was driving my 2005 Chrysler Pacifica thru a snowstorm on Route 93 in New Hampshire. the ahole in front of me stopped shrt and I had to slam on my breaks and turn the wheel into a snowbank at about 35 mph. after i hit the snowbank, the entire car died. i had to get towed to a garage only to find out that all I wouldve had to do to restart the Chrysler was re-connect my terminals to my battery that was weghed down in the bumper and had gotten dislodged. besides that 1 issue, that Pacifica was a great, reliable car until she died at 187k. (I was in my 20s and gave it poor mainteance. never once changed the air filter and neglected many things i've sinced learned about. great vehicle during a time in my life when i relied on it to never break down!
I’m guessing you meant ‘trunk’ instead of ‘truck’ as you posted, but I can tell you that the 2003 Cadillac Seville had a battery in the trunk, But the key would open it, even if the battery was entirely dead.
My wife had a Chrysler Cirrus. It was NOT necessary to remove the wheel to replace the battery. The car had to be steered for a hard right turn. That allowed enough clearance to remove the shield and get the battery around the wheel. Of course, I do agree that the battery location was awkward.
I bought an Eagle Vision new in 1995, I loved that car. Needed a new transmission at 30,000 miles, no warning, no noises, just one day started and never left 2nd gear. After that, I put 130,000 miles on it and saw that car around town all the time after I sold it, for the next 10 years. Had to have 300,000 on the clock before it met the crusher. I had the 3.3L mini van engine in it and it just sipped fuel, 33 mpg on the thruway was easy.
The 2nd gear thing was the default gear for the electronically controlled tranny. Absent any control signals, the tranny reverts to 2nd gear, which allows starting from a stop at least, though it would be a long trip to your friendly local Chrysler dealer.
My 1994 3.5L LHS had over 260K when I got rid of it due to other issues like the steering rack starting to fail and the A/C starting to leak like a sieve. Never laid a wrench on that engine except for normal maintenance and wear items like the timing belt and water pump. (and it was a non-interference engine) Still had the original starter and exhaust system when I got rid of it. It did however eat at least 3 sets of tie rod ends and a transmission in its lifetime.
I dealt with this issue in the 2000s a couple of times . The battery holder was in the most rust prone area of the car and batteries kinda promote rust in general. A car that was only five years old might have its huge heavy battery dragging on the ground right in front of the rear wheels. (The MkIII Focus does this will it’s ECU so sometimes after a minor front end you’d see one of those about to run over its own ECU). This era of Chrysler was very unreliable and hell to work on. Changing a heater core may require removal of the ENTIRE DASH. The endless variety of V6 engines were so prone to cam failure than big-time rebuilder Jasper would only honor their warranty on them if you verifiably ran full synthetic. It’s a tradition that continues to this day with Stellantis garbage. Some customers have VERY low expectations of quality. They’ll defend whatever junk they had the credit rating to buy and those people love flashy superficial junk so it’s a perfect storm. People are killing their pocketbooks to drive like…Dodge Nitro. Or the worst effn Hybrid ever made, the Wrangler 4xE.
Oh man, now we have gotten into the blast from my past, cars of the late 1990s and into the early 2000s. An era when I was able to drive new, or like new, cars for the first time after getting my license. And I so wanted to like Chrysler's stuff in this era. The Neon was such an honest, simple car when it released and even into its second generation, I respected it. I loved how the LH and Cloud cars drove and rode, the interiors looked cheap, but felt nice... But, as the cars aged quickly, and not very gracefully, I found myself disgusted by what Chrysler did with these vehicles from an engineering stand point. I helped a friend replace the battery on his Dodge Stratus, and when we were done fighting everything apart and back together, I made the remark "That does not seem like the safest place for a battery." Oh, how I wish I had not said something. Just a few weeks later, a Ford Ranger misses a turn at high speed and plows straight into the driver's side front corner of my friend's Stratus. Thankfully, the car was parked curbside at his parents' place, they were not in the car, and his father had fire extinguishers. The guy in the Ranger tried to drive off, he got a few blocks down the road before he apparently passed out and hit a tree. He was VERY drunk.
Here's another wierd battery location. The 2019-22 Honda Insight has the battery underneath the center console. You have to remove a side panel on the passenger side of the center console to gain access.
Love your Channel. Keep doing what you do!! It's appreciated. I have seen on some new Fords the battery is tucked under the windshield cowling .....a real pain & strain removing it as it's awkward as heck to replace.
It does make removing the negative lead from the battery before doing practically anything to the car take on a whole new meaning. The GM Lambdas with the battery under the passenger seat were another verse of the same song.
Unpopular counterpoint: moving the battery into the wheel well was a great idea. It placed the battery further from life-shortening engine heat and allowed for more space in the engine bay for servicing. Plus (at least on the LH cars) you didn't have to take the fender liner out to change it; if you took the air box out it came out easily from the top.
Yeah but if you have to pay someone to replace it, it at least doubles if not triples the cost. I'd rather have the risk of needing to replace it every two years with an auto parts store doing the work for me for free than get mechanic to replace it and keep my fingers crossed that the battery has a decent life.
I agree 100%. The battery lived far longer in that location- my family has owned five of them a few of them relatively old and battery life was long on all of them. And changing them wasn’t that big a deal.
Battery placed under the wheel is exposed to Cold wind stream that will shorten it service life in colder climate areas , especially in winter it will drain all life out of it !!!
I love listening to you talk about these! I test drove an Intrepid in '97 but went a totally different direction in my car buying experience. I wonder if you have any favorite books about cars you like. I remember reading "Wheels" in the 1970's (as a teenager), but most of the books I read back then had cars as very atmospheric accessories to the story ("Grapes of Wrath"'s truck, "Gatsby"'s big Cadillac...
Man they kind of messed up the 2nd generation of those cars. I had a 1st gen Concorde, that car was a tank. Super comfortable, good power for its time, 30+ MPG on the highway, great in the snow, nice ride, nice handling, and outside of a couple of electrical issues it was very reliable. Got me through college, into a job, a house, I really loved that car and drove it until it didn't drive anymore. Traded it on a Hemi Charger... that was not such a great Chrysler experience.
I agree! The stylings were very appealing, but it didn't equate to vehicle durability, as I noticed a given model year tended to last around five years in California.
Nice video. I agree with the bad battery location. On my 2002 Concorde, since I had to take the front end apart to change a passenger headlight bulb, I replaced the battery while I had everything apart. The manual and all online videos were wrong about how to change the light bulb. The first headlight bulb (driver side) took me 12 hours to replace. The passenger side plus battery replacement I got down to 6 hours.
Other finalists for worst battery location, Ford Transit (under the driver seat), Mercedes (under the deriver's feet), Ford E series with the 6.0 PSD (outboard of the rh frame rail).
1980's Chevy diesel vans had two batterys. one was in the normal location under the hood, The other was in a box underneath in the frame rail on the drivers side.
I used to hate having to get the battery changed at the dealership on my 1998 Dodge Intrepid ES due to it being "buried" in the fender. Plus, the dealership charged an arm and a leg to do it back then too. But, I had no choice since no local garage would even attempt to do it.
Your video made me grateful that my one and only Mopar product was a beautiful 1994 Char Gold (1 of 2 "chameleon colors for 1994) Chrysler LHS w/premium beige leather interior. As you showed, it's battery was up front and easy to replace. My nephhew's Dodge Durango was hidden beneath the front passenger seat, I believe. As for easy bulb replacement. the entire single sealed beam headlamp on my 1980 Volvo 242 could be replaced with absolutely NO tools. Two twist knobs for the bezel, CCW twist for the metal headlamp retainer, unplug it and reverse to replace... "voila" (or "Bob's your uncle" if you're British). The Volvo's front grille was just as easy to remove. Adam, another great episode!
The 2nd Gen LH cars had the battery under the headlamp assembly on the passenger side. I've owned 4 of these cars and it was much easier to change than originally engineered. All you have o do is remove the air box and carefully remove the cables. Then the battery will lift right out. This is especially easy if the battery has the lift handle built in. After I figured this out I never removed a wheel well liner again!
You forgot the hold down clamp, I found you needed a long 3/8's extension with a wobble or a u-joint on the socket to properly position the socket on the 10mm bolt on the hold down closest to the engine so you didnt round it off. And I alway used a six-point socket so it didnt slip.
The Mustang II that I have (with the V8) has the battery at the back of the engine compartment on the passenger side. Easy enough to change. However, I guess Ford was concerned with battery overheating with the V8 installed. They ran a large plastic vent tube from the front of the car to the battery. Longevity of the battery has not been an issue, so I guess this worked. Now if they could run something to make batteries last longer in the Texas summer heat, that would be great!
With a 302 loaded in that Pinto chassis you've got a car that easily overpowers the silly chassis made for a 4 cylinder Ask me how I know, owning a Muskrat II Ghia 12 mpg traded in for a Civic,I got $400 off (scrap value)
@@dddevildogg Mine is an automatic and stock, so it did not really overpower the chassis. it is nose heavy though and does get poor gas mileage.. It has also had overheating issues due to it being in hot Texas. Because of so many of these being scrapped, they are rare now. I live near the very large city (2 million metro) of Austin, Texas. I know of 4 of these here, including mine.
@@Jody-kt9ev I can tell you that mine was an automatic also,66k miles and could lay rubber (open rear) in second gear and do a 360 if you floored it and weren't careful-way too dangerous for my wife
@@dddevildogg The only time mine was peppy was after my brother(auto mechanic) tuned it up. It was my wife's main car for a few years. The only time she got into trouble was during an ice storm. Light rear ends and big engines are not good on ice.
I owned a 1996 Sebring JXi convertible. It was a great car! Had the Mitsubishi V6. I gave it to my son at 100K miles. It never gave me any problems except it would kill the battery annually(mainly because I kept buying them from Wally World). The battery location wasn't that bad, you just had to turn the wheels to get access. The location actually makes sense because putting it in a cramped engine compartment lets it get a good heat soak every time you drive the car.
On my 2017 Fusion, the battery isn’t hard to replace. It sits on a typical platform in the engine compartment. The problem I had a couple years ago is that the platform is oversized, presumably so you could use a bigger battery if you wanted to. Mine has the smaller battery. The excess platform space on mine was a convenient spot for a rodent (my guess a squirrel) to get in and chew up the wiring, the airbox, and the battery.
My 2014 journey of course in the left side wheel well !! What a dumb idea to put it there luckily i sold it eight years later never changed it glad i never had to replace it !!!
I drive a 2002 300M and I own as a backup vehicle a 2012 Dodge Avenger SXT - both have the battery mounted in the fender well. It gets really hot here and frankly not having the battery getting thoroughly baked every summer does seem to prolong the life - one thing I do is about every two months or so I put them on the trickle charger - seems to help. Given the price increases of batteries I can stand a little inconvenience.
In college my best friend Becky had a Stratus. She told me her mechanic would just unbolt the entire fender to get to it. I thought that was really stupid place to put a battery in. The Chevy HHR had them in the trunk and if it died no way to get to them from the rear because they didn't install a latch. Really goes to show you a real lack of common sense. Great video. 😊
that era chrysler i remember the plastic tabs breaking off windows and needing to buy new glass to fix a window that wouldnt stay in track, we ran them as taxis in early 200o's and that was biggest pain
Wow I thought it was strange that my moms 72 volkswagon had the battery under the rear seat. Way to go Chrysler for making something simple such as changing the battery into a big PITA if you are doing that at night in zero degree weather out on the driveway. Having done that a few times I would not be a happy camper if I had to do that on a Chrysler.
Adam, you're right about the Chryslers of that era. I bought new 1996 Eagle Vision TSI and then a 97 Vision TSI both were teal color the 96 had blue-teal interior it was beautiful. The 97 with tan interior. I loved both cars. They handled great! Rode smooth, had rode noise but nice cars. For some reason I traded in the 97 for 99 300M because it was all the rage, MT Car of the year. It was basically a Vision TSI. Same engine, trans etc. Never had a issue with any of them. But I did sell them at around 50k miles. Would love to have the 97 TSI again. Worst design: Malibu 2008-2012 you have to drop the front bumper assembly to change the headlight bulbs!
I'm a Cadillac specialist, .... so there is want I have to say.... Like anything, it just takes a little knowledge & some practice. Removing the facia (bumper) to do repairs (headlight bulbs, engines, transmissions) is a standard. 1/2 dozen clips & a few screws & the facia is off. The first one I did was daunting, but after a while, you don't think about it.... easy money! Same goes for replacing a starter on a NorthStar. Removing the intake is daunting for most. So we get the gravy job. If I press it, I can change the starter under an hour.
1999 Concorde LXi owner here. Still have it, 26 years as of today, ~147,000 miles. It's been a while, but when I once changed the battery myself I was able to slip the old one out with the wheels turned all the way to the left. Did not have to remove the RH wheel.
I have a 2007 Chrysler Sebring and not only do you have to remove the fender liner to change the battery, it also makes it easier to change the headlight bulbs as well as the fog light bulbs.
I had a coworker with a Chrysler LHS. He once told me that if a front tire was flat, it was impossible to get the jack under the car to facilitate your own tire change. Great design!!!
My late 2011 build Mopar battery was replaced in fall 2023 as a precaution for winter as it wouldn't hold a charge for more than a few days unless driven or recharged.
I had a 2005 Intrepid with 3.5 V6 ES, which was a company car. It was super reliable and one of the best cars I have had. We bought it from the leasing company when the lease was up and a family member drove it for years. It eventually got written off in a traffic accident but that was after it did over 200,000 miles on it. When it went to the wrecker, it still had the original transmission and it worked fine, just the back of the car was damaged as it got rear ended by a Chevy halfton.
Just replaced the battery on my '97 Dodge Stratus two weeks ago. It wasn't too bad. The plastic fender shield has fasteners that you simply rotate to remove and they stay with the shield so they don't get lost. The battery has GM style posts. On one of my other cars, a 2007 BMW Z4 M Roadster, the battery is in the trunk, right over the rear axle. Its quite difficult to replace because its a very tight spot between the trunk floor and the convertible top shield. The standard Z4 (non M), which I used to have, has it under the trunk floor close to the rear of the car where its much easier to access.
Don’t remember what car it was , but the battery was in the trunk. My Dad was lucky if he got a year out of the battery. Something about the temperature control was on the Alternator, so battery was under or over charged.
I had a 2002 Sebring with the battery in the wheel well and it was honestly more of a head-shaking conversation piece than it ever was an actual hassle. During my time of ownership, I had to change the battery once and from an engineering standpoint, I felt it was pretty well done. I think I remember it being a side-post setup and the screws and panel I needed to remove to get to the battery I could tell were strategically placed with battery replacement in mind. Nothing gave me trouble to remove, and I quite liked the nice little platform designed for the battery to hang out on. Now, something I hated about that car and many others is the internal water pump. They can just go all the way to hell with that idea on any car that has it!
I have many times successfully replaced these batteries both with vehicle on the hoist and on the ground(when the lifts were tied up). Sure, on the lift is easier, practically a no brainer. But changing one out on the ground isn't much harder. For someone who has little tools to work with, just run the engine, steer the front wheel in the direction so it opens up the space behind the battery, shut engine off. Use the jack the car came with, and lift the corner of the car where the battery is located. The wheel doesn't need to be off the ground, just touching some. No removal necessary. This gives you sufficient space to make the swap like you would on the lift. Also recommend after cleaning all the connections and hardware, applying a coat of fluid film or something equivalent to the terminal posts and hold down bolts. Just a little extra corrosion protection and peace of mind. Thanks for the content, Adam! I always appreciate it. 😃
Cannot do it with 17 inch wheels. Could do it by turning the wheels on 15 and 16 inch wheels. I changed a bunch of them as an AutoZone store manager. I was the only store in Greensboro NC at the time that would change them. Got pretty quick with them!
My Audi 5000 has the battery under the back seat. If the weather is nice so you can put the seat bottom on the roof of the car, changing the battery is actually quite easy. And there's a jump post provided in the engine compartment.
The Ford Focus ,Fusion and small Transit van all have the battery mostlyunder the driver side cowl, You have to carefully disassemble the plastic panels that form the battery box with a power distribution box on top. One car had the battery sulfating and boiling, made the lady sick that came to our shop. Good thing that battery might have exploded. As a former Chrysler tech those LH cars all had leaking A/C evaporators. Pull out the entire dash and hvac case. Cha Ching.
I changed the battery on my 300M. I only had to do it once. It wasn’t that big of a deal to be honest. The battery in my 300C was better located in the trunk. It lasted a lot longer as it was away from the engine heat. Not a bad location for it after all. Oh, and BTW the 300M was the best FWD car I had ever driven.
I owned a 2001 300M sport. I loved it, it was quite fast and spacious, not bad on gas. I think my battery was under hood. To be honest I never had a problem with it, nor anything else on the car. My biggest complaint was the cheap paint Chrysler used. It easily chipped, especially the hood. 👍🙂
Jeep Wrangler JL/JT with 'ESS" have a second smaller battery that requires the inner fender liner to be removed and battery removed downward.. I suspect the same engineer years later.
Good stuff. I have one of those Caddy’s you mentioned, a 2007 CTS. Has those projector headlamps but the lenses are all oxidized. I keep using those headlamp restoration kits, because a new one is big $ (over $300) AND you gotta take the bumper off of a 17 yo 210k mile northern car. Also had a mid 60’s F100 4x4 with the battery under the passenger side floorboards.
Battery placement has much more to do with cable length. Lowering centre of gravity ( batteries are heavy) as well as chassis balance and reducing noise vibration and harshness Still a nasty. Spot. But those are some of the reasons it’s location
I used to work for a specialty battery retailer and the worst location that I ever encountered were on the late '80's to early '90's GM full sized vans that had the 6.2 litre diesel. They used a dual battery for starting and the second battery was in a box underneath. Access was reasonably ease, but it was a real struggle to actually lift the battery into the box while laying on your back.
My 2009 Chevrolet HHR headlamp bulb replacement required the partial removal of the plastic wheel liner, along with cranking the road wheel inboard, in order to access the back of the headlamp housing.
For the 2016-2019 Buick LaCross, you have to remove the entire headlamp assembly to change either headlamp bulb. Which of course, means pulling the front bumper. It’s a good thing no one bought those cars.
Reminds me of my Dad's 1969 Firebird convertible with the 400 c.i.d. V-8... in order to change the rear spark plugs on the passenger side we had to cut a hole in the fender liner. Our friendly local auto parts store carried a patch panel with a template for cutting the appropriate hole in the liner (which was metal, not plastic like they are nowadays) and a gasket to keep water and road salt in our northern winters from getting into the engine compartment.
I started my automotive career as a battery tech at sears automotive in the late 00s and have done hundreds of these cars , I got pretty good at them , the worst were the could cars that had the gm style side terminals that always got corroded and had to be replaced but I always made more money doing them . The worst battery placements were the gm minivans that you had to take the whole cowl apart. I hated doing those.
My mother had a Buick a couple of years ago. She took it to her mechanic for its regular service (oil change and tire rotation). They did a battery test and found that it was weak (it was 5 years old) so she told them to go ahead and replace it. She gets the car back and she calls me, tells me I need to reinstall the car seat for my daughter. So I ask her, why did they take the car seat out? Told me the battery was underneath the rear seat! Never really thought about where the battery was, always assumed it was in the engine compartment. Learned something new that day!
Went right to this video! Still own a 2000 Cirrus, daily driver, 2.5 Mitsubishi V6 that doesn't leak or use oil. My battery went out in Yosemite National Park in 2014, second battery after OEM. I was lucky enough there was a garage in the valley that had the part. The mechanic changed the battery in about 20 minutes WITHOUT removing the wheel. That battery lasted 8 years. It's too bad what has happened to our domestic car industry. They sure don't make em like they used to.
My 2003 Benz C32 AMG had the crankshaft position sensor sandwiched between the transmission and engine at sort of a 2 o'clock angle, gated off by the intake, throttle body, and firewall, with the bolt hole being *under* the main crank pos sensor. So you needed a non-floppy u-joint , tiny tiny tiny torx driver, and about a city block of extensions to get to the dang thing. Of course, half the PCV rubber hoses crumbled into atoms during intake disassembly, and are AMG-specific, so that was a fun side quest in fabrication.
I'm a fan of the battery being under the rear seat or in the trunk. Keeps the battery out of the elements and away from the extreme temp cycles as well. In my experience batteries seem to last much longer in these locations. Just make sure your vent tube is installed correctly.
Two of my least favorite: 1.The 198x Firebird with the blower motor in the passenger side fender. If you don't want to take apart the whole fender to get at it, GM 'helpfully' had a cutout embossed on the fender liner showing you where to cut. 2. Mid 1980s Fords with early fuel injection. To read diagnostic codes, jumper 2 wires and connect an analog voltmeter to a test point under the hood. Then count the sweeps of the voltmeter's needle and compare to a chart to decode. Compare to Chrysler where you flip the ignition on/off/on 3x and count the blinks of the check engine light. I had a 1994 LHS and it was one of my favorite cars.
You came up with this video right around the time that I will have to replace the battery in my Sebring. It's not an incredibly hard job but still, having to jack up the car, remove the wheel etc. is so much more cumbersome than just removing a bracket and lifting out the battery. And I have also experienced the xenon headlight replacement on my Cadillac SRX as you described, it had it done by the dealership but indeed they had to remove the entire font fascia, and then take out the lamp housing.
My favorite is when they hide the battery underneath an electric powered seat like in some vehicles. Some engineers need to be forced to work in a mechanics shop before designing anything automotive.
Totally agree Dude!
I'm a 65 year old farmer, many years ago Duetz Fahr frm equipment companie of Germany required their engineers to work one year on the line and one year in the field making repairs before they were allowed to woke in design. don't know if they still do but what a great idea
@@dvdosterloh The way they put together Audis, for example, I highly doubt it. But then, designing using computer technology could only shut out field experience, to a degree
They give you "jump start" locations you can use to provide 12v to power the seat.
I don't mind interior installed batteries because they stay nice protected inside
@@dvdosterloh:that is a great idea and one more companies should make mandatory. They need to see what they create in the world as a functional object and how it’s serviced.
Chrysler putting the battery behind the plastic bumper covers in a lot of vehicles is very stupid. There are a lot of Chrysler vehicles even recently that have the battery in that location. As someone who works at a collision repair/body shop. I've seen a lot of smashed batteries from somewhat minor collisions. Real fun to deal with battery acid all over everything. Just makes no sense to put something so important in such a dangerous place
This kind of batery location is bad enough, on some vehicles, you also need to reset the ECM (Engine Computer) whenever the battery is replaced because a "Check Engine" light will come on if you replace the battery.
Ford put the PCM in that spot on some of the models hit a dog, run in to a pole. PCM crushed and engine harness damage sometimes not reusable.
Don't be so dramatic. Stick with it was wrong making a battery impossible to get to
First hitting something and then rolling over could even spread acid onto any accident victim pinned in such a vehicle. Maybe if that happens enough, subsequent lawsuits may force a re-design, just like what happened when Ford knew that the Pinto's fuel tank was vulnerable to rupture during rear-end collisions.
Chrysler probably wanted to save copper on otherwise running a positive cable into a preferable battery location like under a back seat
@@billdang3953 A shop I worked in provided these "Memory Savers" a 9 Volt battery on a power socket plug, you plugged it into the cigarrete lighter or power outlet before you unhooked the battery. It was supposed to save the computer memory. Didnt always work though.
All cars should have:
-Access to the fuel sending unit/pump via the trunk with "dip" in top of tank for filter allowing replacement through same access hole
-Battery located in the trunk area if it will not fit under the hood
-Starter and alternator easily accessible without removing other components
-Headlamp assemblies that can come out within 20 minutes with knob style fasteners/locking tabs
-Heater core that can be removed through the glove box opening once the glove box is removed
-Redundant controls/buttons for basic functions in case the all in one display is damaged
-Under body panels to aid with aerodynamics as well as providing a barrier for converter theft
-Accessible washout ports (covered or not) to avoid derbies sitting in the drains
-Doors that are bolted to the unibody to allow for adjustment
-Disconnect male/female connections at removable body panels such as doors and tailgate
-Standardized Diagnostics
-The thing still movable and not bricked due to accident or issue with a update
That car exist. It is called a Volvo 850/gen1 V70
Sounds like my 94 civic. I don't have any under body panels though.
The vehicle being immovable after an accident us a safety feature. Neither you- nor do I- want the lift pump pushing fuel out of a broken fuel line on top of a hot engine or exhaust. I also don't want you or grandma to drive away after t-boning me
Diagnostics are already standardized.
Proof that Chrysler engineers did not need Germans around to do things entirely stupidly. Of course, with that 2.7 L engine, the odds are the engine would die before the battery so no need to worry about replacing it
It's not a flaw, it's a feature.
Yep. Dr Z and his cronies at Daimler finished off the remaining stupidity before punting Chrysler to Cerebus Capital Management. What a farce.
Had 255K on my 2.7 2000 Intrepid when I traded it, other than water pump failure at 200K, it never missed a beat. It did have the largest timing chain I've ever seen, it was replaced with the pump. The dealership I traded the car to used it as a service loaner until they went out of business 5+;years later.
Facts.
No sarcasm there ☺
This kind of design engineering is what got Chrysler (now Stellantis) to where they are today; at the bottom of the heap and swirling around the bowl, headed toward bankruptcy. Keep up the great work, Adam.
One of the tool truck guys that used to come around the dealerships in Car Country Carlsbad (CA) had been a Chrysler tech. He paid cash for his tool truck when most everyone else had to finance. His contention was that there was more money working on Chrysler products than any other vehicles. Or, as we at Ford liked to say "the two biggest pieces of crap on the road, Chrysler and VW, were ironically sold at the same dealerships."
Chrysler was always knocked out cool designs and innovations but then ruined those models with half baked engineering and poor quality control.
Battery is in the trunk of most chrysler and dodge cars. It's just mainly brands with swapped badges. Like the new Hornet. European designed vehicles. Is what he hasn't mentioned. Many have 2 batteries now. My jeep has 2 batteries. One is just for the starter system.
Then, as now, they are rolling QA nightmares.
It was to keep the battery cooler it lasts longer and to prevent theft
and as usual when the battery fails in the middle of winter.removing the tire & fender liner in snow & wind to replace a battery is what we all want in a vehicle.especially setting in a curbside parking spot while traffic flying by splashes you constantly with salt water.
Exactly! Been there, done that!
As a Minnesotan I can relate. If your battery can make it thru January yer good fer another year
That was what happened to me. Having tp change one on a cold winter day. When I went to reinstall the splash shield, several of the fasteners wouldn't line up.
I worked in the collision repair industry for nearly 44 years. I can think of several more stupid ideas such as the 97-03 Malibu power window motors. They were the same essentially but left and right were not interchangeable. The passenger side motor was something like $65.00. The driver’s side was over $300.00. Which one typically requires replacement first? The Cadillac Northstar engine fuel rail was another “great” design. We had a customer with an older Seville and a leaky fuel rail. I forget what the cost was but it was nearly what the vehicle was worth. My all time favorite though was the Ford products where the interior lights wouldn’t turn off. I remember a Lincoln where we ended up replacing all four power door lock actuators before we found the culprit. I could go on and on.
Fords with the sticking dome/door ajar switch built into the latch assembly is a very common issue. Worst is the F250 and up super duty truck platform, where most forum FAQs suggest blasting the latch with copious quantities of something such as WD-40 to wash away dirt and hopefully free up the switch plunger.
@@abpsd73 How about certain Ford models where you had to cut an opeming in the metal fender liner in ordeer to replace the climate control (heater/Air conditioning/Vent) blower motor?
@@billdang3953 That was most GM cars of the 60s and 70s.
@@abpsd73 I heard another solution to this problem: one guy suggested applying power from grid (110/220 V ac) through a current limiting resistor on disconnected lock to the end-switch and continuously open/close it to get rid of all dirt that way. Some people said it works better than flooding it with WD-40.
BUT IT'S DANGEROUS!!
DO NOT TRY IT AT HOME!!!
You should go on!!
Same in a Dodge Journey. Minor collision wrecked the battery.
The fuel pump on my son's 2010 Journey failed and had to be replaced. It's located on top of the gas tank, so not only was it expensive to have it fixed, the tank had to be drained of fuel. So ... to add insult to injury, it had to be gassed up. Is this a common place for fuel pumps? I remember the ol' days when the fuel pump was in the engine compartment.
@@JRMurray basically every fuel injected car from the 80s and newer has an in tank fuel pump.
@@retro_88yota ...but the better designed ones will have access doors above the modules so the pump can be serviced without dropping the tank.
Very stupid
I know, right
Elimination of the transmission dipstick/filler tube which I believe Ford did on the 02 Explorer initially.
A Ram engine now doesn’t even have an engine oil dipstick.
I don't even have an oil dipstick, much less a transmission dipstick.
The last year I worked as an auto repair tech - at a Ford dealer, ironically. I did make it through the Firestone recalls, however, so there's that.
Someone remarked that Ford had a lot of recalls, and that was true. Many were relatively minor - stickers to put on fan shrouds, and in glove boxes, for instance. Others were a step or two up, such as the left-handed bolt to keep the Focus rear driver's hub and wheel from departing the vehicle during driving.
Or the more serious ones such as transmissions, head gaskets on diesels, and so on.
But, as someone else pointed out, GM's typical response to such things was to ignore them and pretend nothing untoward was going on with their vehicles until the Federal Government stepped in and made them issue "campaigns," as they called them.
@@embiggens1 And to think that Subaru gives you a dipstick to check the oil level in the front differential.
@@billdang3953 They've removed that on most newer Subarus.
My '53 Chevy pickup had the battery hidden under the passenger side floor. Perfect location and easy access. I had a trickle charger constantly running because I Rarely drove it as I got older and my mobility was more limited. It was easy to pull out and replace. Being a 6 volt vehicle, it had a thicker positive cable and a braded ground strap.
I remember changing these batteries and the cables turned to green dust. The road salt would get up there and destroy them. The bolts would snap off in the side post terminals.
We call this the 5mph battery 😂
Make that the 2.5 MPH battery... I hate these all-plastic front ends!
@@marko7843but wouldn't plastic bounce back but an old school metal bumper permanently bend? There is still an actual bumper under the plastic! Plus if an idiot plows into your legs you have a less chance of serious injury. Well that doesn't matter for tall vehicles
@@zzoinks Take a look at how much hard, shattering plastic some cars have in the front end these days. The grill work is not protected, the headlights cost $1,000 apiece, etc.
These Cab Forward cars may have looked good in the showroom, but mechanics (which had to work on them often) absolutely hated them. No room to work!
They'll tell you to "take it to the dealer"!
I admit I was lucky... but my '97 Stratus ES (2.0/5-speed) was one of the most-enjoyable cars I've ever owned. Bought new, and traded at 80k, before anything broke! There's a reason these early cloud cars were on Car and Driver's 10Best list! I could have kept it longer, but I was the meat in a three-car sandwich chain-reaction collision... and after nearly $10k of work, it was still never right....
@@dennislippert8875 Yeah, they were well designed and engineered for the most part, but C&D can’t take into account reliability in their 10 best. Still, they were good but not great cars.
The 3.3 liter engine ones were very easy to work on, the 3.5 liter ones sucked! And they were the ones that something always needed repair, for some reason the 3.3 cars didn't have nearly as many problems, even with things that had almost nothing to do with the engine. The inner tie rod ends were rubber bushed, and failed quite often, but I never saw a bad one on the 3.3 liter ones. Replacing the bushings were a huge pain on the 3.5, being buried behind the engine, the 3.3 were totally out in the open and looked very easy to get to
I had a 97 Intrepid with the 3.5, the egr valve was a huge pain to replace. I loved that car. @michaelbritt7609
One of the worst inventions / features I've seen is the no key lock trunk/gate and electric release only! Same for door latches, very poor for safety! Thanks for another informative and interesting video.
Bentley took that idea to the next level by putting *both* batteries in the boot. Electrically operated only. Guess what my Dad did? Yep, let both of them drain down to a level where the trunk couldn't be opened.
I own two cars like this. And indeed occasionally it's VERY frustrating. Especially when the actuator in the latch goes out and you gotta emergency release through the back seat just to get in to fix it😂
@@goosenotmaverick1156 Difficulty: No passthrough in this car.
@grayrabbit2211 oh that's criminal.
Especially if the battery is in the trunk and there's no other places to connect jumper cables. My neighbor had a Lincoln LS with all of those features, and of course the battery died in the dead of winter in below zero temperatures, so he had to basically destroy the back seat and fight his way into the battery compartment only for the jumper cables to not reach. That's what happens when two terrible brands such as Ford and Jaguar decide to team up and build a terrible car together.
Great episode, Adam, thanks! Oh, let me tell you....Chrysler/Jeep is still at it. Last month, bought a new 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Awesome vehicle all around, love it !!! But once home, I got to poking around my new car, checking everything out....no battery to be seen!!! Jeep stuck the main battery, an AGM, under the DRIVERS SEAT !!! The car has the auto 'stop-start' system like most new cars today, so it's got TWO batteries. The main (normal size) battery, under the drivers seat, and the 'auxiliary battery', also an AGM battery, under the front PASSENGER SEAT, along side a large FUSE/RELAY BOX !!!! What a pain in the arse it will be someday to change those batteries. They claim longer battery life because they're located inside the passenger compartment. Both batteries have a rubber vent hose attached going outside under the car. Oh, and by the way, NOT ONE WORD is printed in the owners manual about the battery placement. I learned about them on TH-cam, and the Jeep forums.
The last gen grand cherokee was even worse as they crammed both main and auxiliary batteries under the passenger seat. Being a dealer tech I'd usually just zip the seat bolts out and flip the seat back but it was a pain. I like the new GC but they are plauged with issues mostly electrical. the v6 has bad issues with the electric motor mounts pulsing in gear. I have a 4xe hybrid in my stall right now for multiple wiring issues. Hope it treats you well as I know being a tech means I only see the broken ones.
I think BMW still puts them in the far rear in the SUVs. easier to replace.
So I assume ALL makes and models should have 2 batteries now, since they ALL have that wicked annoying feature, am I right?!
And curse GM for NOT putting a button in to SHUT OFF that shit feature
@@ChrisTheBmxGuy Thanks Chris. So far, it's awesome. First Jeep I've ever owned. Lots of reasons I bought it, but the main reason it's one of only a very few natural V6's available these days, without the stupid turbo crap. So many new cars I looked at all have the turbos, and/or only THREE cylinders....what a crap show that is. I do wish we could once again be allowed to CHOOSE what options we want on our cars, such as opting out of the stupid stop-start feature, and all the other bells and whistles that we're forced to buy whether we want those items or not. I did get the very basic Laredo model with as few options as I could get, with a basic drive line. It drives like a dream, very comfortable and quiet, and for $30K, it's hard to beat. Most every other vehicle I looked at was $45K and up.
Leave it to Adam to "once again" find an incredibly obscure topic with photos to boot!!!!!~~ Outstanding content my brother!!!!~~
It's really not that difficult 🤷🏻♂️
He should really do one on what is involved with replacing the battery on a modern BMW.
The battery in the cab or the trunk is actually a good idea keeps the battery away from the weather and street oils along with helping the balance of the vehicle. They put post underneath the hood for jumping if needed. Keeps it clean.
It had pros and cons. It kept the battery cool and away from the engine. If you were changing a battery in your driveway it wasn’t a big deal.
Now if you have to change your battery in an inconvenient location, in 10 degree weather, on soft ground ( you have to jack up the car and take the tire off) it was awful
Guess what? Even with a lift at the shop we still hated doing these batteries. Cold climates got a heating blanket around them that turned to dust after one winter. Also the hold down and battery terminals needed replacement as well from all the corrosion. The fender liner screws would strip or break..
Dodge Journey has the battery in the same spot!
@@simplygregsterevand avenger
How could that battery placement comply with safety standards? Ceazy
I had a 2001 Dodge Stratus. Original battery lasted 15 years (cool location?) and the simple 2.4 engine with exhaust toward the rear was IMO a good idea. The idea of changing the battery seemed harder than the actual job. I did have wait for a nice sunny day and had to hack-saw the battery terminals off.
Designs like this have kept Kent-Moore tools in business!
We had a 2005 Dodge Stratus which was in an accident. As a result, the car lost its front clip. Come time to change the battery, which I thought would be easy because there was no front clip. No. One still has to take the drivers' wheel off because the brace that hold the battery down faced the wheel. What's more, during this era, the lug nuts that Chrysler used at the time were of subpar quality where they were prone to swelling and the outer material peeling off. Funny enough, the car had a spacious trunk and was owned by a German company. Why couldn't they put the battery in there? Adding to the misery is that the battery decides it no longer wants to power the car on the coldest day of the year.
Another bad battery issue was my brother's Chevy HHR, which GM did put in the rear compartment because the vintage design meant no room under the hood at all. Only problem was if the battery dies, one need to give the car juice through the terminals under the hood to unlock the rear hatch. Why? Some genius accountant must have figured it costs too much to put a keyhole on the rear hatch door. Mr. Lutz was right about the bean counters running amuck in car companies.
Sorry about the rant. I enjoy the random obscure topics but this one hit a nerve. Thanks.
I totally understand!
At least they did put jumper terminals under the hood... l personally think they put the batteries in the center of trunk ( J platforms) was because of crash standards. If the vehicle is involved in any forward, rear or side collision the changes of the battery being ruptured are minimal. Leaking batteries, hazardous waste.. look at the big Buick Lesabre under the back seat. Special and expensive battery. The old VW's bugs also had them under the back seat.
It's no rant when you're succinctly putting your point across.
The "swelling" lug nuts are the result of ham-fisted, careless mechanics and impact guns. ALWAYS use a 6pt socket and a breaker bar on those lugnuts. Oh, one more thing, my son's Lincoln had the same lugnuts on his car, so it was not just Chrysler.
@@budlanctot3060 yeah the lug nuts on my ford were perfect until I got my tires changed and the shop used an impact on them. Now they are distorted.
I rotate my tires with manual tools and 6 pt sockets and they haven't gotten worse over the years.
I had the pleasure of swapping out batteries on a Concorde and a Sebring. Naturally both in the winter. One was at a Park & Ride on the Southside of Milwaukee. In the Snow.
And in the cold, just be thankful it wasn't indowntown Winnipeg ("Portage and Main 50 below").
I was just looking up LH cars on YT. Thank you for reminding me why I shouldn't
Ever heard that joke where the letters LH stood for "Last Hope". for Chrysler?
Every car has issues similar to this. It's really not hard to change the battery. It's no more difficult that changing a flat tire.
@@dj33036It's harder than it should be, and that's what matters. Batteries die in cold weather, that's not the ideal time to change a tire.
Ugh! I have a 2004 Sebring convertible, it is truly an obnoxious place for a battery. My friend gifted the car to my older son a few years ago. It only has 44k on it. It's a fun car to drive, decent on gas, but our first task was to replace that battery so we could drive it home! My kid learned some good car skills that day.
I wouldn't call that person a friend.
@@member57 Free car is a free car, and the water pump issue doesn't come up until closer to 80-100k, so at only 44k I'm not worried. It's also a fourth car meant for one of my kids, so it's fine. I really like the car and like driving it, and when the engine inevitably needs heaps of money I will just junk it. It also came in handy when my wife's car was rear-ended and had to be totaled. So I would call her a friend, the car has helped me a lot and has yet to cost me any money other than inspection.
Had to change the battery on someone's PT Cruiser... in the dead of winter, while it was windy. Nothing like needing to pull the air cleaner housing to access a battery that (while being jumped) turned-over the engine just enough to become flooded, causing a hard start that nearly killed a brand-new, higher CCA rated battery I just put in! Fortunately, I was right to suspect what I described having occurred, and was able to get it started by doing a "clear flood" command, then pulled it into the garage--just to get out of the wind--and finished reassembling things under-hood while it ran.
Now, in retrospect: I'm just glad it was the battery I had to change... and not the timing belt!😰
In a first-gen VW Touareg you have to remove the driver's seat to access the battery underneath.
I bet those are great fun to jump if the battery dies.
I went on a test drive of a new LH car back in the day. The dash gauges were intermittent. The salesman's solution was to smack the top of the dashboard. He did not seem surprised. We did not buy the car.
Damn, sounds like you actually got to drive one of the good ones!
I owned a first gen Stratus and the battery placement really wasn't an issue. It still had jump posts. I loved that car. It looked so much more modern than the Accord and Camry. I think I had to get rid of it around 140k mile mark because, of course, the transmission went. After that, the "merger" of equals took place and everything out of Dodge and Chrysler quickly went down hill. Such a damn shame.
Jump posts are fine, unless the battery shorts out internally. No battery should ever be installed where you can't easily inspect/test it. It's often the first part to need replacement; not including some of these modern tires with a 30K lifespan.
Those 1st gen Stratus were great looking cars. Way ahead of their time.
@jimmbobb
ahead of their time but lagging way behind in offset protection
I bought a new 2001 Sebring. Had motor mount failure, air in the coolant so no heat at idle, rear glass distortion, radio failure, steering column failure, front wheel bearing failure, drivers side window failure, exhaust banging on the underside of the car and fuel pump failure. I sold it before the 3 year warranty ended. Never had to change the battery once!
You got one of the better ones. Take a look at how bad they're building them now- for $55k
Sounds almost as bad as the horrible Ford Tempo's. They were beyond lemons sour.
I’m guessing you didn’t buy a Chrysler product when you sold the Sebring.😂😂
@@robytar I had a friend who bought one of those in high school for $50. He always complained about having wasted that much money on it!
LMFAO!
Hello Adam, Another really interesting video as always. I owned a '97 Intrepid ES and loved the car. Drove it for almost 200,000 miles before trading it in on a low mileage 2004 Intrepid ES and also drove this one for 200,000 miles before selling it to buy a low mileage 2020 Honda Accord Touring. My only complaints about both Intrepids was the relatively cheap interior trim parts that broke easily and the HORRIBLE front and rear suspension designs that ate suspension struts like they were going out of style. The rear strut replacement procedure was even worse than the fronts - it was both frustrating and back breaking. Overall I loved the exterior design, especially the 2004. Yes the battery replacement on the 04 was a PITA and it was located on the passenger side behind the front wheel, not the driver's side. Keep up the great work making these videos of the cars we loved and grew up with !
My mother had a 94 Concorde for over 20 years and none of the interior trim parts ever broke.
At 3:53 that is a cloud car - to the right is the end cover of the transverse transaxle. All the LH cars had the longitudinal engine layout.
Good eye
I was thinking the same thing. My mother had the second gen concord with the 3.5 and it was longitude orientation. Also the engine was installed 180° with the front of the engine casting mounted to the trans.
I loved how the LH cars had the engine placed longitudinally which made servicing easier.
There were others from that era that had the same FWD longitudinal layout, most notably all the Audis, the 1998-04 VW Passat, the 1991-95 Acura Legend, 1996-04 Acura RL, and the 1995-98 Acura TL. Serving wasn't too bad on the Acuras, but the Audis and Volkswagens were nightmares. To replace the timing belt on the Audis and VW Passat, the whole front end has to be removed, including the bumper, radiator, and the core support, not fun.
I had a 99 intrepid, thankfully with the 3.2 and not a 2.7…I did the timing belt on it was super easy. My sister’s Subaru timing belt was also a snap due to the engine north south placement. The battery location on the LH cars was annoying but it was not that bad of a job to replace, nice thing was the original on mine lasted over 10yrs it was only car i ever had that a battery last that long maybe due to the fact it was not exposed too much to engine bay heat in the summer probably extended its life.
Yea even with easy service nobody ever replaced the timing belt on 3.2/3.5 and we got one a week in with a broken belt….
A family friend found that out, the belt failed at around 240k miles and when I asked her why she didnt have it changed even when her mechanic told her it needed doing she said it cost too much….Hard lessons
@@DasYorgo4000 sounds about right.
An ex girlfriend of mine had a 1998 Intrepid. One day she inadvertently left the headlights on when she got to work that morning. After she clocked out and discovered her mistake, she called me and asked to come down and give her a jump. I must have spent twenty minutes trying to follow the wiring to find the damned thing. What should have taken me less than five minutes wound up taking over an hour. In December. In Northern Minnesota. When the temps quickly plunge below zero after the sun goes under the horizon at half past four in the afternoon. Fun shit.
.....and if it wasn't for that stupid Intrepid, you guys would still be together today 😏🤣😎
The jump connector is by the shock tower. It has a big red 3" square cover in it that's labeled 'jump here' and battery cables running out of it. I can see why you missed it.
Girls are always fun
And she’s an ex 😂
The reverse mounted Saab engine. I believe it was the 80's Turbo. Insane.
That design originated with the 1967 Saab 99, and was born from the fact that Saab couldn't afford to develop a new drivetrain, so the new engine was actually a Triumph design, while they kept the old transaxle which was configured for a longitudinal engine mounted ahead of the front axle. But older Saab models had either a compact three cylinder two stroke or a V4 bought from Ford. The new Inline 4 would have added far too much length ahead of the front wheels so they flipped it by 180° and mounted it on top of the transaxle.
Your content is so enjoyable! Thanks!
once upon a time in the year 2013, i was driving my 2005 Chrysler Pacifica thru a snowstorm on Route 93 in New Hampshire.
the ahole in front of me stopped shrt and I had to slam on my breaks and turn the wheel into a snowbank at about 35 mph.
after i hit the snowbank, the entire car died.
i had to get towed to a garage only to find out that all I wouldve had to do to restart the Chrysler was re-connect my terminals to my battery that was weghed down in the bumper and had gotten dislodged.
besides that 1 issue, that Pacifica was a great, reliable car until she died at 187k. (I was in my 20s and gave it poor mainteance. never once changed the air filter and neglected many things i've sinced learned about. great vehicle during a time in my life when i relied on it to never break down!
I didn't enjoy replacing a battery in one of those but it was much easier than a battery replacement on a Volkswagen Touareg!
The cars where the battery is in the trunk and cannot be accessed unless there is enough juice to pop open the electric latch are annoying too.
On 99+ Porsche 911s there is a boosting lug in the footwell fuse box to pop the frunk.
I’m guessing you meant ‘trunk’ instead of ‘truck’ as you posted, but I can tell you that the 2003 Cadillac Seville had a battery in the trunk, But the key would open it, even if the battery was entirely dead.
@@MarinCipollinakey locks are redundant n too expensive, don't u know
@@rogerdodrill4733 Not for a Cadillac
My wife had a Chrysler Cirrus. It was NOT necessary to remove the wheel to replace the battery. The car had to be steered for a hard right turn. That allowed enough clearance to remove the shield and get the battery around the wheel. Of course, I do agree that the battery location was awkward.
I bought an Eagle Vision new in 1995, I loved that car. Needed a new transmission at 30,000 miles, no warning, no noises, just one day started and never left 2nd gear. After that, I put 130,000 miles on it and saw that car around town all the time after I sold it, for the next 10 years. Had to have 300,000 on the clock before it met the crusher. I had the 3.3L mini van engine in it and it just sipped fuel, 33 mpg on the thruway was easy.
The 2nd gear thing was the default gear for the electronically controlled tranny. Absent any control signals, the tranny reverts to 2nd gear, which allows starting from a stop at least, though it would be a long trip to your friendly local Chrysler dealer.
at least chrysler got something right, 3.3 & 3.8 getting 300k
My 1994 3.5L LHS had over 260K when I got rid of it due to other issues like the steering rack starting to fail and the A/C starting to leak like a sieve. Never laid a wrench on that engine except for normal maintenance and wear items like the timing belt and water pump. (and it was a non-interference engine) Still had the original starter and exhaust system when I got rid of it. It did however eat at least 3 sets of tie rod ends and a transmission in its lifetime.
Adam, These were the glory days for Brampton.
I dealt with this issue in the 2000s a couple of times . The battery holder was in the most rust prone area of the car and batteries kinda promote rust in general. A car that was only five years old might have its huge heavy battery dragging on the ground right in front of the rear wheels. (The MkIII Focus does this will it’s ECU so sometimes after a minor front end you’d see one of those about to run over its own ECU).
This era of Chrysler was very unreliable and hell to work on. Changing a heater core may require removal of the ENTIRE DASH. The endless variety of V6 engines were so prone to cam failure than big-time rebuilder Jasper would only honor their warranty on them if you verifiably ran full synthetic.
It’s a tradition that continues to this day with Stellantis garbage. Some customers have VERY low expectations of quality. They’ll defend whatever junk they had the credit rating to buy and those people love flashy superficial junk so it’s a perfect storm. People are killing their pocketbooks to drive like…Dodge Nitro. Or the worst effn Hybrid ever made, the Wrangler 4xE.
Oh man, now we have gotten into the blast from my past, cars of the late 1990s and into the early 2000s. An era when I was able to drive new, or like new, cars for the first time after getting my license. And I so wanted to like Chrysler's stuff in this era. The Neon was such an honest, simple car when it released and even into its second generation, I respected it. I loved how the LH and Cloud cars drove and rode, the interiors looked cheap, but felt nice... But, as the cars aged quickly, and not very gracefully, I found myself disgusted by what Chrysler did with these vehicles from an engineering stand point. I helped a friend replace the battery on his Dodge Stratus, and when we were done fighting everything apart and back together, I made the remark "That does not seem like the safest place for a battery." Oh, how I wish I had not said something. Just a few weeks later, a Ford Ranger misses a turn at high speed and plows straight into the driver's side front corner of my friend's Stratus. Thankfully, the car was parked curbside at his parents' place, they were not in the car, and his father had fire extinguishers. The guy in the Ranger tried to drive off, he got a few blocks down the road before he apparently passed out and hit a tree. He was VERY drunk.
Here's another wierd battery location. The 2019-22 Honda Insight has the battery underneath the center console. You have to remove a side panel on the passenger side of the center console to gain access.
Love your Channel. Keep doing what you do!! It's appreciated. I have seen on some new Fords the battery is tucked under the windshield cowling .....a real pain & strain removing it as it's awkward as heck to replace.
It does make removing the negative lead from the battery before doing practically anything to the car take on a whole new meaning. The GM Lambdas with the battery under the passenger seat were another verse of the same song.
Unpopular counterpoint: moving the battery into the wheel well was a great idea. It placed the battery further from life-shortening engine heat and allowed for more space in the engine bay for servicing. Plus (at least on the LH cars) you didn't have to take the fender liner out to change it; if you took the air box out it came out easily from the top.
Yeah but if you have to pay someone to replace it, it at least doubles if not triples the cost. I'd rather have the risk of needing to replace it every two years with an auto parts store doing the work for me for free than get mechanic to replace it and keep my fingers crossed that the battery has a decent life.
I agree 100%. The battery lived far longer in that location- my family has owned five of them a few of them relatively old and battery life was long on all of them.
And changing them wasn’t that big a deal.
@@colinschmitz8297 it’s probably 20 minutes work
The battery in my 01 Concorde is from 2011. It's my daily driver. You're right, remove the air box and it's right there.
Battery placed under the wheel is exposed to Cold wind stream that will shorten it service life in colder climate areas ,
especially in winter it will drain all life out of it !!!
I love listening to you talk about these! I test drove an Intrepid in '97 but went a totally different direction in my car buying experience. I wonder if you have any favorite books about cars you like. I remember reading "Wheels" in the 1970's (as a teenager), but most of the books I read back then had cars as very atmospheric accessories to the story ("Grapes of Wrath"'s truck, "Gatsby"'s big Cadillac...
Next in line: the Cadillac starter in the middle of the "valley" of the V-8 engine.
Also: the Cadillac water-cooled alternator!
Bmw hss h20 cooled alt. As well
Toyota 4.7 V8 put the starter in the valley too.
Man they kind of messed up the 2nd generation of those cars. I had a 1st gen Concorde, that car was a tank. Super comfortable, good power for its time, 30+ MPG on the highway, great in the snow, nice ride, nice handling, and outside of a couple of electrical issues it was very reliable. Got me through college, into a job, a house, I really loved that car and drove it until it didn't drive anymore. Traded it on a Hemi Charger... that was not such a great Chrysler experience.
I definitely like the looks of a lot of Chrysler products in the 90s.
I agree! The stylings were very appealing, but it didn't equate to vehicle durability, as I noticed a given model year tended to last around five years in California.
Because putting it in the trunk is too straightforward 🤣🤣🤣
Nice video. I agree with the bad battery location. On my 2002 Concorde, since I had to take the front end apart to change a passenger headlight bulb, I replaced the battery while I had everything apart. The manual and all online videos were wrong about how to change the light bulb. The first headlight bulb (driver side) took me 12 hours to replace. The passenger side plus battery replacement I got down to 6 hours.
Other finalists for worst battery location, Ford Transit (under the driver seat), Mercedes (under the deriver's feet), Ford E series with the 6.0 PSD (outboard of the rh frame rail).
Smart car, under the passenger floor.
1980's Chevy diesel vans had two batterys. one was in the normal location under the hood, The other was in a box underneath in the frame rail on the drivers side.
I used to hate having to get the battery changed at the dealership on my 1998 Dodge Intrepid ES due to it being "buried" in the fender. Plus, the dealership charged an arm and a leg to do it back then too. But, I had no choice since no local garage would even attempt to do it.
Your video made me grateful that my one and only Mopar product was a beautiful 1994 Char Gold (1 of 2 "chameleon colors for 1994) Chrysler LHS w/premium beige leather interior. As you showed, it's battery was up front and easy to replace.
My nephhew's Dodge Durango was hidden beneath the front passenger seat, I believe.
As for easy bulb replacement. the entire single sealed beam headlamp on my 1980 Volvo 242 could be replaced with absolutely NO tools. Two twist knobs for the bezel, CCW twist for the metal headlamp retainer, unplug it and reverse to replace... "voila" (or "Bob's your uncle" if you're British). The Volvo's front grille was just as easy to remove.
Adam, another great episode!
The 2nd Gen LH cars had the battery under the headlamp assembly on the passenger side. I've owned 4 of these cars and it was much easier to change than originally engineered. All you have o do is remove the air box and carefully remove the cables. Then the battery will lift right out. This is especially easy if the battery has the lift handle built in. After I figured this out I never removed a wheel well liner again!
You forgot the hold down clamp, I found you needed a long 3/8's extension with a wobble or a u-joint on the socket to properly position the socket on the 10mm bolt on the hold down closest to the engine so you didnt round it off. And I alway used a six-point socket so it didnt slip.
The Mustang II that I have (with the V8) has the battery at the back of the engine compartment on the passenger side. Easy enough to change. However, I guess Ford was concerned with battery overheating with the V8 installed. They ran a large plastic vent tube from the front of the car to the battery. Longevity of the battery has not been an issue, so I guess this worked. Now if they could run something to make batteries last longer in the Texas summer heat, that would be great!
With a 302 loaded in that Pinto chassis you've got a car that easily overpowers the silly chassis made for a 4 cylinder
Ask me how I know,
owning a Muskrat II Ghia 12 mpg traded in for a Civic,I got $400 off (scrap value)
@@dddevildogg Mine is an automatic and stock, so it did not really overpower the chassis. it is nose heavy though and does get poor gas mileage.. It has also had overheating issues due to it being in hot Texas. Because of so many of these being scrapped, they are rare now. I live near the very large city (2 million metro) of Austin, Texas. I know of 4 of these here, including mine.
@@Jody-kt9ev I can tell you that mine was an automatic also,66k miles and could lay rubber (open rear) in second gear and do a 360 if you floored it and weren't careful-way too dangerous for my wife
@@dddevildogglaying rubber w open diff is nothing to brag about, especially w mustang
@@dddevildogg The only time mine was peppy was after my brother(auto mechanic) tuned it up. It was my wife's main car for a few years. The only time she got into trouble was during an ice storm. Light rear ends and big engines are not good on ice.
I owned a 1996 Sebring JXi convertible. It was a great car! Had the Mitsubishi V6. I gave it to my son at 100K miles. It never gave me any problems except it would kill the battery annually(mainly because I kept buying them from Wally World). The battery location wasn't that bad, you just had to turn the wheels to get access. The location actually makes sense because putting it in a cramped engine compartment lets it get a good heat soak every time you drive the car.
Try a BMW x5. Battery is buried under:
1. Carpet,
2. Fiberboard luggage liner,
3. Spare tire,
5. Jack,
6. Metal hold down flange.
2018 Taurus - 4 bolts and lift straight up. 1999 Mustang - 3 bolts and lift straight up. 2020 Fusion - Charlie Foxtrot. Good luck.
On my 2017 Fusion, the battery isn’t hard to replace. It sits on a typical platform in the engine compartment. The problem I had a couple years ago is that the platform is oversized, presumably so you could use a bigger battery if you wanted to. Mine has the smaller battery. The excess platform space on mine was a convenient spot for a rodent (my guess a squirrel) to get in and chew up the wiring, the airbox, and the battery.
The Dustbuster minivans had the battery under a large brace and the windshield washer reservoir. It was a huge PITA to replace.
Still hidden in my 2017 Journey! Love taking the wheel off and removing the fender liner
My 2014 journey of course in the left side wheel well !! What a dumb idea to put it there luckily i sold it eight years later never changed it glad i never had to replace it !!!
I drive a 2002 300M and I own as a backup vehicle a 2012 Dodge Avenger SXT - both have the battery mounted in the fender well. It gets really hot here and frankly not having the battery getting thoroughly baked every summer does seem to prolong the life - one thing I do is about every two months or so I put them on the trickle charger - seems to help. Given the price increases of batteries I can stand a little inconvenience.
In college my best friend Becky had a Stratus. She told me her mechanic would just unbolt the entire fender to get to it. I thought that was really stupid place to put a battery in. The Chevy HHR had them in the trunk and if it died no way to get to them from the rear because they didn't install a latch. Really goes to show you a real lack of common sense. Great video. 😊
Had an '89 Ford Aerostar minivan. Changing headlights was a nightmare. Had to remove the grill to access the rectangular sealed-beam headlight screws.
that era chrysler i remember the plastic tabs breaking off windows and needing to buy new glass to fix a window that wouldnt stay in track, we ran them as taxis in early 200o's and that was biggest pain
Wow I thought it was strange that my moms 72 volkswagon had the battery under the rear seat. Way to go Chrysler for making something simple such as changing the battery into a big PITA if you are doing that at night in zero degree weather out on the driveway. Having done that a few times I would not be a happy camper if I had to do that on a Chrysler.
Adam, you're right about the Chryslers of that era. I bought new 1996 Eagle Vision TSI and then a 97 Vision TSI both were teal color the 96 had blue-teal interior it was beautiful. The 97 with tan interior. I loved both cars. They handled great! Rode smooth, had rode noise but nice cars. For some reason I traded in the 97 for 99 300M because it was all the rage, MT Car of the year. It was basically a Vision TSI. Same engine, trans etc. Never had a issue with any of them. But I did sell them at around 50k miles. Would love to have the 97 TSI again.
Worst design: Malibu 2008-2012 you have to drop the front bumper assembly to change the headlight bulbs!
About 45 minutes before this video dropped I was talking about the fenderwell battery placement. Fairly ironic
I'm a Cadillac specialist, .... so there is want I have to say.... Like anything, it just takes a little knowledge & some practice. Removing the facia (bumper) to do repairs (headlight bulbs, engines, transmissions) is a standard. 1/2 dozen clips & a few screws & the facia is off. The first one I did was daunting, but after a while, you don't think about it.... easy money! Same goes for replacing a starter on a NorthStar. Removing the intake is daunting for most. So we get the gravy job. If I press it, I can change the starter under an hour.
1999 Concorde LXi owner here. Still have it, 26 years as of today, ~147,000 miles. It's been a while, but when I once changed the battery myself I was able to slip the old one out with the wheels turned all the way to the left. Did not have to remove the RH wheel.
I have a 2007 Chrysler Sebring and not only do you have to remove the fender liner to change the battery, it also makes it easier to change the headlight bulbs as well as the fog light bulbs.
I had a coworker with a Chrysler LHS. He once told me that if a front tire was flat, it was impossible to get the jack under the car to facilitate your own tire change. Great design!!!
My late 2011 build Mopar battery was replaced in fall 2023 as a precaution for winter as it wouldn't hold a charge for more than a few days unless driven or recharged.
I had a 2005 Intrepid with 3.5 V6 ES, which was a company car. It was super reliable and one of the best cars I have had. We bought it from the leasing company when the lease was up and a family member drove it for years. It eventually got written off in a traffic accident but that was after it did over 200,000 miles on it. When it went to the wrecker, it still had the original transmission and it worked fine, just the back of the car was damaged as it got rear ended by a Chevy halfton.
Just replaced the battery on my '97 Dodge Stratus two weeks ago. It wasn't too bad. The plastic fender shield has fasteners that you simply rotate to remove and they stay with the shield so they don't get lost. The battery has GM style posts.
On one of my other cars, a 2007 BMW Z4 M Roadster, the battery is in the trunk, right over the rear axle. Its quite difficult to replace because its a very tight spot between the trunk floor and the convertible top shield. The standard Z4 (non M), which I used to have, has it under the trunk floor close to the rear of the car where its much easier to access.
Battery in trunk: ✔
Battery in wheelwell:❌
Nope. Bentley puts them in the electrically-operated boot. Guess what happens when the battery dies?
@@grayrabbit2211; Just pry it open with big ass pinch bar.
@@grayrabbit2211 you jump off the post underhood then pop the trunk
@@grayrabbit2211the Lincoln LS and the last generation Thunderbird did too.
Don’t remember what car it was , but the battery was in the trunk. My Dad was lucky if he got a year out of the battery. Something about the temperature control was on the Alternator, so battery was under or over charged.
Yeah, a nice Idea, the ease of replacements of common parts, like a battery, head lights, breaks, light fixtures.
I had a 2002 Sebring with the battery in the wheel well and it was honestly more of a head-shaking conversation piece than it ever was an actual hassle. During my time of ownership, I had to change the battery once and from an engineering standpoint, I felt it was pretty well done. I think I remember it being a side-post setup and the screws and panel I needed to remove to get to the battery I could tell were strategically placed with battery replacement in mind. Nothing gave me trouble to remove, and I quite liked the nice little platform designed for the battery to hang out on.
Now, something I hated about that car and many others is the internal water pump. They can just go all the way to hell with that idea on any car that has it!
I have many times successfully replaced these batteries both with vehicle on the hoist and on the ground(when the lifts were tied up). Sure, on the lift is easier, practically a no brainer. But changing one out on the ground isn't much harder. For someone who has little tools to work with, just run the engine, steer the front wheel in the direction so it opens up the space behind the battery, shut engine off. Use the jack the car came with, and lift the corner of the car where the battery is located. The wheel doesn't need to be off the ground, just touching some. No removal necessary. This gives you sufficient space to make the swap like you would on the lift.
Also recommend after cleaning all the connections and hardware, applying a coat of fluid film or something equivalent to the terminal posts and hold down bolts. Just a little extra corrosion protection and peace of mind.
Thanks for the content, Adam! I always appreciate it. 😃
I still own a '96 Plymouth Breeze, and this has also been my experience. I've also never had to remove the wheel to change out the battery.
Cannot do it with 17 inch wheels. Could do it by turning the wheels on 15 and 16 inch wheels. I changed a bunch of them as an AutoZone store manager. I was the only store in Greensboro NC at the time that would change them. Got pretty quick with them!
My Audi 5000 has the battery under the back seat. If the weather is nice so you can put the seat bottom on the roof of the car, changing the battery is actually quite easy. And there's a jump post provided in the engine compartment.
The Ford Focus ,Fusion and small Transit van all have the battery mostlyunder the driver side cowl, You have to carefully disassemble the plastic panels that form the battery box with a power distribution box on top. One car had the battery sulfating and boiling, made the lady sick that came to our shop. Good thing that battery might have exploded. As a former Chrysler tech those LH cars all had leaking A/C evaporators. Pull out the entire dash and hvac case. Cha Ching.
I changed the battery on my 300M. I only had to do it once. It wasn’t that big of a deal to be honest. The battery in my 300C was better located in the trunk. It lasted a lot longer as it was away from the engine heat. Not a bad location for it after all. Oh, and BTW the 300M was the best FWD car I had ever driven.
I owned a 2001 300M sport. I loved it, it was quite fast and spacious, not bad on gas. I think my battery was under hood. To be honest I never had a problem with it, nor anything else on the car. My biggest complaint was the cheap paint Chrysler used. It easily chipped, especially the hood. 👍🙂
I like how Adam talks about possible battery corrosion but totally ignores the rusted suspension components beyond disrepair 😉🤣😎
Looks like the photo was taken in a salvage yard
Jeep Wrangler JL/JT with 'ESS" have a second smaller battery that requires the inner fender liner to be removed and battery removed downward.. I suspect the same engineer years later.
Yep, the new Grand Cherokees two batteries are under the drivers seat and the front passenger seat.
Good stuff. I have one of those Caddy’s you mentioned, a 2007 CTS. Has those projector headlamps but the lenses are all oxidized. I keep using those headlamp restoration kits, because a new one is big $ (over $300) AND you gotta take the bumper off of a 17 yo 210k mile northern car. Also had a mid 60’s F100 4x4 with the battery under the passenger side floorboards.
Battery placement has much more to do with cable length. Lowering centre of gravity ( batteries are heavy) as well as chassis balance and reducing noise vibration and harshness
Still a nasty. Spot. But those are some of the reasons it’s location
I used to work for a specialty battery retailer and the worst location that I ever encountered were on the late '80's to early '90's GM full sized vans that had the 6.2 litre diesel. They used a dual battery for starting and the second battery was in a box underneath. Access was reasonably ease, but it was a real struggle to actually lift the battery into the box while laying on your back.
My 2009 Chevrolet HHR headlamp bulb replacement required the partial removal of the plastic wheel liner, along with cranking the road wheel inboard, in order to access the back of the headlamp housing.
For the 2016-2019 Buick LaCross, you have to remove the entire headlamp assembly to change either headlamp bulb. Which of course, means pulling the front bumper. It’s a good thing no one bought those cars.
You must be doing it wrong.
Reminds me of my Dad's 1969 Firebird convertible with the 400 c.i.d. V-8... in order to change the rear spark plugs on the passenger side we had to cut a hole in the fender liner. Our friendly local auto parts store carried a patch panel with a template for cutting the appropriate hole in the liner (which was metal, not plastic like they are nowadays) and a gasket to keep water and road salt in our northern winters from getting into the engine compartment.
I started my automotive career as a battery tech at sears automotive in the late 00s and have done hundreds of these cars , I got pretty good at them , the worst were the could cars that had the gm style side terminals that always got corroded and had to be replaced but I always made more money doing them . The worst battery placements were the gm minivans that you had to take the whole cowl apart. I hated doing those.
My mother had a Buick a couple of years ago. She took it to her mechanic for its regular service (oil change and tire rotation). They did a battery test and found that it was weak (it was 5 years old) so she told them to go ahead and replace it. She gets the car back and she calls me, tells me I need to reinstall the car seat for my daughter. So I ask her, why did they take the car seat out? Told me the battery was underneath the rear seat! Never really thought about where the battery was, always assumed it was in the engine compartment. Learned something new that day!
Went right to this video! Still own a 2000 Cirrus, daily driver, 2.5 Mitsubishi V6 that doesn't leak or use oil. My battery went out in Yosemite National Park in 2014, second battery after OEM. I was lucky enough there was a garage in the valley that had the part. The mechanic changed the battery in about 20 minutes WITHOUT removing the wheel. That battery lasted 8 years. It's too bad what has happened to our domestic car industry. They sure don't make em like they used to.
My 2003 Benz C32 AMG had the crankshaft position sensor sandwiched between the transmission and engine at sort of a 2 o'clock angle, gated off by the intake, throttle body, and firewall, with the bolt hole being *under* the main crank pos sensor. So you needed a non-floppy u-joint , tiny tiny tiny torx driver, and about a city block of extensions to get to the dang thing. Of course, half the PCV rubber hoses crumbled into atoms during intake disassembly, and are AMG-specific, so that was a fun side quest in fabrication.
I'm a fan of the battery being under the rear seat or in the trunk. Keeps the battery out of the elements and away from the extreme temp cycles as well. In my experience batteries seem to last much longer in these locations. Just make sure your vent tube is installed correctly.
Two of my least favorite: 1.The 198x Firebird with the blower motor in the passenger side fender. If you don't want to take apart the whole fender to get at it, GM 'helpfully' had a cutout embossed on the fender liner showing you where to cut. 2. Mid 1980s Fords with early fuel injection. To read diagnostic codes, jumper 2 wires and connect an analog voltmeter to a test point under the hood. Then count the sweeps of the voltmeter's needle and compare to a chart to decode. Compare to Chrysler where you flip the ignition on/off/on 3x and count the blinks of the check engine light. I had a 1994 LHS and it was one of my favorite cars.
You came up with this video right around the time that I will have to replace the battery in my Sebring. It's not an incredibly hard job but still, having to jack up the car, remove the wheel etc. is so much more cumbersome than just removing a bracket and lifting out the battery. And I have also experienced the xenon headlight replacement on my Cadillac SRX as you described, it had it done by the dealership but indeed they had to remove the entire font fascia, and then take out the lamp housing.
My Chrysler Cirrus and Sebring both had the fender battery. One positive was that away from the engine heat they lasted for a really long time.