Batteries not Anchored in the Engine Bay

D60 · 2025-08-08T17:54:45-0400

Does anyone else see this frequently? I'd say 7/10 vehicles I touch have no battery hold-down or it's improperly installed or missing pieces or the battery is the wrong size and they give up.

I've always believed it's important for both safety and battery life to have it snugged to the battery tray. If I install a different battery (mostly older trucks) I build a hold-down system.

I should stop being surprised but every time I see it I get annoyed. We're not in the rust belt so that's less of an excuse here.

Jetronic · 2025-08-08T18:03:02-0400

it's a fail if the battery isn't secure during inspection here.

SC Maintenance · 2025-08-08T18:08:35-0400

My dad never secured his. Never had an issue that I recall.

Fort Knox levels of tie down for me.

I also like to put a piece of dense silicone rubber gasket material underneath - I believe it helps absorb the vibration.

gfh77665 · 2025-08-08T18:23:21-0400

Derek from Vice Grip Garage faced the camera in one episode with the car about 10 feet behind him, hood propped up. He briefly explained to the viewers "I am getting close to cranking it" and then said "it was time to throw a battery in it". Camera panned out, he picked up a battery at his feet and slung it into the engine bay. LOL

HemiBenny · 2025-08-08T18:53:12-0400

Yes.
I’d say that I’ve seen far more vehicles that didn’t have the battery secured than ones that did, even if it’s the correct battery.
Since you mentioned the wrong size, that’s something else that I’ve seen frequently. I’m sure that’s a case where it was the cheapest battery that they could buy, smaller or larger, where they could wrestle the terminals onto the posts.

nomas · 2025-08-08T18:56:34-0400

I put a new battery in my Titan and it was taller than the old one . The threaded rods were too short . I put a bungee cord on it and ordered exactly what I needed from Amazon . Two days and I was back in business . It ain't hard ...

ripcord · 2025-08-08T19:13:52-0400

All too often. A proper tarp doesn't cost much.

HemiBenny · 2025-08-08T19:18:44-0400

nomas said:
It ain't hard ...

You're right, it ain't hard, but it seems that some people "can't be bothered," as I like to say.

50yr Street Mech · 2025-08-08T19:31:45-0400

Should be secured down. Especially FLA batteries. That acid will come out the vents and splash over everything, making a corrosive mess of things in the engine bay. May even eat some wiring. Who needs that aggravation.

Pablo · 2025-08-08T19:34:38-0400

I bought a car that had a bungee holding the battery

Ursatdx · 2025-08-08T19:41:23-0400

Might be the cause of some of the car fires we see.

Mechanician · 2025-08-08T19:43:57-0400

I think it's simply below the "action level" on many people's priority list. Like flossing.

eljefino · 2025-08-08T20:01:55-0400

My plow truck came with a ratchet strap holding the battery down. I upgraded to a group 65 and the strap remains. It does a remarkable job.

A bungee just changes the resonant frequency of the battery shaking its plates when the vehicle encounters bumps.

Pablo · 2025-08-08T20:10:03-0400

Ever seen a battery hit metal fan blade?

SC Maintenance · 2025-08-08T20:10:13-0400

Just to confirm - I had not seen these until we bought our Toyota - a lot of cars use clamps on the bottom now. If you don't see anything on top take a look.

D60 · 2025-08-08T20:57:16-0400

Pablo said:
I bought a car that had a bungee holding the battery

I see bungees often. They do very little against a dense, heavy, square battery.

HemiBenny · 2025-08-08T20:59:32-0400

Pablo said:
I bought a car that had a bungee holding the battery

At least they tried!

That showed that they were thinking, "Maybe we should,...like,...strap this down or something?'

Olds394 · 2025-08-08T21:09:13-0400

It’s a hold over from the days when mom's arm holding a cigarette was your seat belt. A mature adult clamps it down.

Pterostylis · 2025-08-08T21:58:39-0400

SC Maintenance said:
Just to confirm - I had not seen these until we bought our Toyota - a lot of cars use clamps on the bottom now. If you don't see anything on top take a look.

View attachment 294255

Those have been popular with modified cars for decades. There used to be some really cool designs for optima batteries.

clinebarger · 2025-08-08T22:21:21-0400

D60 said:
Does anyone else see this frequently? I'd say 7/10 vehicles I touch have no battery hold-down or it's improperly installed or missing pieces or the battery is the wrong size and they give up.

I've always believed it's important for both safety and battery life to have it snugged to the battery tray. If I install a different battery (mostly older trucks) I build a hold-down system.

I should stop being surprised but every time I see it I get annoyed. We're not in the rust belt so that's less of an excuse here.

If the vehicles older (10-15 years)....About the same ratio as you. Less likely on newer stuff.

People that drive around with a bad battery needing to jump it off like it's a normal thing grinds my gears far more!!

Batteries not Anchored in the Engine Bay

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