Battery not secure in Chevy truck

[mjoekingz28]

Hey. I have a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado and the battery isn't secure. It has one mount, which is in place to keep it from elevating (or coming up), but side-to-side, it will slide a couple of inches (or so) pretty freely in the battery tray.


Is there a pad to put underneath or a wedge to put on one side of the battery that I am missing? I highly doubt the factory would let it leave the plant with a battery sliding around during turns.





Edit: well, after looking at a parts diagram, it seems I am missing an insulator p#10246636. Is it as simple as going to the dealer, taking the battery out, wrapping it in the insulator, then reinstalling. I kind of hate to mess with the wiring as I had a professional stereo installed recently and they upgraded the battery terminal. I don't know alot about side-post batteries.

 

[HerrStig]

Is it a stock size battery? A 2003 is sure to have had one replacement.

 

[bubbatime]

http://www.dormanproducts.com/c-150-battery-hold-downs.aspx

 

[Nick1994]

The problem might be the battery itself.

My mom had a 2003 Buick. We used Auto Zone batteries its whole life, at the bottom of those batteries it has a large edge for the battery hold down to clamp it down tight.

Last year the battery died and I figured I'd try an O'Reillys battery. Those batteries have a tiny little 1/8" edge on the side of the battery to clamp down on. I bolted it down and I went to check the oil a week later and the battery was rubbing against the water pump, it slid sideways and it was eating away at the battery. I couldn't clamp it down tight enough.

Went and bought another Auto Zone battery and put them side by side, whoa! Huge difference. Returned the O'Reillys battery.

I use a ratchet strap to hold down the battery for my Camry. Not pretty, but it works good.

 

[4wd]

Just ordered one off eBay getting ready to upsize a battery ...
... just in time for 15w40 HDEO in these brutal south Texas winters.

 

[SatinSilver]

I'd get it secure since it's not good for the battery to moving around like that. Probably not too safe either. Think, kaboom! The one in the Matrix was loose for awhile. Since the bottom of the hold down is very hard to get into place. I think I just ended up having the dealer secure it even though I bought the battery somewhere else. I can easily see why someone didn't want to bother with it if it's anything like the one in the Matrix.

 

[Chris142]

Every auto part store will have the battery hold down block.

 

[bioburner]

Originally Posted By: 4WD
Just ordered one off eBay getting ready to upsize a battery ...
... just in time for 15w40 HDEO in these brutal south Texas winters.

Hey I heard about the great chill you had earlier. I had three stoves going while my folks in RGV were whining about 44 Minus 28 here before windchill

 

[mjoekingz28]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
Every auto part store will have the battery hold down block.




Chris142, as I said I have the hold down block. It should not go anywhere up. I tightened it down some more and it did not cinch it down to keep it from moving horizontally. It needs something to keep it from sliding since the battery tray is bigger than the battery. Maybe my battery is undersized. It is correct for the vehicle, but you know how some tires of the same size have different measurements?


The dealer can get the insulator, so maybe that cushion is all it needs to hold firm.

 

[Rand]

Originally Posted By: mjoekingz28
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Every auto part store will have the battery hold down block.




Chris142, as I said I have the hold down block. It should not go anywhere up. I tightened it down some more and it did not cinch it down to keep it from moving horizontally. It needs something to keep it from sliding since the battery tray is bigger than the battery. Maybe my battery is undersized. It is correct for the vehicle, but you know how some tires of the same size have different measurements?



The dealer can get the insulator, so maybe that cushion is all it needs to hold firm.



Possible user error. pics please. maybe the clamp is flipped around?

What size battery is it. I had many different batteries and the clamp holds down on that lip and it does not go anywhere.

 

[jhellwig]

Flip the wedge clamp over. They can be flipped to different batteries.

 

[danthaman1980]

Originally Posted By: mjoekingz28
Hey. I have a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado and the battery isn't secure. It has one mount, which is in place to keep it from elevating (or coming up), but side-to-side, it will slide a couple of inches (or so) pretty freely in the battery tray.


Is there a pad to put underneath or a wedge to put on one side of the battery that I am missing? I highly doubt the factory would let it leave the plant with a battery sliding around during turns.





Edit: well, after looking at a parts diagram, it seems I am missing an insulator p#10246636. Is it as simple as going to the dealer, taking the battery out, wrapping it in the insulator, then reinstalling. I kind of hate to mess with the wiring as I had a professional stereo installed recently and they upgraded the battery terminal. I don't know alot about side-post batteries.


I had this exact problem in my 2003 Chevy when I installed my current AGM battery. The hold down lip on the battery is a bit too low/does not protrude quite enough, and the net effect is the hold down block does not produce enough downward force on the battery, even when tightened down all the way - so the battery would slide back and forth. (my hold down block is symmetrical - same geometry on both the top and the bottom - so flipping it over would not help).

So here's what I did...

I affixed a few lengths of 3/8" thick EPDM weatherstripping to the underside of the battery, then installed it as normal. The weatherstripping compresses to ~1/8", so it pushes the battery up just enough to promote solid contact between the lip and the hold-down block. It also increases the friction between the battery and the tray. So, no more sliding back and forth.

 

[mjoekingz28]

Thanks. I will try to check around for a battery mat. Just some kind of dense rubber like that EPDM weatherstrip.


Yes. I recently has suspected the lip n the battery did not meet OEM specs.

I was/am pretty close to making a service appt.

 

[mjoekingz28]

Alright BITOG. You saved me some $$$ and the dealership the angst of having to deal with me.

I went out to the shop and cut up some old tool box drawer liners I had after upgrading them when Sears was leaving town.

I cut two roughly in the shape of the battery 6" X 10" and after loosening the crossbar and the mount I tilted the battery the best I could to wedge one on the left side, then lifted it cross corner (old billiards lingo) and put another piece.


It is not neat at all, but you probably wouldn't notice even if you knew. I will probably do it right if the battery is ever out of the truck since I did not want to fool with the battery leads.

Now it will barely wiggle if you shake on it.

 

[wtd]

That is strange. I have had both Autozone and O'Reilly batteries in both of my 98 chevy trucks using the factory wedge clamp and have never had any problems with the battery being loose. I don't know how much different these parts are from my year to yours but I can't believe it's any or much at all. Is there something under the battery tray that is not allowing the clamp bolt to tighten all of the way down?

 

[mjoekingz28]

Probably just differences among batteries. Mine maybe just had less of a lip as was already stated.

I didn't even notice it was loose until cleaning the area and wiping down the battery and then noticed it will just slide side to side in the battery tray, but the clamp would prevent it from jumping or going up at all.