Engine Battery Replacement 2016 TK

Topic: Engine Battery Replacement 2016 TK (Read 570 times) previous topic - next topic

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January 05, 2022, 06:37:35 pm

I recently purchased a 2016 Twin King with only 11,270 miles...garage kept but in need of new engine battery, chassis batteries, tires and maintenance on most all systems. Low miles but for me i prefer to know everything is fresh. I travel solo and rather not take risks.
I drove the rig back home 725 mile in almost 13 hours....the engine battery cranked each time until it didnt....
I chose a Diehard Platnium 65-AGM...purchased from Advance Auto because they are nationwide....with a 3 year full replacement.
I read the manual....turned the house batteries off, took the solar fuse out, cut off the solar controller and proceded to check the battery with my meter.....still hot!!!!!
I scratched my head and then called Todd at Lazy Daze.....he put me on hold after i told him what i had done so far....after a bit he came back and said, go ahead and just replace the battery with 14.1 showing on my meter...yikes.
I looked closely at the tight fit of the battery, cables and ac pressure lines( with metal fittings right up close to battery cable ends)....
I took thinish cardboard and wrapped the ac metal fittings..wrapped and taped the battery posts....so far so good....
I unscrewed the one and only hold down bolt and block.....as soon as the bolt came loose i heard the nut (made into battery tray base) drop on to something metal and slide ....that should not have happened.
The battery tray is another genius idea by Ford....plastic tray with an embedded pot metal piece holding A square nut in the center....made to break away if it becomes rusted to the bolt....but if you "gorilla" the hold down screw too tight while tightening it down it also breaks away..I removed the tray and used my magnetic telescoping tool...searched for an hour....gave up and went to Ford....they had one in stock....which usually means they sell alot of them....
On the original tray there was green tape over the under side over where the nut was..my question...during build at factory..was this left by a technician at Lazy Daze.....assuming so....
I wrestled the heavy battery back into place being very careful not to knock loose the cable ends from where i had tucked them back. I found the insolator blanket that goes around the battery needs to go back on after you install the hold down bolt...ask me how i know this..lol.
I secured the bolt into the nut in the plastic tray....just snug enough so the battery did not move....will check after driving some. Slipped the blanket back around the battery case. I used the battery tool to rough up the posts and applied the grease to them after installing the red and black anti corrosion rings..donuts...i brushed the positive cable with the battery tool ...tighten it to the post then the negative....
Working with hot cables is a little nerve racking...Now i know most everyone here knows how to replace a battery.....BUT
I am curious if anyone has had this same issue...with no way to cut the power coming in from the solar panels.....