Dodge Neon battery relocation

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Most conventional battery relocation kits are not worth the money, especially Summit's. The Summit kit includes only one piece of 20 ft cable. The majority of the parts that come with the kit is just mounting hardware which is fairly inexpensive and not needed anyways because most of it can be reused from the factory battery tray.

Two 4 gauge cables will be requird, about 20 ft each. One for the starter and one for the fuse box. Now it is conceivable that you could use one piece and split it under the hood to run to both locations, but I would not recommend this unless you are using very heavy cable (1 gauge or greater). So two pieces will need to be run from the trunk to the starter motor and relay. Battery terminals will also be needed, and can be purchased easily at any auto parts stores.

Procedure

  1. Start by running the wire, it is recommended to start in the trunk. It is a good idea to tape or attach the two wires together so the following steps only have to be performed once.
  2. Pull up the carpeting in the trunk on one side and then slide the wire under until it reached the back seats.
  3. From the inside of the car pull up the back seat and pulled down the seat backs.
  4. Grab the cable and pull it under the seat back and into the cabin. Since the back seat is removed you can see where the see where the carpeting ends.
  5. Remove the center console. It is attached with screws in the cup holders and arm rest.
  6. Run the wire under the carpeting in the back to the console area.
  7. Run the wire through there so it will be covered by the console when it is put back on.
  8. Run it under the carpeting again across the driver's side floor and up to the firewall, from which it will enter the engine compartment.
  9. Attach the wire to the starter motor. This will be a difficult place to reach, and will require a socket extension. A possible way to gain access is from beneath of the car.
    • The lazy man's way would be to splice into the factory wire already attached to the motor however this is not recommended due to potential electrical issues later.
  10. Attaching the other wire to the Fuse box.
  11. Remove the battery from it's tray.
  12. The battery tray can be reused in the trunk because it holds the battery very firmly. However, the batter tray also supports the fuse box and holds the battery temperature sensor. This will require purchasing a key hole straw from a hardware store.
  13. Saw out the front of the battery tray which hold the sensor and bolts to the chassis. If you do this you no longer need to relocate the sensor. The sensor really has no vital function and will do just fine sitting there by himself. You will also want to leave that pipe which runs down beneath the car in place because it will be a good source of cold air for your cone filter.
  14. Remove the whole battery tray and disconnect the fuse box. Saw off the upper half of the back wall of the battery tray which has the mounts for the fuse box and the hole for mounting to the chassis.
  15. Reattach the fuse box in a stable position without a need for the battery tray.
  16. Saw the fin shaped plastic pieces off the bottom of the tray. It will now be able to sit level in the trunk.
  17. Take the tray out to the trunk and drill about four holes in it right down through the body of the car. It can be screwed down with some flush mount screws, and then the screws wiped with sealant beneath the car to prevent rust from forming.
  18. Mount the battery back in the tray using the metal flap and screw, which you should not have cut off with the temperature sensor
  19. Cut a small slit in the trunk carpeting to run the cable back up to the battery.
  20. The ground cable in the battery can be attached to any metal object in the trunk, preferably a threaded hole.

The first time the car will start it will stall, which is a result of the battery being disconnected. But afterwords there should be no problems.