1st Gen R53 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: Broken Battery Cable Clamp

  1. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    #12 Nathan, Apr 19, 2012
    Fixed that for ya.
     
  2. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    #6 Metalman, Aug 12, 2011
    Might this be the picsure everyone is waiting for?

    [​IMG]
     
  3. Dru

    Dru New Member

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    #10 Dru, Apr 19, 2012
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2012
    Thanks for that info Batrugger!

    My sister just had the same problem on her Mini. The Mini dealer wouldn't sell the bolt on its own. They said they could "special order" the bolt AND cable for $150, while the BMW dealer had them in stock for $280. A quick web search found this page, so she went to the VW dealer and got the bolt for $12.50, no cable purchase required! :D

    [​IMG]
     
  4. ScottinBend

    ScottinBend Space Cowboy
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    #2 ScottinBend, Aug 12, 2011
    :useless
     
  5. goaljnky

    goaljnky New Member

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    #3 goaljnky, Aug 12, 2011
    Hey, I did that once. Bob Smith was kind enough to find the screw for me gratis.
     
  6. Batrugger

    Batrugger New Member

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    #4 Batrugger, Aug 12, 2011
    Sorry no pictures and it is all assembled. It is the 10mm nut on the clamp that tightens onto the battery post. Underneath the nut is a metal wedge that pulls the clamp tight onto the post when it is tightened.

    Seems to be a common problem
     
  7. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    #5 Crashton, Aug 12, 2011
    VW wedgie FTW! :D
     
  8. goaljnky

    goaljnky New Member

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    #7 goaljnky, Aug 12, 2011
    That is the one.
     
  9. Batrugger

    Batrugger New Member

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    #8 Batrugger, Aug 12, 2011
    :Thumbsup:
     
  10. ScottinBend

    ScottinBend Space Cowboy
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    #9 ScottinBend, Aug 12, 2011
    gotcha..........I have one of those?

    :biggrin5:
     
  11. goaljnky

    goaljnky New Member

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    #11 goaljnky, Apr 19, 2012
    And hence the mathematical exception: $12.50 > $150.
     
  12. Batrugger

    Batrugger New Member

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    #13 Batrugger, Jun 11, 2012
    Nice, so glad to hear that
     
  13. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    #14 agranger, Jun 11, 2012
    I found a few weeks ago that my positive terminal clamp (the same one pictured above) had stopped holding firmly to the battery terminal. I started to really torque down on the bolt when I had a sudden jolt of wisdom (no idea where it came from) and stopped myself before I could shear the bolt. It had hit bottom and couldn't tighten up any more... almost like the terminal was a bit smaller than it should be.

    I stopped at a local Autozone to get a new clamp (I was going to cut the wire, peel a bit back and install a new clamp), when I came across a perfect solution. For $1.50, I bought a battery terminal shim... a small cap that looked like a small, maleable thimble. I removed the OEM clamp, put the shim down over the terminal post and then re-attached the clamp. The shim made the post a bit larger and the old clamp worked like a charm!

    Every time I replace the battery, I think I'll slip these little gadgets on, just to be safe.

    [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Pico-0843PT-Universal-Battery-Package/dp/B001QRTXCM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1339440158&sr=8-3"]Amazon.com: Pico 0843PT Universal Battery Top Post Lead Shim for Worn Posts 2 per Package: Automotive@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41D0LARjHQL.@@AMEPARAM@@41D0LARjHQL[/ame]