A4 Battery Cover Access Mod

Fix_Until_Broke

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 8, 2004
Location
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, USA
TDI
03 Jetta, 03 TT TDI
I got sick and tired of scraping the backs of my fingers on the fender edge every time I took off my battery cover to jump start something - you know that you never need to jump start something when it's 80F and sunny, no, it's always 6 degrees and windy so you have to take your gloves off to get the battery cover off and you drag your knuckles across the edge of the fender - arrrggghhh.

So when I replaced my battery (OEM one lasted 6 years!) I "modified the fender" a little to reduce this problem.

I took an adjustable wrench and bent the fender edge down for a couple inches along where you need to slide your fingers in. Then I took a rubber hammer and beat it down the rest of the way to make a smooth transition. The paint flakes off as shown in the picture, but I re-painted it with some similar color spray paint and you can barely tell unless someone pointed it out.

I'll take another picture sometime with the battery and cover installed and also painted, but for now the below will get the idea across.

Hope it helps someone's knuckles

 

Birdman

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 7, 1999
Location
Near Hagerstown MD.
TDI
Jetta 2001 Died by Truck one snowy day. Jetta 2003
Not sure why you are modifying anything. I just use the hot side which is very east to get to and put the ground on the engine where it should be. As most know you need to be very careful when jumping these newer cars so you don't burn up and expensive ECU.
 

burpod

teh stallionz!!1
Joined
Nov 27, 2004
Location
cape cod, ma
TDI
82 rabbit vnt ahu, 98 jetta vnt ahu, 05 parts car, 88 scirocco.. :/
i just don't have a battery cover anymore, easy mod :p
 

DucMike

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2006
Location
Sacramento, CA
TDI
none
I hate to say it, but as good a samaritan as I am, I just don't take chances by jumping anything with my '03. Call me paranoid, but I just dont want to risk it.
 

Keebler145

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2008
Location
Niles, Ohio
TDI
Jetta MKIV 2000, 2003, and MKV 2006 PD DSG
DucMike said:
I hate to say it, but as good a samaritan as I am, I just don't take chances by jumping anything with my '03. Call me paranoid, but I just dont want to risk it.
Same here if I don't have the old 7.3l Powerstroke f-550 I just keep on driving :eek:.
 

Fix_Until_Broke

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 8, 2004
Location
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, USA
TDI
03 Jetta, 03 TT TDI
Birdman said:
Not sure why you are modifying anything. I just use the hot side which is very east to get to and put the ground on the engine where it should be. As most know you need to be very careful when jumping these newer cars so you don't burn up and expensive ECU.
Birdman (or anyone else) - Probably the dumb questions of the day, but...How is the hot side any easier to get at than the ground side, why should you ground to the engine instead of the ground side of the battery and, how would you burn up the ECU jump starting something else?
 

Honeydew

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 28, 2006
Location
Florida
TDI
13 Passat DSG
Hey FUB, the experts over on the Jeep CRD forum have explored that topic in great detail in this thread.
 
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Location
Conway, Arkansas
TDI
2000 Jetta GLS TDI
blah blah blah

is it a myth???? just like they say you can't weld unless you unhook the battery. too many knuckheads have shorted out their own vehicle before they get hooked to the dead one, hence most people don't follow the correct cable hooking procedure.

I use my Jetta to jump my Duramax.
 

merkerguitars

Veteran Member
Joined
May 10, 2004
Location
Elmwood, WI
TDI
01 Jetta
burpod said:
i just don't have a battery cover anymore, easy mod :p
Same here, first few things I did when I bought my car,

Battery cover, took it off, headlight trim, took it off, engine cover, took it off.
 

milehighassassin

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 18, 2005
Location
Fort Collins, CO
TDI
2005 Golf TDi PD, Reflex Silver
Things get toasted on new vehicles when you reverse the polarity.


If you hook up red to red and black to black (or another ground) then you will be fine. I usually try and hook up to a shock strut, mount etc, instead of the black on the battery.
 
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