MK4 Battery Hold Down Tab

[reildawg]

My captive nut mounted beneath the battery tray which the tab's bolt fastens to has come free, and now any attempt to loosen the bolt and remove the battery just spins the lower captive nut. I have tried reaching through as much as possible but can't get a wrench or socket on the nut as is.
If anyone else has experienced this, I'm looking for a solution that wouldn't require disassembling the front end, as it's winter here in Newfoundland, and the car is currently snowed in. I've considered the chisel and hammer solution of breaking the tab, but I'd rather not damage the battery.

 

[Nuje]

Yeah - only thing I can think of is to dig out and remove the front bumper cover so you can get a tool on the spinning nut.. You can spend a lot more time trying other stuff that *might* work, and probably end up having to do this anyway.

 

[Mongler98]

make a small electromagnet with some copper wire and a nail and put it down there, turn it on and get nut back. simple.

 

[Nuje]

Don't think the issue is that the nut has dropped, but rather, that the captive nut broke loose and is spinning along with the bolt; needs some way to lock the nut in place.

 

[Mongler98]

Can you weld? One trick is to get a welding electrode and weld it on to the side of the nut. Bend the rod. Hold it in place and run it in with an impact. Otherwise your doing to need to drill a few holes around the hole for the nut on the top and thread a bolt into it and spot weld the edges of the nut from the top side though the small holes you drilled. Otherwise your taking the tray off.

 

[oilhammer]

Just get a big chisel or pry bar and hammer down on the edge of the battery tray and break it off. It is plastic, it will snap (especially in the cold) or at least deform enough and you can then lift the battery out and access the four screws that hold the [now broken] tray down so you can replace it. Use some anti-seize on the new hold down bolt thread and tray so it won't happen again.