HoosierDaddy
Well-Known Member
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- #1
The batteries of our 2016 GT and 2013 ATS were showing their age and I replaced them both in the last 3 weeks. I guess GM uses better batteries. The Mustang battery had already been replaced once under warranty.
The ATS has the battery in the trunk (helps with the 50/50 weight distribution). And a LOT of stuff has to be removed to get to it. Only an extension for the positive terminal is accessible without removing a bunch of cosmetic and other parts. So I decided to install the ATS battery myself to avoid the $50 extra charge for all that and to avoid ticking time bombs from any mistakes buried far from view.
When at the point of shoehorning the new battery into its cave, I noticed the new battery was AGM and did not have a nipple for a vent hose. The original battery did have a down facing nipple molded into a battery top overhang and a vent hose attached to the car.
When I returned the factory battery for the core, I asked about that and the tech showed me a small hole on the same model battery I just installed where a nipple could be inserted and I asked if I needed to get an L nipple, install it and hook up the vent hose. He said they only leave a place for a nipple for old-schoolers but there is no need for a vent hose with the latest AGM batteries.
On the one hand, I can't see a motive for a senior tech to lie to me, but on the other hand I have dash-cam video of a Ford dealer top tech taking 5 minutes to figure out how to get my MGW shifter into reverse, so techs aren't necessarily geniuses.
Anyone know if the tech is right? Either way, looks like I was right to install it myself because his comment means they likely wouldn't have added a nipple and hooked up the vent.
The ATS has the battery in the trunk (helps with the 50/50 weight distribution). And a LOT of stuff has to be removed to get to it. Only an extension for the positive terminal is accessible without removing a bunch of cosmetic and other parts. So I decided to install the ATS battery myself to avoid the $50 extra charge for all that and to avoid ticking time bombs from any mistakes buried far from view.
When at the point of shoehorning the new battery into its cave, I noticed the new battery was AGM and did not have a nipple for a vent hose. The original battery did have a down facing nipple molded into a battery top overhang and a vent hose attached to the car.
When I returned the factory battery for the core, I asked about that and the tech showed me a small hole on the same model battery I just installed where a nipple could be inserted and I asked if I needed to get an L nipple, install it and hook up the vent hose. He said they only leave a place for a nipple for old-schoolers but there is no need for a vent hose with the latest AGM batteries.
On the one hand, I can't see a motive for a senior tech to lie to me, but on the other hand I have dash-cam video of a Ford dealer top tech taking 5 minutes to figure out how to get my MGW shifter into reverse, so techs aren't necessarily geniuses.
Anyone know if the tech is right? Either way, looks like I was right to install it myself because his comment means they likely wouldn't have added a nipple and hooked up the vent.
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