Under bonnet battery connections

[enuff_zed]

Morning all,
With the enforced lay up of wifey's 2.5i I have dug out the solar charger from the garage to keep her battery topped up a little. It hangs under the front of the car port, out of the rain, and facing the sun for most of the day. Working a treat.
It comes with crocodile clips which fit fine on the under-bonnet points, but obviously I cannot then get the +ve terminal cover back on, and it's a faff to disconnect when she does want to use it.
The crocodile clips are on a shortish length of cable with a plug so they can be disconnected from the longer cable to the solar charger.
I would like to permanently install the shorter length of cable in the car, replacing the crocodile clips with ring connectors, thus satisfying my tidy mind by being able to put the +ve cap back on.

Before I dive in and knacker something, can someone please tell me if the two hexagonal connection points under the bonnet are able to unscrew, to fit the ring connectors under?

Thank you.

 

[kis]

I'd go one better and wire something up internally, directly to the battery. Then you can leave the solar panel on the inside dash?

 

[enuff_zed]

I'd go one better and wire something up internally, directly to the battery. Then you can leave the solar panel on the inside dash?

Could do, I agree, but the car sits well back under the carport and gets less light. By hanging the solar panel at the front I'm getting much more effective use from it.

 

[Smartbear]

I'd go one better and wire something up internally, directly to the battery. Then you can leave the solar panel on the inside dash?

Could do, I agree, but the car sits well back under the carport and gets less light. By hanging the solar panel at the front I'm getting much more effective use from it.

You can wire from the under bonnet terminals to a connector plug behind the grill, saves faffing about opening the bonnet

Rob

 

[enuff_zed]

I'd go one better and wire something up internally, directly to the battery. Then you can leave the solar panel on the inside dash?

Could do, I agree, but the car sits well back under the carport and gets less light. By hanging the solar panel at the front I'm getting much more effective use from it.

You can wire from the under bonnet terminals to a connector plug behind the grill, saves faffing about opening the bonnet
6802981E-EFD8-4476-BC54-740727C4B361.jpeg
Rob

Thanks Rob, that is an even better solution for me.
However, I still just want to confirm that those hexagonal connection points do unscrew to put a ring connector under?
Don't look like they've moved in the cars life and I don't want to shear anything off.

 

[Smartbear]

Could do, I agree, but the car sits well back under the carport and gets less light. By hanging the solar panel at the front I'm getting much more effective use from it.

You can wire from the under bonnet terminals to a connector plug behind the grill, saves faffing about opening the bonnet
6802981E-EFD8-4476-BC54-740727C4B361.jpeg
Rob

Thanks Rob, that is an even better solution for me.
However, I still just want to confirm that those hexagonal connection points do unscrew to put a ring connector under?
Don't look like they've moved in the cars life and I don't want to shear anything off.

My wiring to the under bonnet +ve/-ve is attached via additional nuts so i didn’t unscrew anything
Rob

 

[saj77]

Assuming the connections are the same as what I have in my daily driver (photo attached).

Another possible solution...
I toyed with removing the posts from the body but didn’t want to disturb the existing connections so I simply attached small jubilee clips on the posts and tightened them up, clamping my Ctek cables to the posts. This allowed me to refit the protective caps etc.

 

[enuff_zed]

You can wire from the under bonnet terminals to a connector plug behind the grill, saves faffing about opening the bonnet
6802981E-EFD8-4476-BC54-740727C4B361.jpeg
Rob

Thanks Rob, that is an even better solution for me.
However, I still just want to confirm that those hexagonal connection points do unscrew to put a ring connector under?
Don't look like they've moved in the cars life and I don't want to shear anything off.

My wiring to the under bonnet +ve/-ve is attached via additional nuts so i didn’t unscrew anything
Rob

This is on the E85 though, which has different connections.
I'm sure someone will be able to tell me. Failing that it'll be 'suck it and see' time.

 

[enuff_zed]

Assuming the connections are the same as what I have in my daily driver (photo attached).

Another possible solution...
I toyed with removing the posts from the body but didn’t want to disturb the existing connections so I simply attached small jubilee clips on the posts and tightened them up, clamping my Ctek cables to the posts. This allowed me to refit the protective caps etc.

6CA5A6CF-8B08-4978-BCF8-C7D75DEDF4E0.jpeg

Hmmm, similar I guess. Certainly another option for me. Thanks.

 

[saj77]

Mine were approx 11mm diameter so I purchased 11-16mm stainless jubilee clips.
I didn’t remove the eyelet lugs from my charger, I simply clamped them down to the posts. They bent around the post nicely giving a good contact. Then just to be thorough, put some insulation tape on them.

Been on charge a few days now, no issues.

Saj

 

[enuff_zed]

Mine were approx 11mm diameter so I purchased 11-16mm stainless jubilee clips.
I didn’t remove the eyelet lugs from my charger, I simply clamped them down to the posts. They bent around the post nicely giving a good contact. Then just to be thorough, put some insulation tape on them.

Been on charge a few days now, no issues.

Saj

 

[ph001]

If you are fixing permanent cable to those connection points you should really make sure the positive one is fused.

 

[enuff_zed]

If you are fixing permanent cable to those connection points you should really make sure the positive one is fused.

Thank you. It is already actually. Came like that. But I appreciate the advice.

 

[kis]

If you are fixing permanent cable to those connection points you should really make sure the positive one is fused.

Really? I've "plumbed in" a ctek cable with the ring terminal things. So I need a fuse for that? :?

 

[Argyll Andy]

If you are fixing permanent cable to those connection points you should really make sure the positive one is fused.

Really? I've "plumbed in" a ctek cable with the ring terminal things. So I need a fuse for that? :?

I’ve just open my new Ctek today and the bits I bought with it.

I was going to ask a similar question to the OP about permanently attaching the Ctek plug to the under bonnet posts as I’d read a while back on here it was better to do that than directly to the battery.

The ringed cable and connector that came in the box with the charger isn’t fused but the Ctek Comfort Indcator which I purchased additionally as it has a traffic light system showing the battery’s condition is fused.

Also does anyone who’s attached to the under bonnet post have a picture handy to show me the method of attachment

 

[ph001]

If you are fixing permanent cable to those connection points you should really make sure the positive one is fused.

Really? I've "plumbed in" a ctek cable with the ring terminal things. So I need a fuse for that? :?

It will still work just fine without a fuse, but those connection points are cable of supplying hundreds of amps of current so if your wiring gets chaffed / cut / crushed etc then there is a very real potential of the wire catching fire.