Plastic Battery Cover - P38

I went to remove my big black plastic battery cover which lays over the battery and found the front screw unfastened.

Very oddly, the two screws closest to the windscreen were properly fixed but the single one which screws in towards the headlamp was loose. There was no chance of it fitting as the screw fell a few inches short of the hole it was meant to go in.

I wonder if Disco or Defender battery covers are similar but shorter, and someone fitted the wrong one on mine . . . .

Funnily enough mine was the same when I got it.

Someone had fitted a smaller battery and bent the battery retaining strap down in the middle to secure the (incorrect) battery.

When that battery died I replaced it with the correct one, but now the rather mangled securing strap now wouldn't fit over the (larger, but correct) battery.

I unbolted the battery strap, and with a large hammer and a block of wood I smashed it into something approximating the correct shape.

Take out the little clip on the strap that the battery-cover screw fits into before you wield the hammer...and don't lose the spring or locking washer inside the clip.

Hey presto (after a little further hammer bashing and tweaking), my battery covers' front clip fitted securely again..!

Cheers,

Malcolm

Blimey!

Your message has just made me realise I don't have a battery clamp in place at all. The battery (about the size of a very small handbag) is just bouncing around on the tray unrestrained. I'd better try and source a clamp asap . . . .

Clamp now sourced (but not in stock). Rimmer Bros are getting me one for £17 delivered.