Grand spacetourer battery removal

[ccxmuk]

Hi Everyone,
I am looking for some help on the actual removal of the battery. My 2019 Grand Spacetourer has developed a few 'idiosyncracies', which were eventually diagnosed - very expensively at the nearest dealer!- as low battery at 58%. Knowing that the battery is secured behind a number of sub-systems, I checked on line for a help video on how to remove the battery; seemed quite do-able, even though there were multiple items to disconnect. So I ordered a new battery on line (stop/start type) and started the replacement...and only got as far as removing the + terminal! The next step is to remove the 2 sets of cables to the left of the battery. After a struggle, I managed to get the white clip up on the top plug, but the plug itself seems to be immovable! I dont want to apply too much force, but I have put quite a bit of effort into trying to wiggle the plug free with zero movement. Is there some other clip or tag that I have missed? Is a special tool required?
Thanks in advance,
Cameron

[GiveMeABreak]

You need to be very careful around this area as you have the engine ECU and ancillary fuse boxes / supplies protection units hidden here.

The battery will be held in place by a bracket at the base that needs loosening before the battery will come out.

A general guide here on the BSI Reset / Battery Disconnect / Reconnect Procedure which focusses more on reinitialising the Fobs etc.

The battery charge status unit will take a good 24 hours to calibrate so best left overnight without the vehicle being unlocked, but make sure you have replaced the battery with like for like in power and CCA as well as type (EFB or AGM) otherwise the battery charge status unit will need reconfiguring. If you feel a bit overwhelmed, you may want to leave it to your local dealer to sort out as they're used to this sort of thing.

[ccxmuk]

Thanks Marc, I appreciate the caution. I did read your instructions before commencing the disconnection. However, I would still like to tackle the replacement. I can see the bracket at the base, but it is attached to a subsystem of some kind, which in turn is connected to the two large plugs that I am unable to remove. There is, I think, insufficient slack in the cables running from the subsystem to the plugs to allow me to remove the bracket without first unplugging the cables. Do you have any suggestions about how to remove them?

[GiveMeABreak]

Believe it or not there isn't any info on removing the battery from Citroen. Watch out for a battery acid drain pipe that will be in the vicinity which has a plug and a tube.

[RichardW]

Can you post a picture of the clips in question?

[ccxmuk]

Sorry, should have thought to post some images.

. The plugs are 'locked' with the white clip, which in turn is kept in position with the orange tab. I can flip the orange tab and - with some difficulty - raise the white clip right over the black plug. When trying to remove the upper plug, I could get the black cover off it, exposing the multiple wires, but even then I couldnt see how to get the plug itself out of the module. I couldn't attempt the lower plug, since it is obscured by the upper one.
I have had another good look at the various brackets and modules surrounding the battery; I am very sure that these plugs will have to be removed in order to move everything out of the way to slide the battery forward and out. I am pretty sure there would not be enough clearance by just removing the bracket above the battery, but I would be very happy to be assured that there is!!

[DeuxChevaux]

Not the same car but I did a 'How to' on the DS4 forum and later included my wifes DS3 cabrio which has the same 096 AGM battery. This is it - not identical but may give some pointers
https://www.ds4ownersclub.co.uk/threads ... post-18867

[RichardW]

White clip acts to lever the plug out of the socket:

[GiveMeABreak]

Just be careful as that is the engine ECU to the left of the battery

[ccxmuk]

Brilliant !! Thanks folks, I will let you know how I get on!

[ccxmuk]

Well...the battery is changed and the car works. Or rather, the car works just the same as it did before I changed the battery! I take solace in the fact that it needed to be changed, but rather disappointed that the hands-free tailgate still doesnt work. Or the sunroof blind. Stop/start probably works, but I have turned it off as I never used it anyway.
Many thanks to Deuxchevaux and RichardW for their help - extremely useful, dont think I would have persevered without your input!
Changing that battery must rank as one of the hardest jobs I have ever done on a car. When I think back to my first car - a Citroen Dyanne that I bought for £75 and sold 3 years later for £50 - I could do almost anything to fix her, and it was all quite straightforward. But this battery almost beat me.
Richard's video was almost spot on. One or two slight differences, but the main tasks were the same.
Things to note if anyone is reading this and wants to try it out:
*You need to be quite physically strong.
* Watch the video. Twice.
* The white clips on the ECU plugs are VERY important. They actually control a pair of sliding black tabs, which in turn release more tabs that hook over 4 prongs on the socket. Unless these tabs are FULLY released, you wont get the plug out. Extreme force can/will cause the white clips to ride over the sliding tabs, meaning you will never get the plugs out. See images below, you will need to study them a bit. If the tabs are engaged, the slots on either side of the top of the plug will be 'empty'. First image. Once the tabs have released, the slots will be filled. Second image. But even once the tabs are released, you need to use a fair bit of force to get the plug out of the socket. You MUST release the top plug in order to get the battery out.

Tabs closed

Tabs open.
Internal face of the plug showing the 4 holes that have sliding tabs that secure the plug to the socket.

* Releasing the bottom plug would make the job easier - I think - but I couldnt do it on my car because...yes..the white clip rode over the tabs. But all is not lost if this happens.
* There is a small tab at the front left of the ECU that keeps the top bracket in place. Once you remove the 'terminal' on the right, gently lift up the tab on the left and the bracket will slide out easily.
* For the true negative terminal, you need to work blind. Just slacken the nut a bit, then reach in and wiggle the terminal clip free. Dont try to remove the nut. Hook it up out of the way so you will be able to get to it when you put the new battery in.
* Get assistance to hold all of the front gubbins as far out of the way as possible, and then pull/tilt the battery forwards and up. Its very heavy and very awkward, but there is JUST enough clearance to do this. And I mean, just enough. Millimeters. You cant use the handles on the top of the battery.
* Replacing the battery and the bits is much easier than removing them!
* As a precaution, I took the plastic cover from the + terminal of the new battery and put it over the + terminal of the old battery until the removal was complete. Then I put it back on the new battery until it was properly installed.

Good luck if you try this at home, and MANY MANY thanks to this forum for the help!!

[GiveMeABreak]

Make sure you follow the BSI Reset / Battery Disconnect / Reconnect Procedure, which may involve reinitialising the anti pinch windows and sunroof / blind if fitted with anti pinch too.

Remember after fitting a new battery, it can can ideally take overnight for the battery charge status unit to calibrate it properly, so things like Stop Start won't always work immediately. Also your Climate control will also recalibrate itself. So if you can leave the vehicle without unlocking the doors overnight, it should allow enough time for this to take place.

[Paul73]

Well...the battery is changed and the car works. Or rather, the car works just the same as it did before I changed the battery! I take solace in the fact that it needed to be changed, but rather disappointed that the hands-free tailgate still doesnt work. Or the sunroof blind. Stop/start probably works, but I have turned it off as I never used it anyway.
Many thanks to Deuxchevaux and RichardW for their help - extremely useful, dont think I would have persevered without your input!
Changing that battery must rank as one of the hardest jobs I have ever done on a car. When I think back to my first car - a Citroen Dyanne that I bought for £75 and sold 3 years later for £50 - I could do almost anything to fix her, and it was all quite straightforward. But this battery almost beat me.
Richard's video was almost spot on. One or two slight differences, but the main tasks were the same.
Things to note if anyone is reading this and wants to try it out:
*You need to be quite physically strong.
* Watch the video. Twice.
* The white clips on the ECU plugs are VERY important. They actually control a pair of sliding black tabs, which in turn release more tabs that hook over 4 prongs on the socket. Unless these tabs are FULLY released, you wont get the plug out. Extreme force can/will cause the white clips to ride over the sliding tabs, meaning you will never get the plugs out. See images below, you will need to study them a bit. If the tabs are engaged, the slots on either side of the top of the plug will be 'empty'. First image. Once the tabs have released, the slots will be filled. Second image. But even once the tabs are released, you need to use a fair bit of force to get the plug out of the socket. You MUST release the top plug in order to get the battery out.
Tabs closed Tabs open.
Internal face of the plug showing the 4 holes that have sliding tabs that secure the plug to the socket.

* Releasing the bottom plug would make the job easier - I think - but I couldnt do it on my car because...yes..the white clip rode over the tabs. But all is not lost if this happens.
* There is a small tab at the front left of the ECU that keeps the top bracket in place. Once you remove the 'terminal' on the right, gently lift up the tab on the left and the bracket will slide out easily.
* For the true negative terminal, you need to work blind. Just slacken the nut a bit, then reach in and wiggle the terminal clip free. Dont try to remove the nut. Hook it up out of the way so you will be able to get to it when you put the new battery in.
* Get assistance to hold all of the front gubbins as far out of the way as possible, and then pull/tilt the battery forwards and up. Its very heavy and very awkward, but there is JUST enough clearance to do this. And I mean, just enough. Millimeters. You cant use the handles on the top of the battery.
* Replacing the battery and the bits is much easier than removing them!
* As a precaution, I took the plastic cover from the + terminal of the new battery and put it over the + terminal of the old battery until the removal was complete. Then I put it back on the new battery until it was properly installed.

Good luck if you try this at home, and MANY MANY thanks to this forum for the help!!

Hi There,

I just found this thread. Very useful. I am just bout to replace the battery on our 68 plate 2.0 HDI. I think its the same except I'm guessing I need to get the airbox out first. Can anyone advise? Its all a bit cramped under there! cheers Paul

[CitROeNALD]

Question:

1) If you replace like for like, does the car ECU recognise automatically that there is a new battery? If so, is this always successful?

I have read somewhere that you can inform the ECU (in diagbox I assume) that you have replaced it.

It said that if the car does not recognise it has a new battery, it might treat the new battery as an old one, and apply a charging profile suitable for a well used battery. This can have the effect of over-changing the new battery and quickly damaging it.

I wonder because after my battery was replaced, the new one seemed to struggle pretty quick too. It was changed at a main dealer, so one would assume it was done correctly. When I have measured the charging voltage, it always seemed a bit on the high side.


2) If you have access to diagbox can you actually change the battery type to accept different size/chemical make-up.

For example, my G4 Grand currently has a EFB type. Could I change this to AGM in diagbox?

As far as I am aware AGM types are better then the EFB type in the long term.