Some thoughts on this: o My '98 Intrepid 3.2L has the original OE battery. I live in Michigan, so I do see a fairly wide range of temps. If you're in a tough environment (like AZ, etc.) known to be really hard on batteries, maybe it's time to change it. On the other hand, if you're in a temperate climate, I'd just clean up the terminals and see how long it lasts. Mine's gone 106K miles.
o Access to the battery is greatly simplified if you remove the passenger side headlamp. You won't be able to get the battery out this way, but headlamp removal is easy (just two torx-head "jack screws") and you get a plain view of the top of the battery, as well as the air cleaner box. No need to worry about headlamp alignment when you're done, by the way, they go right back into place. o The battery is supposed to be serviced by raising the passenger-side front of the vehicle, removing the front wheel, and then removing the access panel in the splash guard. You then slide the battery out through the access panel sideways, and install the new one the same way. o That being said, I think it IS possible to remove the battery through the engine compartment by removing the air cleaner box. I'd remove the headlamp as I described. Makes seeing what's going on a lot easier. Remove the ductwork that leads to the throttle body from the aircleaner side. You will find that the aircleaner is held in by a combination of a "pin" that slips into a hole in the inside of the fender, as well as another "pin" that press-fits snugly into a rubber grommet-shaped fastener underneath. I think what I had to do was pull straight up, then pull the air cleaner towards the engine to clear the pin in the side. Then it slips right out. Alternatively, the bottom "grommet" is held to the frame rail by two long screws, and they're easy to remove from above. o I found that the battery cable terminal connections on my Intrepid were cheap, pressed sheetmetal wrapped around the lead battery posts. The positive connection *looked* alright, but it disintegrated as soon as I went to move it. If you live where they use road salt, be prepared for this. I obtained a set of "traditional" lead battery cable terminals and replaced them after I discovered this, and it has worked out just fine. o Final thought: if you're still with me, you're probably getting the idea that changing this battery is a bit of a pain. I have had excellent luck with the OE Mopar battery, and others have reported good results from the Optima series. If I were going to replace my battery, it would definitely be a high-quality battery, 'cause I wouldn't want to be doing the job again too soon. Good luck. --Geoff On 6/3/05, eric_aros <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > It's almost 5 years, so I am going to change out the battery. > However, my problem is that I can't seem to remove the air cleaner box > above the battery. I can't figure out how to unscrew (or whatever) I > am supposed to do with the one clip that has the cone shaped plastic > on the side of the air cleaner box. Any help would be greatly > appreciated. Thank You. > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> In low income neighborhoods, 84% do not own computers. At Network for Good, help bridge the Digital Divide! http://us.click.yahoo.com/B9pRWD/3MnJAA/Y3ZIAA/46t0lB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Web: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dodge_intrepid> Subscribe: <mailto://[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Unsubscribe: <mailto://[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Moderator: <mailto://[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dodge_intrepid/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
