Strange Battery Placement

[Knotical]

A while back I needed to have my car jump started, cuz the battery went dead. A friend came by to help, with his buick (can't remember make, model, or year), and discovered the battery was located underneath the back seat.

Anyone know of anything more bizaar than that?

 

[Eugene]

What is the battery under the back seat of a buick lesabre for?
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_battery_under_the_back_seat_of_a_buick_lesabre_for

They put the battery under the rear seat for a number of reason's 1 if it has air ride or side curtain air bags it requiers another fuse panel wich you will find across from it on the drivers side and that box needs raw power all the time so insted of them putting it (the fuse box ) on the firewall they utilized the space in the back seat plus its less wireing for that box apposesed to 1 long primary wire for the starterThat is the main battery as there is not one under the hood.

There have been other much older cars I’ve seen in the past that did that also; I also can’t remember which they were.

 

[Knotical]

I doubt the car my friend has, had air bags, as I am certain it was built in the 80's. Did they make cars back then with airbags?

 

[WIP]

Some have the battery located in front of a fender and you can't access it from the top. That's what I've heard anyway.

 

[Eugene]

I doubt the car my friend has, had air bags, as I am certain it was built in the 80's. Did they make cars back then with airbags?

I think they did, but in older cars there were also different reasons of space considered I imagine which the area behind the rear seat afforded the designer. The first car I bought was a 1936 Chevy sedan, and behind it rear seat was a small storage area that needed the rear seat removed or folded down to access. I went to Tijuana, bought me some bottles of tequila, put then in that area thinking no one would detect them. Coming back across the border the Mexican border guard come up to the car, ordered us out of the car, pulled down the rear seat, took our tequila and told us underage kids to get out of there. Yes sir.

 

[jasonc]

I doubt the car my friend has, had air bags, as I am certain it was built in the 80's. Did they make cars back then with airbags?

srs was invented and put into the market as an option as was the case with 4 wheel abs in the late 80's. one can acess a battery on the dodge neon via the right front fender well. but that is easy because I used to work on heavy equipment for tires and batteries and cars and such.

 

[Knotical]

Where is the logic behind placing something you routinely have to replace every other year? For some of these vehicles what should take about 10 minutes to swap out, actually can take more than half an hour, and requires the removal of parts of your vehicle just to get to it.

 

[jasonc]

Where is the logic behind placing something you routinely have to replace every other year? For some of these vehicles what should take about 10 minutes to swap out, actually can take more than half an hour, and requires the removal of parts of your vehicle just to get to it.

space. and batteries last longer then one year. I have gotten 6 years out of some oem batteries.

 

[Knotical]

space. and batteries last longer then one year. I have gotten 6 years out of some oem batteries.

I did say every other year. I also have had vehicles where he batteries lasted more than a couple of years, but it still doesn't make sense to locate them on some vehicles where it is hard to get to.

 

[jasonc]

I did say every other year. I also have had vehicles where he batteries lasted more than a couple of years, but it still doesn't make sense to locate them on some vehicles where it is hard to get to.

its done at times due to making space for other parts. don't complain to much, wait till you have to replace a battery on prius. it takes a cherry picker to do that job

 

[Kathi]

its done at times due to making space for other parts. don't complain to much, wait till you have to replace a battery on prius. it takes a cherry picker to do that job

I heard that the Prius us a nice car but when the battery dies it is very expensive to replace.Thousands?

 

[jasonc]

I heard that the Prius us a nice car but when the battery dies it is very expensive to replace.Thousands?

thousands, worth more then car it self at times, condition of the car and mileage being considered. 4500 usd plus.

 

[TOG]

I used to work at a gas station pumping gas. One day a guy came to get gas, got out of his car and lifted the drivers seat (it was on hinges) to reveal the gas tank. I don't remember what make of car this was, but I only saw this once, so it wasn't very common. There were a couple of other methods of hiding the gas tank that I saw more often, such as putting it behind one of the rear lights or behind the license plate.

The TOG​

 

[jasonc]

I used to work at a gas station pumping gas. One day a guy came to get gas, got out of his car and lifted the drivers seat (it was on hinges) to reveal the gas tank. I don't remember what make of car this was, but I only saw this once, so it wasn't very common. There were a couple of other methods of hiding the gas tank that I saw more often, such as putting it behind one of the rear lights or behind the license plate.

The TOG​

old trucks from the 50 to the early 70's had the gas tank in the cab.

 

[Edward]

Sometimes, cars that have the battery under the back seat will still have jumper cable points under the hood. Unsure about LeSabres.

 

[Kathi]

thousands, worth more then car it self at times, condition of the car and mileage being considered. 4500 usd plus.

So if you bought a new Prius how many miles approximately would it be before you would have to pluck down a pretty penny for a new battery?

 

[Knotical]

I used to work at a gas station pumping gas. One day a guy came to get gas, got out of his car and lifted the drivers seat (it was on hinges) to reveal the gas tank. I don't remember what make of car this was, but I only saw this once, so it wasn't very common. There were a couple of other methods of hiding the gas tank that I saw more often, such as putting it behind one of the rear lights or behind the license plate.

The TOG​

My parents had a car that had the gas cap hidden under the license plate. Can't remember what it was tho.

 

[KevinK]

My parents had a car that had the gas cap hidden under the license plate. Can't remember what it was tho.

Jeep Wrangler YJ?

 

[reba]

Way back a million years ago i faintly remember a pickup wiht the battery under the seat.... they only had one seat back then....

 

[Knotical]

Jeep Wrangler YJ?

Nope, I am pretty sure it was some sort of chevy.