[Guide] Better Jump Point Access (Battery Access)

[Neil4Real]

Now we know why the wife said "honey it's fine" ?

Bahahahahaha didn’t even think of that! So true!!

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[UsernameChecksOut]

Purely cosmetic and barely use the frunk, my wife said let it be, I said I can’t live with this abomination! I laughed and cried!!

Looks like modern art to me… ??‍

 

[chrisGT]

3 in. hole for the positive and 2.5 in. for the negative (smaller to avoid being on top of the crossbar).
I used this cover for the 3 in. I cut its bottom to make it a little shorter.

 

[Djynn81]

Is the need of a jump
That often to do this ?

 

[dtbaker61]

3 in. hole for the positive and 2.5 in. for the negative (smaller to avoid being on top of the crossbar).
I used this cover for the 3 in. I cut its bottom to make it a little shorter.

ok, but the little + and - are right there for crissake.... and underneath is a big red plastic + on the + ?!

what is really missing is the THIRD hole required for Emergency access to cut HV.

which is why I am probably going to change from holes to a whole section on a hinge so you can get to all three, and maybe even the fuse box at the same time.

 

[dtbaker61]

Is the need of a jump
That often to do this ?

hopefully not...
but a simple mod that opens a world of possabilities to giving, or getting, a jump.... or extracting power for camping, power tools, coffee pots, or running your house a la F-150 with an inverter.

 

[DevSecOps]

I would. Any update on this?

I have designed and printed them, the problem is that the finish product doesn't look as good as the ones you can get on amazon. The render looks amazing but the fact that you can't really sand it makes it look not so good in practice. You could go the primer or epoxy route but then the color will be off.

I think a better option would be to just print the + and - sign with a circle and glue it to the amazon caps.

 

[dtbaker61]

I have designed and printed them, the problem is that the finish product doesn't look as good as the ones you can get on amazon. The render looks amazing but the fact that you can't really sand it makes it look not so good in practice. You could got the primer or epoxy route but then the color will be off.

I think a better option would be to just print the + and - sign with a circle and glue it to the amazon caps.

maybe just print some stickers, and use off the shelf 2" plugs ?

I'd suggest RED +, BLACK - , and consider a third ORANGE one with 'disconnect' symbol for access to the HV relay connector. I really think that should be clearly marked for Service, and possible Emergency Response when and if HV disconnect is needed.

 

[engnrng]

hopefully not...
but a simple mod that opens a world of possabilities to giving, or getting, a jump.... or extracting power for camping, power tools, coffee pots, or running your house a la F-150 with an inverter.

I have used de-sulfating low current battery chargers for years (lately NOCO brand) to maintain/restore old batteries. One day, my MME LVB will be an old battery. I also connect up the battery charger for a day or two once a year or so to extend its life, and I do that on all my cars. Since I started that practice about 5 years ago, I have not had to replace a 12V battery. Also, I note that my MME uses 12V power every time I walk past it with my phone. Lights come on, relays click, etc. Some days I walk by a dozen times without ever opening up the car or starting it. Since the software fix (mine was one of the first in my area - coming up on a year old - and the battery went dead once), I have reasonable confidence that the 12V will be kept charged by the car itself, but that still does not give it the de-sulfate experience. I connected a cord from my battery maintainer to the MME battery, ran the connector up through the windshield washer fluid bottle neck hole. When gone for a long trip (we use our Highlander Hybrid as our vacation car), I leave the charger plugged into the connector under the MME hood. I don't expect to need to "jump start" my MME any longer, but battery maintenance is good for the battery and easy now with the connector accessible. No holes.

 

[ThomF]

I have designed and printed them, the problem is that the finish product doesn't look as good as the ones you can get on amazon. The render looks amazing but the fact that you can't really sand it makes it look not so good in practice. You could got the primer or epoxy route but then the color will be off.

I think a better option would be to just print the + and - sign with a circle and glue it to the amazon caps.

Did you post the design on Thingiverse? I'd like to try printing them. I've installed purchased ones, but it would be interesting to have something with the logo on top--or even just the +- symbols.

 

[DevSecOps]

Did you post the design on Thingiverse? I'd like to try printing them. I've installed purchased ones, but it would be interesting to have something with the logo on top--or even just the +- symbols.

No I didn't. I'm still working on refining them and I was going to try to print them with at .1mm in ABS, Nylon and possibly Carbon Fiber to see if I could get better looking results.

 

[KevinS]

Is the need of a jump
That often to do this ?

It's also about doing FDRS updates easily, which recommend the battery be hooked up to an external power supply.

At least, that's why I did it. I don't want to go broke buying those danged clips.

 

[ThomF]

I don't know if this will help anyone, but I thought I'd make a template that references the positive and negative indicators on the cover as locators. Standard disclaimer- use it at your own risk.

The PDF template needs to be printed with no margins and 100% scale. Print it and cut the + and - reference points out first. Fit it on your access panel and make sure that the top-line on the template aligns with the top cover and both holes locate correctly. You can then mark your center holes for the cut-outs and use a 2 1/2" hole saw with these covers - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MN6GQIY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For some reason, the PDF is clipping just a bit of the bottom cut-out circle, but it matches up with my original Word template and the actual cut-out (I can't upload the Word document, or I would).

My advice is that after you've located your access holes, trace the outline with a pencil to make sure it is in a good location for you. I don't recommend that you drill the holes with the panel installed on the car. I bent the retaining tabs on my Hillman covers a bit so they are easier to take out. I also bought an inexpensive deburring tool that cleans the edges up nicely - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JGVDRQC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I think the most difficult part is deciding where to place your access holes, so hopefully, this helps someone out.

Edit- Added center point template. Again, use it at your own risk. I turned my hole saw upside down and traced the outline in pencil to find my original positioning. You can also put a pencil down the arbor hole and mark the center too.

Your post was very helpful. I used the template, without removing the panel. It worked reasonably well. However the opening for the positive terminal is off a bit--should be a little lower (toward the front of the vehicle). But it looks like it will still work OK.

 

[ThomF]

No I didn't. I'm still working on refining them and I was going to try to print them with at .1mm in ABS, Nylon and possibly Carbon Fiber to see if I could get better looking results.

It occurs to me that I would have trouble printing it, because of the raised logo. I just have a Makerbot2+ and it would need to be flat for it to print ideally (without supports, which would mess up the build).

 

[Chuck]

It occurs to me that I would have trouble printing it, because of the raised logo. I just have a Makerbot2+ and it would need to be flat for it to print ideally (without supports, which would mess up the build).

It could be printed pony side up but there'd be a lot of supports underneath. It'd waste a lot of plastic.

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