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3.4K views 17 replies 11 participants last post by  esox07  
#1 ·
I am sure GM has it's reasons but for someone that isn't all that familiar with modern vehicles, can someone explain a couple of questions.
1. Why does my truck have two battery trays?
2. Why if it has two, does GM decide to use the one in the rear of the engine compartment on the passenger side, underneath the support brace instead of the one on the drivers side in the front of the engine compartment which is very easily accessible?
Be kind with your responses. I just spent twenty minutes trying to figure out how to get the fuse box cover back on after I opened it to see what the heck was under that black cover with a picture of battery stamped on it....I was thinking "THREE battery trays"? Anyway, I finally figured out you have to open it up in the front, then back, and to replace the cover, you latch the front and then the back. Another couple minutes of messing with that and I was close to getting out the rubber mallet.
So, what is the deal with the two battery compartments and why use the one stuck way up under in the back?
Or is this just another one of those GM engineering WTH issues?
 
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#3 ·
OK, i can see that. I guess I should check to see if I have glow plugs then too.
But seriously, if the extra battery tray is for a diesels, then why not use the front one for gassers? It looks like a bitch to get the battery out from back there.
 
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#5 ·
As stated above, the two positions are for use in a diesel. As to why they use the rear tray on a gas burner, I have no idea. I kinda thought it was a bad location that made it harder to get to. The only advantage I can see is, it would be less likely to sustain damage in a front end crash.
 
#6 ·
In the 03 to 07 Classic the front battery tray WAS used with the old side post batteries (like I have). I think they decided to do away with the side posts in 07 1/2's and moved to the opposite corner.

Almost everyday, if I'm not saying it, I hear someone from another bay say "F_ing Engineers!".

If engineers ever made something perfect and declared it so, never needing improvement, they'd be out of a job.
 
#8 ·
Engineers = Educated Idiots

Just because it works "on paper" does NOT mean it will work in the real world. Why can't they get THAT thru their thick skulls?
 
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#9 ·
Not to hijack the thread but didn't the Northstar have to have the front cradle dropped just to do an oil change or trans service?? I remember it was something crazy like that. Or maybe I'm making it up ?!?!?
 
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#11 ·
They put the battery there because it is closer to the starter, less VD with a shorter cable and it saved 2 dollars a truck in copper. Not that much harder to change since the NBS trucks had that little rod the call a brace over them too that had to be removed.
 
M
#12 ·
It's also pretty common for certain fleet vehicles to have two batteries from the factory. The police tahoe/suburban/silverado generally has a factory 2 battery setup. You can buy the isolator and cabling from amazon for about $75 and run 2 batteries on these trucks too. One could argue that it's no more illogical to have 2 battery trays in every vehicle than it is to pre-wire the vehicle for almost every option available, even if those options aren't installed on the truck.
 
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