# Fiat Swift Royale Leisure Battery



## AndrewButler (Jan 31, 2009)

Just finding my way around my new van (1998 Fiat Ducato Swift Royale 610). I notice the leisure battery is under the drivers seat. So I need to check its water levels (it is not a sealed battery)....doh! try as I may I can't get to it. It seems the only way is to remove the seat. A real hassle and I am sure the previous owners didn't remove the seat regularly to check the levels - and can you see the service engineer doing so? I doubt it!

So what do I do? My inclination is to leave it be until the battery packs up then replace it with a new sealed one. You may have other suggestions? Ireally cannor believe Swift would create this 'situation'!

Andy


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## whistlinggypsy (May 1, 2005)

Andy, yes its a nuisance but it has to be done and its no great deal, just 4 screws to undo lift out the seat, service the battery and replace the seat and all done and dusted in less than 30 mins.


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## chapter (May 1, 2005)

you will need one of these
to remove the seat (4 screws) i changed the battery on my sundance in about 15 minutes
chapter


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Yep................. my 2000 Hobby on a Fiat has the same problem. I have yet to gain access to this battery. I guess as you say the seat has to come out.

Ray.


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## Fatalhud (Mar 3, 2006)

Once the screws are out you can just slide the seat forward, no need to remove it

The best bit is when I replaced my battery the new one had the positive + and negitive - posts the opposite way round and the leads don't reach :evil: :evil:


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## pieterv (Feb 3, 2009)

Whilst you have the seat out to check the battery make sure it is properly vented to outside the van, the oxygen and hydrogen mix bateries produce when they gas is highly explosive.


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## AndrewButler (Jan 31, 2009)

*Battery*

Thanks everyone - so there is no short cut - maybe a job to do when mooching around on site!

Andy


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Fatalhud said:


> Once the screws are out you can just slide the seat forward, no need to remove it
> 
> The best bit is when I replaced my battery the new one had the positive + and negitive - posts the opposite way round and the leads don't reach :evil: :evil:


I found out the hard way too, but you can specify both post type and orientation of the +/-

I'm amazed we don't get more problems from this battery location on Fiat Ducatos, my terminals miss the seat base by about 1mm

Kev.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Hi Kev,
Yes it's very tight and it looks like the previous owner wedged a hardwood wedge across the top to keep the posts from bouncing up to the seat frame.

But mission accomplished as I unbolted the seat and found the electrolyte up to the required level. So happy camper now .  apart from that damn shower curtain ..  

Ray.


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

pieterv said:


> Whilst you have the seat out to check the battery make sure it is properly vented to outside the van, the oxygen and hydrogen mix bateries produce when they gas is highly explosive.


Very important. 

When we took off the seat of our Swift Royale to replace the battery with a larger capacity we found the existing battery sitting on a squashed plastic vent tube. Well installed, I think not.


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