Does a panelbeater usually disconnect the battery?

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Does a panelbeater usually disconnect the battery?

Kookoo

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#303547 17-Feb-2023 20:10

Had a minor paint repair done on the passenger door side. The other party accepted fault, so why not.

Car comes back from the shop, a few days later I start hearing rattling from the aircon fan. I open the bonnet - the battery cover is off, jammed in the space in front of the battery, probably pushing against the blower fan intake. I pulled it out, and the rattling mostly stopped.

I contacted the insurer who organised the repair, and they replied - "we only repaired passenger door side, so any issues with bonnet or engine bay are not covered by your claim".

So my question is - do panelbeaters usually disconnect the battery when working on the car? Because that would explain what happened here.

The only alternative I guess is that my usual mechanic forgot to reattach the battery cover when I took the car in for service the month before.

Hello, Ground!

RunningMan

8953 posts

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#3038357 17-Feb-2023 21:31

Common to disconect battery, particularly if welding or having to disconnect any wiring harness. If they removed the inner door trim and electic window switches for example, quite likely the battery would be disconnected first.

k1w1k1d

1519 posts

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#3038358 17-Feb-2023 21:35

Quite possible they disconnected the battery.

If the door was going to be open for some time, they may have done it to stop the battery going flat.

Did they have to weld on the car doing the repair?

Kookoo

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#3038367 17-Feb-2023 22:23

k1w1k1d:
Quite possible they disconnected the battery.

Did they have to weld on the car doing the repair?

Wouldn't think so - it was just a very deep scratch.

Hello, Ground!

MadEngineer

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#3038374 17-Feb-2023 22:52

Unless you can prove it just put it down as things that just happen. Those in service get this all the time. You fixed my cat but now my dog is broken! What did you do to my dog?

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

Bung

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#3038394 18-Feb-2023 05:16

Kookoo: The only alternative I guess is that my usual mechanic forgot to reattach the battery cover when I took the car in for service the month before.

Even if you usually lift the bonnet only when the windscreen washer runs out, you should check after a service for oil leaking from filter and filler caps on properly.

In the past I've been told a dealership had done a full service check including valve clearances and I could tell that the engine covers had never been removed since it left the factory.

dan

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#3038429 18-Feb-2023 09:38

yes they disconnect everytime ive had work done

Goosey

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#3038595 18-Feb-2023 14:42

Yes, they disconnect the battery for a variety of reasons….e.g. keep the airbags from deploying.

your panel beater just forgot to screw the top plate back on.

you found it, fixed it….all good.

next time you see the panel beater you can have them on about it I.e. “pay your apprentice more”.

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Kookoo

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#3039969 21-Feb-2023 11:11

Bung:
Kookoo: The only alternative I guess is that my usual mechanic forgot to reattach the battery cover when I took the car in for service the month before.

Even if you usually lift the bonnet only when the windscreen washer runs out, you should check after a service for oil leaking from filter and filler caps on properly.

In the past I've been told a dealership had done a full service check including valve clearances and I could tell that the engine covers had never been removed since it left the factory.

Solid advice, thanks.

Hello, Ground!