What are the steps involved in removing the battery tray? Do i need to disconnect the battery completely?

 

I dont know if it differs from 97 - 98, but here is my steps..

1) Disconnect the negative and positive leads on the battery respectively
2) Remove the battery from the car
3) Remove all mounting bolts: Be careful not to break them as they will be rusty! Use PB blaster or something similar to penetrate them.
4) There are 4 bolts total, one in the top right hand corner, you will need an extension to get to it, in the lower right hand corner, prolly will make it easier with an extension, two on the underside which are trickier to get to. Easiest to get under the car to get to these ones 6" extension, 13mm socket and a 1/2" drive ratchet should do
5) There is a type of sensor sitting in the lower right hand corner that needs unpluged
6) Two spots hold the fuse box to the tray, you can take it off by pushing in the clips with your fingers or a screw driver.
7) Lift the tray out of the car, may have to move some cables and such to get it out, so be careful! (Throttle cable because for some odd reason its like 2x the size it needs to be in the Neon and maybe the battery cables.

I hope this helps and good luck!

 

the two bolts underneath the tray do not need to be removed completely...just loosened enough and the tray will slide out

if you had an air ratchet it would make things alot easier.......but either way its not too bad

 

That would be the battery temp sensor.

The hardest thing for me is actually just pulling the thing out. You have to wiggle it because of cables and whatnot being in the way. Every time I take it out, I think of all the room I could have in there if I put it in trunk.

 

How difficult would it be to put it in the trunk??

 

Not difficult at all. Buy some 0 or 2 gauge wire, i wouldn't recommend 4, run it to the trunk, get a battery box from a boat store, wire it up ground it, vent it and you are good to go. There are a few posts on here that talk about it. If I do it, I want to use a dry cell battery, more expensive, but requires no maintenace at all.

 

I no theres a thread for this topic, but since we're on the subject, how do you vent it?

 

If you look at your tray now, it has a little tube that goes to the front. I would think you would have to cut a hole in the trunk and run a similiar tube.