Hiya! I'm a new CRD owner... picked up a 2005 Limited a week ago and it has a bad battery I've been lurking and decided on a yellow top optima-- picked up the 34 today at 4 wheel parts (right down the street from me, didn't know I was so lucky!) and brought it home... but it won't fit. Specifically the red bracket fits across fine, but the black bracket is shaped differently (L-shaped) and won't reach the battery pole. If the black battery pole was closer to the edge of the battery it would work... but yeah, I can't get it.

I know the CRD originally came with the red top 34R (reverse) -- but Optima doesn't make a yellow-R as far as I can tell. I don't know if I need the reverse or if it has anything to do with my problem. Is it just me or is there something I need to do to get the yellow top to fit? I'm not super mechanically inclined-- I use the Jeep mainly for in-town driving and taking my son to school, tho eventually my husband would like to add a winch and attendant lift/etc mods for his weekend use (the reason I bought the yellow top instead of the red).

I may just be missing something obvious to yall on installing it... I can see searching the forums here that the yellow tops have worked for many and I'd love to understand Thanks in advance for any advice!

the connector is soft - it bends easily and doesn't take much to reach the post.


Welcome to LOST

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2005 CRD
stuff
Skeptic quod gratis asseritur, gratis negatur

If you are looking from the front of the Jeep, toward the windshield with the hood open, the positive (red) pole should be on the right and the negative (black) should be on the left. Both poles should be closer to the steering wheel-side of the battery than to the headlight-side of the battery.

I replaced my battery with a yellow-top in a cruise line parking garage in Tampa on a Sunday morning. My negative battery cable had been bent to fit flush with the old battery, and I could only get it part of the way down on the pole without re-bending it.

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In this war of lines, so many have been crossed. Where will it all stop?

2006 Deep Beryl Green CRD Sport *SOLD 1/22/12*
Provent, V6 Airbox, Fumoto, Samcos, GDE ECO & TCM Tune, Euro JK TC, Magnaflow Catback
245/70/16 Destination A/T's
Boiler's Radiator Skid Plate
Jeepin' By Al 2.5 inch Adjust-A-Strut Lift, JBA Gen 4.5 UCA's (6/5/10)

I had an AutoCraft Gold From Advance Autoparts installed in mine. the guy there did it and I didn't notice him have much trouble getting a regular group 34 in backwards. I had both cables removed when I set up my Provent filter, I did notice the Negitive was a very close fit.

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2006 Liberty CRD Limited Deep Beryl Green Metallic Clear coat, Fumoto valve, MH ProVent (removed), GDE Eco tune,
OME 790/948 springs, OME struts, OME N132L shocks, Jeepin by Al A-arms, Hercules Terra Trac AT2 245/75R16
Weeks Stage 1 EGR delete, 5 volt steel glow plugs

I rock the Yellow Top I just straightened the negative connector and I was good to go.

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2006 CRD http://www.UtahPowderCoatings.com/ http://www.gorecon.com/ I'm kind of a big deal.
RL rear bumper, ARB front bumper, Mile Marker winch, Power Tank, Skids by Mopar & Skid Row, RL Super Skink Sliders, 235/85R16 MTR, Air Flow Snorkel, DTT, 4.10 gears, Frankenlift II, Katskin leather, JL Audio stereo, Rosen video.

Thanks so much for the help everyone-- slightly bending the negative connector out from its 90 degree position worked and I'm up and running again