Fast Car

One day after Nissans announcement that the 2011 Nissan Leaf electric vehicle is sold out, the carmaker broke ground on its own battery plant next door to the Leaf assembly line in Smyrna, Tennessee.

Opening day isnt until 2012, but when the plant does debut, it will be able to build 200,000 lithium-ion battery packs a year...meaning CEO Carlos Ghosns plan to build 150,000 Leafs a year wont be done in by outside supplier issues.

All told, batteries and cars, Nissans investing $1.7 billion in Leaf production ($1.4 million billion of that comes from a U.S. government loan), which, if production hits the levels Ghosn predicts, will create 1,300  new jobs.

The TireKicker take? Good for Ghosn. Critical ventures are all too often undone or kept from realizing their potential by weak links in the chain. Outsourcing production of components has also made some manufacturers feel less responsible about the final product., giving them a convenient third party to whom to point the finger of blame. Lets hope this starts a trend toward more auto manufacturers putting their names on and their resources behind more of their product.

1. Pop the hood and locate the battery. Its on the passenger side of the engine, toward the firewall of the car, in a sectioned-off area to protect it from heat. Use the open-end wrench to remove the negative then the positive terminal on the battery.
2. Unbolt the battery tie down from the battery using the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket. Lift the tie down off, then lift the battery out of the engine compartment. The battery can now be used as a core exchange at your local auto parts store, or taken for recycling.
3. Place the replacement battery in the battery tray. Bolt in the battery tie down using the ratchet, then connect the positive then the negative battery terminals using an open-end wrench.
4. Start the car and allow it to run for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn it off.

1. Open up the trunk of the BMW 735Il. On the right hand side you will find the luggage compartment under the carpeting. The luggage compartment is where the battery is kept.
2. Use both the open-end wrench and the crescent wrench to detach the positive and negative cables from the top of the old battery. Begin with the negative cable first. Once the cables are disconnected, carefully lift them out of the way.
3. Use the socket wrench to unfasten the bolts that hold the battery in place. Carefully remove the clips on the side of the battery.
4. Use the handle strap provided to carefully lift the battery off the battery terminal. If a handle strap is not present, use a sheet or a towel to lift the battery out to prevent injuring your hand.
5. Place the new battery in exactly the same position as the old battery. Reattach the clips and fix the bolts back in place using the socket wrench.
6. Fix the red wire to the positive connection and the black cable to the negative when reattaching the battery wires. An incorrect connection will stop the battery from working.
7. Put the luggage compartment cover securely back in place and place the carpet over the top. Test your new battery to ensure that it is connected and working correctly.

1. Locate the seat-release lock under the tail light. Unlock the seat with the ignition key and pull it off the motorcycles frame.
2. Remove the bolts from the left-middle fairing with an Allen wrench. Remove the left-middle fairing from the motorcycle to reveal the battery tray on the left side of the fuel tank.
3. Pull the rubber retaining strap off the battery tray. Remove the negative wire lead bolt from the battery with a Phillips screwdriver. Pull the negative wire lead away from the battery and the motorcycles frame. Pull the battery out of the tray until the positive wire lead is accessible. Remove the positive wire lead bolt from the battery with a Phillips screwdriver. Pull the positive wire lead away from the battery.
4. Pull the battery out of the battery tray.

1. Flick the key out as if you were going to be opening the door. Locate the thin line that goes across the width of the key parallel with the buttons on the key and which is where the two halves of the key meet.
2. Wedge a thin screwdriver or similar tool carefully into this dividing line. Note that this is not the same thing as the holes or the grooves that are located inside the recess of the key fob.
3. Twist the screwdriver slightly to separate the key portion from the fob portion of the key fob assembly. Wedge the screwdriver into the top of the fob, the sides and the back and twist until the two sides separate. This may take some force, but be very careful not to break the plastic.
4. Open the small plastic ringed end of the lid that is located in the side of the key that does not have the button on it. The lid can be gently pried open with your nail or even the screwdriver, but be careful not to break the lid as you pull it out. Do not touch the computer chip under the lid.
5. Remove the old battery and install the correct new battery, available from the Audi dealer. Replace the lid and snap the two halves of the key back together.