1940 Dodge battery location

[Ed Griffin]

There's a fellow on another forum that has recently purchased a 1940 Dodge coupe and was asking where the battery was because it wasnt under the hood nor the trunk. I suggested to follow the wire from the solinoid and that it was possibly like my 50 chevy truck, under the floor. Sure enough he saw it underneath but has yet to locate the cover only due to the fact he hasnt looked yet. Did the 40 Dodge coupe come like this or were they originally under the hood?

Thanks for any help I can pass along to him or he can read here, Ed

[Jim Yergin]

Ed,

At least for Plymouths, it is my understanding that 1941 was the first year that the battery was placed under the hood. Before that the battery was under the floor.

Jim Yergin

[Young Ed]

In Dads 39 you actually had to remove the seat bottom to access the battery. There is a cover under the seat.

[BobT-47P15]

The 48 Dodge pickup I looked at a few days ago has the batter under the drivers floor.....but you don't have to remove the seat.

[Young Ed]

Very similar to this I'm sure. Did the 48 still have wood over the hole? The part of the floor thats empty in mine is all wood.

This picture was taken a few minutes before my first ever drive in my first old vehicle! Back when I was 21.

[Young Ed]

Here's another interesting thing for trucks. I guess the bigger trucks had air brakes and that took up the room for the normal battery location. So they moved the battery over to the pass side under the seat. Seems odd it didn't just get moved to the opposite frame rail but maybe the transmission would be in the way then. Anyway all the cabs have a hole over there with a metal cover.

[Reg Evans]

My 35 Ddoge,38 Dodge,40 Plym have it under the seat and then my 42 Dodge has it under the hood. They must have gone to under the hood in 41 or 42.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Being a car and not truck..the battery as mentioned earlier shold be under the rear seat accessable by removing the seat bottom. I remember this from looking at the 40 DeSoto up the road from the house one day.

[40phil41]

The 1940 Dodge battery is located under the drivers side front seat. Pull the cushion out and you'll see it. A real pain to get at. I've added a battery cut-off switch to mine which I had to attach to the neg. post in order to reach it without removing the seat cushion.

Phil

'ask the man who owns one'

[Ed Griffin]

Thanks guys for all the help. I passed it along to the fellow who needed it. Sorry for the delay in answering back. Had'nt checked the board as usual. Been spending my nights in the garage and sleeping during the day. Making some great headway though. Replaced brakes, cylinders, tranny and oil pan gaskets, bearings, spark plugs, freeze plugs....... . Otherwords I'm "get'n r dun"...thanks again for the help, Ed

[Duffy]

Just in case someone is digging thru this thread like I was.  Just found my battery under the passenger side of the seat on 1941 2 1/2 ton Dodge Dump Truck WF-32.  And the battery was not too low on water,  Happy New Year 2019!

Edited January 5, 2019 by Duffy

[Andydodge]

My oz 1940 Dodge when purchased in 1971 had the battery under the US drivers side of the seat, you lifted up and removed the seat squab and there the battery lived under a sheet metal cover.........my cars battery lives in the trunk inside that box on the side of the trunk .........works well.............andyd