How To: Change your battery

768mph said:

Tools needed:
Flat head
Body panel puller
10mm 1/4” rachet
13mm 3/8” rachet
6” extension 3/8”

Take your flat head and gently remove the vent tube.

Now you can lift your 50lb battery out and replace in reverse sequence.

*dont forget to hook your vent tube back up.

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CB750 said:

That is the HARD way !!!
<snip>

Replace battery disconnecting/reconnecting terminals in proper order. #### If you don't know the proper sequence you should not be doing it !!!
You will have to carefully work with plastic trim tool the trunk seal weatherstrip to go over the plastic trim panel you yanked off.

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Thank you @768mph and @CB750, you both provided very helpful info and I drew from each of your posts to replace my battery tonight. I used CB's method as it looked easier and 768's pics and tool list were very helpful.

Here's what I can add, and I'm a total schlemiel** when it comes to using my hands for mechanical stuff:
1. The battery is 50lbs.
2. A 'scrivet' is the fastener that holds the trunk trim in place and you'd best have the tool for removing those scrivfasteners. I had the tool.
3. Used a flathead screwdriver and shop towels to help pull off the rear trunk cover that the cargo net hooks screw into, that thing has sharp edges. When it pops loose it sounds like something broke but it was just noise.
4. If you don't know the proper sequence for disconnecting the cables, you can look it up, you don't have to bail on this project.
5. Don't get too proud of yourself for how smoothly this is going.
6. Don't try to lift the battery after you remove the strap hold-down nut, it's still fastened to the tray. It makes the battery feel like the Excalibur Sword.
7. Lift the battery out. It weighs 50 lbs.
8. Place new battery in the tray, it also weights 50 lbs.
9. DON'T, no really just don't, I strongly suggest you don't drop the strap hold-down nut behind the tray where it stops dead center under the battery tray.
10. Remove the new battery so you can try to figure out how to get that doggone nut out from under the very securely fastened battery tray.
11. Be sure to remove the vent hose from the battery before you pull out the battery because you've now pulled the vent hose out from the vent hole that's also under the very securely fastened battery tray.
12. Remove four bolts that hold down the battery tray and then realize it's still not coming out.
13. Take a few deep breaths. Refrain from taking a Fukitol pill and pouring a drink to wash it down. Take solace in that you're not yet at the point of crying.
14. Push out some plastic from the already loosened tray, remember when you took Sally Mae to the drive-in movie theater in 11th grade and find a way to get your hand under the tray to find the piece you really need. You're not sure what's under there but will know it when you find it.
15. Score!! Place the hold down nut in a very secure place where you know you'll find it.
16. Reinstall the plastic piece you pushed out from the tray, you have to reach under. Reinstall the tray fastener bolts.
17. Realize you didn't put the vent hose back through what you hope is the vent hole. Remove the battery tray.
18. Push the vent hose through what you're hoping is the vent hole, reinstall the battery tray.
19. Put the battery back in the tray. Did I mention the battery weighs 50 lbs?
20. Have a good laugh when you can't find the hold-down nut that you carefully placed for retrieval when it's ready to go back on. It will be in the last place you look.
21. When putting the strap hold-down nut on just keep thinking of it as The One Ring and telling yourself, "My Precious, My Precious". Don't drop it again.
22. Notice how you forgot to fold down the battery carry handles under the strap. Loosen the Precious Nut, very, very carefully.
23. Button everything up, notice the shop rag that's stuck under the battery. Put on the face of a Marine storming the beach and yank that sucker out.
24. Read the instructions and see that you may need a trim tool to replace the weather stripping, tell yourself 'Semper Fi' and just use your fingers to roll the weather stripping back over the plastic trunk piece.

You're done! Easy-peasy! Just a couple of dozen extra steps but hey, I saved $50 from having the dealer do it. If some monkey with a wrench is going to touch my car that monkey may as well be me! I don't need the Fukitol but went ahead and opened a nice Australian Shiraz, the vinyard is only 300km from Adelaide.

**Schlemiel. Some may remember the telecom "Laverne and Shirley" where the opening scene they said 'schlemiel, schlemazel'. Cute but most don't know the meaning. It's very simple:
The Schlemiel is the waiter who spills the soup and the Schlemazel is the schmuck customer that the soup lands upon. I was a total schlemiel in replacing my battery but it's in and I'm laughing at myself. Good times!