I'm planning on changing out the old battery myself. Just wondering if anyone has any tips on the installation?? I called the dealer and was told to run the car for 15 mintunes w/o any loads. Does anyone know if there will be any type of resetting (radio, clock, ecu, etc...??) I just want to make sure I don't screw things up. Thanks for any help! :smile:
Changing out battery
- Thread starter GTDyno
- Start date
- Joined
- 24 May 2002
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After you remove the spare tire and bracket remove the negative terminal on the battery and when you put the new battery in attach the positive post before the negative post. This is to reduce the chances of shorting out a tool or any metal on your hands. People have been injured changing out a battery but it's safe if you take precautions.
Remove and reconnect the battery tie-downs while the negative post is off.
Thanks for clearing that up D'Ecosse.
The positive post on my non-OEM battery is dangerously close to the tie-down bracket. The replacement batteries from the dealer were not as good a fit as the OEM Panasonic. My car came with the wrong Acura replaced battery, the posts on it were reversed so they were way too close to the firewall.
Remove and reconnect the battery tie-downs while the negative post is off.
Thanks for clearing that up D'Ecosse.
The positive post on my non-OEM battery is dangerously close to the tie-down bracket. The replacement batteries from the dealer were not as good a fit as the OEM Panasonic. My car came with the wrong Acura replaced battery, the posts on it were reversed so they were way too close to the firewall.
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Be conscious of your lower back as you reach over to pull out the old and put in the new.
Remove and replace the battery tie-downs while the negative post is off.[/QUOTE said:
Tony Montoya said:
I believe Tony meant that only remove or reconnect (i.e. not replace, as in get a new one!) when you have the negative terminal already disconnected. This is solid advice and must be followed for safe practice.
Removing the negative terminal should always be the first step & reconnecting it always the last step. To illustrate further why, the positive terminal is very close to surrounding chassis objects - if you touch any chassis component with your wrench, you will get an incredible arc if the negative is still connected. However if the negative is removed first, it does not matter if your wrench touches anything, as there is no circuit to complete.
If the battery is a "Reverse" mount as in the OEM, it will end up with the terminals at the front, close to the hold-down bracket. This is not a problem in itself generally as the cables will still reach the terminals, but you just need to be aware of the proximity of the bracket. One NSX I saw had a reversed battery installed & when re-installing the hold-down bracket has done so upside down - this was a potentially hazardous situation as the correct orientation has a cut-out in the bracket to ensure clearnace, while upside- down made the bracket dangerously close to the terminals!
As to other initial questions, yes you will have to reset the clock to the correct time & re-program your radio station presets which will be lost from memory. There is nothing else to worry about with respect to the power being disconnected (unless you have an after-market alarm with battery back-up siren, in which case it would have to be switched to the maintenance mode before disconnecting the main battery).
Summary of important steps:
1) Disconnect negative terminal first before removing positive
2) Remove the hold-down bracket & remove the old battery
3) Ensure that when new battery is installed, the positive terminal is on the driver's side (right as you are looking into the compartment) - this is regardless of whether the battery is a reverse model (with posts closer to front of car) or conevtinal, (with posts closer to rear).
3) Ensure the hold down is oriented the correct way up (note before removal) and install prior to the battery terminal reconnections.
4) Reconnect the positive terminal
5) Reconnect the negative terminal
6) Re-install the spare wheel holder & wheel.
7. Re-program radio & clock.
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My car never had a battery box & hold downs when I got it. Does anyone have pictures of theirs? I don't actually know what I'm missing or what it's supposed to look like. Also, being a Zanardi the battery was originally smaller & lighter so I assume the hardware is sized smaller too. Anyone have pictures of that? Would it be worth getting the OEM parts ($$$$) or trying to find used ones or just go to hardware/autoparts store & rig something up? I currently have a Duralast Gold in there, the last one (not OEM) died a couple of months ago. So OEM stuff probably wouldn't fit the presumably bigger battery which is probably why someone took that stuff out at some point. I'm not worried about the battery coming loose (it hasn't in all these years apparently), but want to try and keep the car original. If you prefer, email pics to [email protected]. Just leave out the "no spam".
Thank you,
Tony
Thank you,
Tony
Just don’t do what I did! While putting the terminals back on the new battery, the wrench slipped out of my hand and landed directly on top of both terminals 
(what are the odds of that?
). I have never seen so many sparks coming from a car before, it looked like a fireworks show coming from under my hood! The end result wasn’t as bad as I expected. I had to by a new clock and a new heater control unit, everything else was fine.
Don’t worry though, you will do just fine. It’s very easy; I just had some very bad luck!
(what are the odds of that? ). I have never seen so many sparks coming from a car before, it looked like a fireworks show coming from under my hood! The end result wasn’t as bad as I expected. I had to by a new clock and a new heater control unit, everything else was fine. Don’t worry though, you will do just fine. It’s very easy; I just had some very bad luck!
The outcome was smooth....Thanks to your replies!! Wasn't as bad as I thought. I was extra careful and covered both terminals while changing out the battery in case of any mishaps. Followed all steps and ran it for 15 minutes on idle, to reset the cpu. Put the bracket and tire back on.....Now the X is ready to go!! Thanks again! :biggrin:
Big Mistake: Changing out battery
i did a big mistake, i disconnected the postive first then the negative, then connected the negative then the positive and my car wouldnt start up. Wow please any advice on what i can do. Did I blow a fuse like the alternator fuse? If so where is it located and can I use one from any car store?
i did a big mistake, i disconnected the postive first then the negative, then connected the negative then the positive and my car wouldnt start up. Wow please any advice on what i can do. Did I blow a fuse like the alternator fuse? If so where is it located and can I use one from any car store?
What is the spec of the oem battery? I'm about to replace mine.
Re: Big Mistake: Changing out battery
I belive its in the engine compartment the main fuses
I belive its in the engine compartment the main fuses
Re: Big Mistake: Changing out battery
Not sure what was harmed. The order of removal/install is to minimize the risk of shorting the battery. Make sure the battery is charged and the clamps are on tight.
Not sure what was harmed. The order of removal/install is to minimize the risk of shorting the battery. Make sure the battery is charged and the clamps are on tight.
The order of connection shouldn't matter as long as you don't touch anything with the loose end. The main reason you disconnect negative first is that if you touch your wrench to the grounded frame while working on the positive lead, you'll make sparks or melt something. If you detach the negative first, it doesn't matter if you touch anything. The car can't tell the difference, so most likely something else is going on, like an alarm system reset.
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