How to Change the Battery on Buick Cars

by Contributing WriterUpdated June 12, 2017

Car batteries, if they are properly maintained, can last four to six years. If you find that the battery on your Buick car is no longer working as it should, you will need to replace it. This should not prove to be a difficult task. As long as you have a few simple, everyday tools, a replacement battery and a little extra time, you will be able to remove the old battery and install a new one all on your own.

Under The Hood:

 How to Change the Battery on a 2002 Buick LeSabre

Place your Buick in “Park,” turn off the ignition switch and pull the emergency brake. You needn’t worry about opening the hood on your ‘02 LeSabre, as the battery is located under the rear passenger seat.

Pull up on the front of the rear seat cushion. This will release the front hooks holding the cushions in place. Then move the cushion up and out toward the front of your LeSabre.

Unsnap the ventilation hose from the battery, remove any plastic shields that are covering the terminals and loosen the bracket holding the battery in place.

Use your crescent wrench to loosen the nut holding the positive clamp on the battery post. Loosen it just enough so that you’re able to pull the cable free. Carefully tuck the cable to the side and loosen/remove the negative clamp in the same fashion.

Lift your old battery out of the compartment and replace it with the new battery. Be sure you position the battery in the same manner, with the positive post next to the positive cable.

Attach the positive clamp to the positive post and the negative clamp to the negative post. Tighten the clamps with your wrench, ensuring that the connections are secure. Also, reattach the plastic shields. It’s important that you snap the ventilation line back into place as well.

Replace the rear seat cushion. Thread the seatbelts through the proper slots, making sure you do not get them twisted. Then press down on the seat until you hear or feel it click into place.

Items you will need

  • Replacement battery (Buick recommends an AC Delco battery)

  • Crescent wrench and pliers (or correct size sockets and ratchet, if you have them)

 How to Change a Battery in a Buick

Locate the battery. Most Buick batteries are located on the passenger side of the car at the front of the engine compartment. If you can't find it there, it will be under the back seat. Write down the make and model of the battery and take the description with you when you go to buy a new one.

Check the battery posts and nuts securing the cables. Clean them with a toothbrush and baking soda if there is excessive corrosion. Before taking out the old battery, plug a memory keeper into the car's cigarette lighter to preserve preset codes for the radio and GPS system on newer cars. This is not a must, but more of a precautionary measure.

Loosen the bolt that holds the metal bar on top the battery in place using your socket wrench, and remove it. Loosen the bolt on the negative battery cable first (it has a minus sign next to post). Loosen the bolt on the positive cable and remove it from the positive post. Lift the battery out of its resting place. Put it inside an old box if you're concerned about battery acid leaking out.

Install the new battery. Attach the negative battery cable to the negative post first and tighten the bolt into place with a socket wrench. Do the same for the positive cable, put the bar that holds the battery down back in place and tighten the bolt.

Turn on the ignition to make sure the battery works. After it starts, turn off the car and double-check the cables to make sure they are tight and that the battery is secure.

Items you will need

  • Socket wrench

  • Clean rag

  • Toothbrush (optional)

  • Baking soda (optional)

  • Empty box (optional)

  • Memory keeper (optional)

 How to Change the Battery in a Custom 1994 Buick Regal

Locate the reservoir in the engine compartment on the left side of the engine. Remove the bolts that secure the reservoir to the fender well with a wrench. Pull the reservoir out and place it between the fan belt and the radiator. Keep in mind the reservoir is still connected to the wiper hose.

Remove the battery cables from the battery terminals using a wrench.

Pull the battery out of the battery box and place the new battery in the box.

Secure the battery cables to the battery terminal and tighten them using the wrench. Remember, the black wire goes to the ground (-) terminal and the red wire goes to the positive (+) terminal.

Place the reservoir against the wheel well and secure it using the bolts, socket and ratchet.

Items you will need

  • Wrench set

 How to Replace the Battery in a 2003 Buick LeSabre

Purchase a replacement battery suitable for your LeSabre. Buick recommends an ACDelco battery.

Remove the rear seat to access the battery by pulling on the front of the seat to release the hooks. Pull the cushion up and forward, toward the front of the car.

Remove the clamps on the battery terminals with a crescent wrench. Keep track of which clamp was attached to which terminal.

Replace the old battery with the new one. Reattach the clamps, making sure to match the positive and negative terminal to the positive and negative clamps.

Make sure the vent hoses are all securely attached before putting the seat back into position. The vent hoses vent sulfuric acid fumes out of the car.

Replace the seats in the reverse order of steps you took to remove them. Specifically, route the safety belts through the proper positions in the seat cushion. Slide the rear of the seat under the seat backs so the seats' hooks catch the wire loops on the back frame. Push the seat rearward and down, so the spring locks engage on both ends of the seat. No portion of the safety belts should be caught under the cushion.

Wash you hands after handling the battery. This is not just to prevent skin irritation from acid fumes but also because, according to Buick, the materials in batteries are carcinogenic.

Items you will need

  • Crescent wrench

More Articles

article divider
×