How to Replace the Battery in My Cadillac CTS

by Kyle McBride

The Cadillac CTS -- which stands for Catera Touring Sedan -- was a mid-sized luxury car introduced in 2002. In 2011, Cadillac sold 16,259 cars. A third of those sold -- a total of 5,420 -- were CTSs. The battery is in the trunk of your 2011 CTS four-door sedan. Checking the battery requires that you remove an access door; but to remove the battery, you'll have a little more work ahead of you.

Step 1

Park your CTS and turn off all accessories, then turn off the ignition switch and remove the key. Install a memory-saver device according to the manufacturer's instructions. Wait at least 10 minutes after turning off the ignition switch before you disconnect the battery.

Step 2

Grasp the front of the rear-seat cushion, push in and pull up on the front of the cushion. Lift the cushion up, then remove it from the car.

Step 3

Remove the four nuts across the bottom of the rear seat-back. Go through the trunk and remove the four nuts across the top of the rear seat-back. Pull the seat-back forward and remove the rear shoulder belts from the belt bezels. Take note of exposed wire harnesses so you can route them correctly when you reinstall the seat-back. Remove the rear seat-back from the car.

Step 4

Remove the two bolts for the cargo tie-down loops in the trunk, then disengage the four retainers holding the rear compartment sill trim plate across the front of the trunk opening. Partially remove the trunk-opening weatherstrip as needed to remove the sill trim plate.

Step 5

Remove eight retainers and two nuts from the side trim panel on the passenger-side of the trunk interior. Remove the side trim panel.

Step 6

Turn the handle on the negative battery cable to release the cable clamp and then remove the cable from the post. Turn the handle on the positive battery cable to release the cable clamp and then remove it from the post. Remove the vent hose.

Step 7

Remove a bolt from each of the two battery hold-down retainers and remove the retainers. Remove the battery from the trunk.

Step 8

Clean the battery posts and the battery clamps with the battery terminal and post cleaner. Check the vent hole position on the new battery against the position on the old battery. Move the vent-hole plug from one side of the new battery to the other, if needed, so the vent hole is on the correct side of the battery. The new battery must have a vent hole or it's the wrong one -- don't use it.

Step 9

Place the new battery on the battery tray in the trunk. Make sure the battery cables are routed properly around the top of the battery so they don't get pinched. Install the battery hold-down retainers and tighten retainer bolts to 13 foot-pounds. Connect the vent hose.

Step 10

Seat the positive cable terminal on the positive battery post and turn the handle to secure the clamp on the post. Seat the negative cable terminal on the negative battery post and turn the handle to secure it on the post.

Step 11

Install the side trim panel. Engage the retainers and tighten the nuts to 27 inch-pounds. Install the sill trim plate and engage the retainers. Fully seat the weatherstrip around the trunk opening. Install the cargo tie-down loops and tighten the bolts to 29 foot-pounds.

Step 12

Install the rear seat-back, taking care not to pinch the wire harnesses. Route the shoulder belts through the belt bezels and tighten the nuts across the top and the bottom of the seat-back to 22 foot-pounds.

Step 13

Bring the rear seat cushion into the car. On the back of the seat cushion, find the center wire hook and hook it under the seat back frame. Position the seatbelt buckles through the slots on the seat cushion, then push the rear of the cushion down and rearward until it latches into place. Tug up on the front of the cushion to make sure it is securely latched.