I tried to put in a new battery for my mom’s 1988 Pontiac 6000, but could not get the battery out with having to disassemble other parts of the engine. Would someone please let me what is the easiest way to do this?
Thanks!
What Other Parts Of The Engine ? My Information Shows That You May Have To Remove The Air Cleaner And Duct. Does That Sound Right ? Many (Most) Cars Require Removal Of Something Or Another To Access The Battery.
Some vehicles require access through a wheel well after removing a tire and fender liner. Some large Pontiacs and Buicks have the battery under the back seat. Batteries in modern cars generally last for many years and because space is at a premium, they are “buried” in their location.
Please tell exactly what must be removed to access the battery on this vehicle. Does it address this in the Owner’s Manual ?
CSA
Thanks for your quick reply! I don’t have an owner’s manual. The battery is in the front driver’s side under the hood. There is a support piece over it that I am able to remove, but the battery is jammed between the window washer reservoir and the part of the air filter system that is a rigid pipe sort of thing that is hard to remove (sorry I am not much of a mechanic, so don’t know what it is called.) Part of the battery is under the fender too, so I can’t even just pull it straight up. It seems insane to have to disassemble the car just to take out the battery. Thanks!
Sorry, didn’t read the title line. Yes, it looks like the air clean and duct are in the way.
This shouldn’t be terribly difficult. It’s the same car as the Buick Century, Chevy Celebrity, and Cutlass Ciera. Late '80s GM cars are normally among the easiest cars to do things like this on. Sometimes you have to remove some simple things like intake ductwork or brackets, but engine disassembly? Never on any car I have seen. If the battery simply will not come out, look near the bottom of the battery case. Car batteries have a “kick out” along the bottom of it for securing it to the battery tray, and GM is a frequent user of this feature. Hope this helps.
If all else fails, take the car to Walmart, Autozone, Interstate Battery Center, or somewhere similar. They will install the battery free if you buy it from them. Just remind them that black goes to negative, red goes to positive, and an “R” after the group number means the posts are reversed (in other words, don’t install a 24R where a 24 is supposed to live unless you want a really exciting smoke show). Some of these people seem to forget these things.
If the people at Sears, Pep Boys, AutoZone, Checkers can do this in 10 minutes or less, so can you…GM cars usually use a plastic block down on the bottom try that locks the battery down. Use a flashlight and look down along the bottom edge. 1988…Side-post connectors probably…probably corroded beyond removal…So just cut them off and replace them with new battery cable connectors…
" . . . sorry I am not much of a mechanic, . . . It seems insane to have to disassemble the car just to take out the battery."
This should make you appreciate mechanics. This is nothing, really. Many things on cars are much more difficult to get to than your battery. It’s insane !
" . . . I can’t even just pull it straight up."
By the way, that battery may have to tip to get out or in.
CSA
Thank you all so much! You are wonderful! Mom will be very happy!
You Are Very Welcome. We Work Without A Net And Don’t Charge A Thing For Advice That’s Worth Every Penny !
CSA