[GM Lifer]

So I just learned that the battery resides behind this little removable panel. Since car batteries have very short lives in Arizona, it's just a matter of time until I need to swap the original for a new one. Do you seriously have to pop out all the little plastic fasteners and pull the trunk liner to access the battery? If you've done it, was it difficult? Break anything?

[Glen e]

Pull on it, trim tools for poppers, nothing breaks......

If you own this car you need one of these

https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-35260-P...s=Panel+popper

[Darth Martel]

if you're wanting to do anything more than look at it, you have to come at the battery through the back seat opening. If you're trying to access it and add wiring for say an aftermarket amp just from the trunk opening, you won't physically be able to do it unless you are a contortionist or have abilities like Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four. I had to go through the back seat opening.

[drivingagain]

I would actually recommend this from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Gives a little more flexibility with different fasteners and the plastic works very well. I have yet to snap one.

[GM Lifer]

Originally Posted by Darth Martel

if you're wanting to do anything more than look at it, you have to come at the battery through the back seat opening.

I'm just thinking about how to remove it when it ultimately dies. Go through the back seat, or remove the trunk trim?

[Boilermaker128]

Best way to find out is to just try. Don't be nervous bud it'll be easy.

[Com69]

It's pretty easy getting to the battery. Remove flippy up thingy, unscrew 4 nuts from plastic that covers trunk latch, pull up, 2 clips at top, they pop easy. The felty liner is only held in with christmas tree clips(that's what we call them), it's stiff, seems like it doesn't wanna move, but it will. Once clips are out, remove liner. Battery exposed. Takes about 4-5 minutes.

I didn't have any trouble getting to the battery from the trunk. Never even occured to me to try going through the back seat, that seems like it would be harder.

[GM Lifer]

Originally Posted by Com69

It's pretty easy getting to the battery. Remove flippy up thingy, unscrew 4 nuts from plastic that covers trunk latch, pull up, 2 clips at top, they pop easy. The felty liner is only held in with christmas tree clips(that's what we call them), it's stiff, seems like it doesn't wanna move, but it will. Once clips are out, remove liner. Battery exposed. Takes about 4-5 minutes.

I didn't have any trouble getting to the battery from the trunk. Never even occured to me to try going through the back seat, that seems like it would be harder.

Ah, so that whole right side of the trunk liner is one piece and it's gotta come out, eh? Gotcha. Thanks!

[Turbo8u]

I was just looking at this in my convertible, does not look like any fun! I felt like I was back in my Miata days welding with the battery....

[chris227]

It's actually really easy to access.

[babigguy]

How does the black plastic come off the positive side?

[cmeJATT]

i might need to change mine soon

[TheBusDriver]

Seems to be some over-complication and even lack of information going on among people trying to replace their batteries.

After just replacing mine yesterday, here are a few tips:

1) I only removed the two chirstmas tree pop-clips on the liner that I've circled below. There's enough room to snake everything in and out once you remove just those two clips, I found no need to remove/free the entire trunk liner.

2) The black positive junction cover has two finger tabs you push together and slide right off.

3) Once the positive junction is exposed, loosen the positive terminal just like you did on the ground; there is no need to remove or loosen the terminal from the junction. It should all come out as one piece. (10mm)

4) There is a tab you may need to pull on the right/back side (towards the back of the car) of the junction to lift it up and away.

5) There are two bolts on the battery hold down (13mm), though there are bushings that the bolts go through that are just sitting in there loose, you will have to line these back up with the bracket holes and the threaded holes on the car. I could see this probably being the most frustrating part, but I was lucky and was able to feel around and stick the bolts in the holes pretty quickly and get the thread started with my fingers.

6) Don't forget to slide the vent tube on the negative end of the battery out before you remove the battery, and make sure to shove it back into the new battery once you've got everything bolted in.


This sounds like a lot to replace a battery, but it actually isn't that bad. Probably took me 15 minutes from start to finish. I was expecting worse.

I ended up replacing the OEM 700CCA ACDelco battery with the Optima H6 Yellowtop 800CCA, thing turns over like a beast.

With my 3.5 year old battery, whenever the engine was hot and I would run inside somewhere real quick, the engine would BARELY turn over once I came back out. It got to the point where I had to try it twice on one occasion, and that was when I bit the bullet for a $300 battery. I know this is due to starter motor heat soak, and this battery probably would've been fine for a couple more years in any other f**king car. It would fire right up on cold starts, even after sitting for a week or more.

Advance Auto Parts has a 25% off coupon (up to $50) when you visit their site. Enter your email and you'll get a code to use on an online order. I used this to get a clean $50 right off the battery, and went to pick it up in-store.

[Brudda*Termite]

Originally Posted by GM Lifer

So I just learned that the battery resides behind this little removable panel. Since car batteries have very short lives in Arizona, it's just a matter of time until I need to swap the original for a new one. Do you seriously have to pop out all the little plastic fasteners and pull the trunk liner to access the battery? If you've done it, was it difficult? Break anything?

I think you'll find that with the battery inside the car, it'll last longer since it's not in the heat of the engine compartment. Still, they don't make them like they used to!