Honda Ridgeline Battery Replacement

Can’t start your Honda Ridgeline due to a dead battery? Learn how to fix the problem by replacing the battery of your vehicle. This guide will show you step-by-step procedures for replacing the battery on a Honda Ridgeline.

Signs Your Honda Ridgeline Battery Is Failing

• Slow or labored cranking, especially on cold mornings
• Clicking when you turn the key or press start, with dim dash lights
• Electrical glitches: flickering lights, radio resets or random warning lights
• A battery warning light or a battery older than about four to five years
• Swollen case, leaking acid or heavy corrosion on the terminals

Confirm the Battery Is the Problem

• With the engine off, a healthy battery reads about 12.6 volts. Below about 12.2 volts it is significantly discharged.
• Most parts stores will load test the battery for free.
• With the engine running, voltage should read roughly 13.5 to 14.8 volts. If not, check the alternator before replacing the battery.
• Clean corroded terminals first; a poor connection can mimic a dead battery.

A scan tool such as the YOUCANIC UCAN-II Pro shows live battery and charging voltage on supported models, which helps you tell a worn battery from a charging problem.

What you will need

Tools 

• Ratchet or T-handle
• 10mm deep socket
• 10mm regular socket
• Flat-head screwdriver
• Phillips screwdriver

Parts

• Honda Ridgeline Battery PN 31500-TZ-A21
  • Group Size 48 Battery
  • Dimensions:    (L) 11″ (W) 6.75″ (H) 11″
  • Other part numbers: H6/LN3, 48H6, H6-DLG, 48-70, MTP-48/H6, 8448, 48EXT, 50848

Procedure

1. Park the vehicle on safe and level ground.
2. Set the parking brake on.
3. Open the driver’s side door beside the lower door molding near the front side of the door; you can find a lever with an icon resembling a car with an open hood. Twist it upward to release the hood latch.
4. To open the hood, you need to release a safety hood release lever under it. Go to the front of the vehicle, find a small lever between the hood and the body, and then pull it upward, releasing the hood. You can now open the hood.
5. Find the hood stay and secure it to the hood. To prevent the hood from falling while you are fixing the car.
6. The Honda Pilot Ridgeline’s battery cannot be accessed easily; you must remove the air inlet resonator to access the battery. But before you can access the air inlet resonator, a plastic heat insulator should be removed first.
7. Grab the black plastic insulator covering the air inlet resonator, pull up the insulator, and then pull it out. Secure the insulator in a safe place.
8. The resonator inlet will now be visible; you can use a Phillips screwdriver to loosen the two retaining screws which hold it in place. There will be a lock washer on both screws, so you need to remove those. You may use a thin, flat screwdriver to pry the washers out.
9. Pull the resonator off the engine while gently shaking it loose. Once removed, you can now see the car battery.
10. The battery is secured by a plastic bracket that prevents the battery from bouncing up and down and prevents battery side-to-side movements. To remove the bracket, loosen the two 10mm nuts using a deep socket and a ratchet, set your ratchet to loosen the setting, then turn the ratchet counterclockwise. The nuts are connected to a j-shaped metal threaded bar attached to the base of the battery holder. Holding the J-bars while loosening the nuts should prevent the J-bar from falling into tight spaces.
11. Loosen the negative terminal’s retaining nut using a 10 mm socket or t-wrench.
12. Pull the negative battery terminal off the pole.
13. Remove the positive terminal cover, then loosen the positive terminal’s retaining nut using a 10 mm socket wrench or t-wrench.
14. Pull the positive battery terminal off the pole.
15. The battery is still protected by a black plastic cover, which also houses the battery’s cooling fan. Find a cover clip and pull it to release the lock; you can now pull the battery cover off.
16. Using the battery handle, pull out the old battery. Don’t forget the location of each polarity; the + side of the battery has a red cover on the terminal.
17. Clean the battery cover.
18. Prepare the new battery. The stock battery’s part number is 31500-TZ-A21, the group size is 48 CCA is 620 Amps, and Ah@20 HR is 70. The actual size code for this battery is H6, L3, or 66L3.
19. Using a battery cleaner, rub both poles before installation. Also, clean the battery terminals (connectors) using the brush side of the battery cleaner.
20. Position the battery so that the + pole is on the left.
21. Re-install the plastic battery cover.
22. Connect the positive (+) terminal to the positive pole to tighten the 10mm nut.
23. Connect the negative (-) terminal to the negative pole and tighten the 10mm nut.
24. Reinstall the battery bracket by aligning the j-bars on the bottom of the holder and the bracket. Fasten the two 10 mm nuts.
25. Reinstall the battery-positive terminal cover.
26. Install the air intake resonator by pushing its hose back into the engine intake slot and installing the retaining screws and washers.
27. Reinstall the plastic heat insulator.
28. Start the engine.

Before replacing the old battery, it is good to perform a battery check to ensure it is faulty. Visit any auto parts store to perform a battery test. Most stores will test your old battery for free.

Otherwise, you may be replacing a good battery for no reason. For more details on how to check your battery, please visit our battery testing guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many car batteries do I have?

A Honda Ridgeline with an internal combustion engine will have only one battery.

I always hear about CCA. What is it?

The Cold Cranking Performance (CCA) measures the starting performance of the battery. In simple terms, the higher the CCA, the easier it will be to start the vehicle.

What is the voltage rating of my Honda Ridgeline?

Honda Ridgeline uses  12 volts batteries.

Check these troubleshooting and repair guides for more help on your Honda.

Related Guides

• 2007 to 2012 Honda Fit Battery Replacement
• How to Jump-Start a Dead Battery in a Honda Fit (2009 to 2013)
• Honda Ridgeline Front Brake Pad Replacement
• Honda Pilot Ridgeline 3.5L V6 Alternator Replacement

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