Replace Acura Battery – DIY
Can’t start your engine due to a dead car battery? The battery on your Acura may be dead and need to be replaced. Learn how to replace the Acura battery in less than 20 minutes.
What you will need
To change the battery on most 1998-2024 ACURA vehicles, you will need a few essential tools such as a 10mm wrench, terminal cleaning brush, battery protector, and a new ACURA battery.
- Battery You will need either a Group 51R Battery or a Group 24F Battery (In most cases). Verify by looking in the owner’s manual or on top of the battery installed on your Acura.
- Mechanic Toolset – Metric
- Battery Brush
- Battery Terminal Protect Spray
Procedure
Turn off the ignition. Remove the key from the ignition before replacing the car battery on the ACURA. Acuras can be sensitive to voltage drops, and you can avoid electrical problems by keeping the key out of the ignition. If an ACURA battery is entirely dead, it will not be able to get into the car because the key fob remote will not unlock the car. Remove the metal key from the key fob. Open the driver’s door with the metal key that you remove from the key fob.
Open Hood. Pull the hood release under the dashboard on the driver’s side. Next, release the hood latch at the front of your Acura.
Locate Battery. In most Acuras, the battery is located in the engine bay. Once you open the hood, you will see the battery on the driver’s side of the engine.
You will need to remove the plastic cover on newer Acura vehicles to see the battery.
For example, on this Acura TL, the battery is under this cover. Once you remove this cover, you will see the battery underneath.
Here is the location of the battery on a 2016 Acura TLX.
Disconnect the Negative Battery Cable.
Always disconnect the negative battery terminal first. Loosen the 10mm nut but do not remove it. Once the nut is loose, pull the cable up and away from the negative battery post.
Disconnect Positive Battery Cable.
Remove the battery hold-down bracket. Here is a close-up picture of the battery bracket on an ACURA. Some Acuras use a side bracket instead of the top bracket.
If your battery has a side bracket, you will need a 13mm socket and an 8″ ratchet extension to remove the side bracket.
Clean Terminals. It is important to clean the battery terminals of your ACURA using a terminal brush. This will ensure that you don’t have any corrosion issues in the future.
Connect Positive Cable. Reconnect battery terminals. First, you always connect the positive battery cable to the positive battery terminal.
Connect Negative Cable
Lastly, connect the negative terminals. Use fiber washers to prevent corrosion of the battery terminals.
Protect Battery Terminals. Spray battery terminal protector on the battery posts and clamps. A battery protector helps seal the metal surfaces. It helps reduce corrosion and improves current flow. 
Start the engine. With the transmission in Park and brakes pressed, turn the steering wheel to the left and right (twice) to reset the steering angle sensor and traction control light.
These steps will help you remove and install a new battery on Acura models such as CSX, ILX, MDX, RDX, RL, RLX, TL, TLX, TSX, and ZDX.
Symptoms of a bad Acura battery
Here is a list of the most common symptoms that your Acura battery may need to be replaced.
- ACURA does not start
- The battery is dead and does not hold a charge
- Acura engine cranks very slow in the morning
- ACURA is completely dead, has no power or lights
What battery size fits my Acura?
Below is a table that shows the required battery size for various Acura cars and SUVs. Verifying the battery size by looking it up on your owner’s manual or calling your Acura dealer is important. When buying an Acura battery online, check fitment before purchase.
| Model | Size | Min. Cold Cranking |
|---|---|---|
| CSX | Group 51R Battery | 410A |
| ILX | Group 51R Battery | 410A |
| MDX | Group 24F Battery | 550A |
| RDX | Group 24F Battery | 550A |
| RL | Group 24 Battery | 585A |
| RLX | Group 24F Battery | 550A |
| TL | Group 24F Battery | 550A |
| TLX | Group H6 AGM Battery | 440A |
| TSX | Group 51R Battery |
430A |
| ZDX | Group 24F Battery | 550A |
We hope you find the Replace Acura Battery – DIY guide helpful. For more help, check these troubleshooting and repair guides for your Acura vehicle.
Did you try the metal key in the driver’s door key hole and that doesn’t work? If so, try opening the trunk and if you have foldable rear seats gen in through there.
If none of these options work, call a locksmith to come to you and unlock the car. Then change the battery yourself. This would be a lot cheaper than getting the car towed to the shop.
Hope this helps.
“Remove the metal key from the remove and manually open the driver’s door as shown in this video.”
“This video” doesn’t exist! I have this problem, and the video would have been helpful. The battery is dead, the key in the only lock on the car isn’t working and I have the world’s most useless sculpture sitting in the driveway.