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Acura MDX 12V Automotive Battery Replacement Guide
How to change a dead 12 volt car battery in the engine bay of a 1st generation 2001 to 2006 Acura MDX Touring.

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2006 MDX 12V Battery
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Pull Off Wire Harness
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Loosen Counterclockwise
This automotive maintenance tutorial was specifically created to assist owners of the first generation (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 & 2006) Acura MDX in changing a weak or dead 12 volt automotive battery for the 3.5L V6 VTEC engine.

Owners of other Acura or Honda vehicles such as the RDX, ILX, TLX, RLX, TL, CL, RSX, RL, TSX, ZDX, NSX, Integra, Pilot, Accord, Civic, Fit, Clarity, CR-V, CR-Z, HR-V, Odyssey, Element  and Ridgeline may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

The OEM "Group Size" for the 12V battery is 24F. (The smaller group size 35 batteries will also fit.)

A few compatible replacement batteries with their part numbers area as follows: Everstart MAXX-24F (Walmart), Exide Edge FP-AGM24F, Optima 8020-164 35 and Odyssey 34R-PC1500T.

The tools needed to complete this procedure include a 10mm wrench or a deep well 10mm socket with a 1/4" drive ratchet.



 
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Front Nut - Battery Clamp
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Disconnect "J" Hooks
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Battery Hold Down Bar
The first two steps are to open the hood and move to the right (driver) side of the engine bay.

The 12V car battery is located just behind the driver side headlight housing and in front of the black rubber air intake hose.

Loosen the two nuts on the top of the battery hold down bar or "clamp" by turning them counterclockwise with a 10mm wrench or a deep well 10mm socket with a 1/4" drive ratchet.

You do not need to fully remove the two 10mm nuts on the top of the "J" hook bars holding the battery clamp in place.

Once the two nuts are loosened about five to ten turns, remove the "J" hooks at the bottom of the two silver metal bars from their mounting slots on the bottom of the battery tray.

Carefully lift the hold down clamp off the top of the battery. Avoid making contact with the battery terminals or posts.

Set the hold down clamp and "J" hook bars aside in a safe place.

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Loosen Negative Terminal
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Pull Off Negative Terminal
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Cover & Tuck Away
Loosen the nut on the negative "-" terminal by turning it in the counterclockwise direction with the 10mm socket and a 1/4" drive ratchet.

Pull the negative terminal off the "-" battery post.

Wrap the terminal in a small towel and tuck it away in between the air box and the headlight housing to help prevent accidental electrical contact.

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Pull Off Rubber Cover
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Loosen Counterclockwise
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Pull Off Positive Terminal
Pull the red rubber cover off the positive terminal.

Loosen the 10mm nut on the positive terminal by turning it in the counterclockwise direction.

Pull the positive terminal off the "+" battery post and tuck it away on the left side of the battery tray.

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Lift Out Old Battery
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Clean Off Battery Tray
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New EverStart MAXX-24F
The previous owner of our MDX purchased the Acura 100 month limited warranty Group Size 24F battery which has 550 CCA (cold cranking amps). The part number was 31500-SD4-100M (7-H24F).

It was almost five years old and rather than deal with the dealership's pro-rated warranty process, I went to Walmart and bought a new EverStart MAXX 24F battery with a higher rating of 750 CCA for about $94. It has a five year total warranty with three years of free replacement with an additional 2 years of pro-rated coverage. The EverStart batteries are made by Johnson Controls Inc.

If you find yourself replacing 12V batteries prematurely in your Acura MDX, I recommend researching the common battery drain issue with the bluetooth hands-free link or "HFL" for short.

Clean off any debris from the battery tray so that the new battery will rest evenly on it.

Be sure to bring the old battery with you to Walmart or the auto parts store to prevent from having to pay a "core", "disposal" or "recycling" charge. The retailer will also ensure that the old battery is properly recycled.



 

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Lower In New Battery
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Install Battery Clamp
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Re-Insert Front "J" Hook
Carefully lower the new 12V battery into the engine bay with the positive (red +) post on the left (passenger) side and the negative (black -) post on the right (driver) side.

Lower the two "J" hook bars and the battery hold down clamp over the top of the new battery.

Avoid making contact with the battery posts.

Re-insert the "J" shaped hook at the bottom of the front bar into its mounting slot on the battery tray.

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Re-Insert Rear "J" Hook
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Tighten Nut Clockwise
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Tighten Front 10mm Nut
Re-attach the rear "J" hook bar to the battery tray.

Hold the "J" hook bars with one hand to prevent them from popping out of place while tightening the 10mm nuts in the clockwise direction with the other hand.

Do not over tighten the 10mm nuts to prevent from damaging or cracking the battery's plastic case.

Check to make sure the new battery can not be moved, rocked or slid on the tray. If it can be moved, tighten the two 10mm nuts on the hold down clamp an extra turn or two.

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Pull Off Battery Post Cover
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Push On Positive Terminal
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Tighten Clockwise
If the positive post on the new battery has a plastic cover on it, pull it off and discard it.

If you've been having a problem with corrosion (white or blue powder) building up on the battery terminals, consider installing some felt anti-corrosion washers on to the battery posts.

Push the positive terminal on to the "+" battery post.

Tighten the 10mm terminal nut by turning it in the clockwise direction until it is snug.

Try to avoid over tightening the terminal nut to prevent from cracking the battery post which could lead to an acid leak.

Slip the red rubber cover over the positive terminal.

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Push On Negative Terminal
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Tighten Clockwise
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New Battery Installed
Push the negative terminal on to the "-" battery post.

Tighten the 10mm nut on the negative terminal in the clockwise direction until it is snug.

Double check that both of the terminals are tight.

Be sure to record the 12V battery change in your vehicle's service records and also store the purchase receipt in a safe place for any possible future warranty claims.

For more, please check out all of my 2001-2006 Acura MDX DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides.
 

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