Chevrolet Colorado 12V
Automotive Battery Replacement Guide
How to change a weak or dead 12 volt car
battery in a 2015 to 2022 GM Chevy Colorado with the 3.6L V6 engine.
2019 Colorado 3.6L V6 |
12V Car Battery Location |
Loosen Counterclockwise |
This automotive
maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist owners of the second
generation (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022) GM Chevrolet Colorado truck in changing a weak or dead 12 volt
car battery for the LFX or LGZ 3.6L V6 engine. The procedure should the be
the same or very similar for models with the Ecotec 2.5L I4 engine or the
Duramax turbodiesel 2.8L I4 engine. Owners of other General Motors vehicles from Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, Buick and Holden such as the Trax, Equinox, Traverse, Blazer, Tahoe, Suburban, Sonic, Cruze, Trailblazer, Spark, Malibu, Impala, Volt, Bolt, Corvette, Camaro, Silverado, Express, Regal, LaCrosse, Cascada, Encore, Enclave, Envision, Canyon, Sierra, Terrain, Acadia, Yukon, XT4, XT5, XT6, Escalade, CT5, CTS, XTS, CT6, ATS, Astra and Commodore may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful. The most common symptoms of a weak or failing 12V battery include slow cranking, sluggish starting and possibly also a warning light on the gauge cluster. The OEM 12 volt battery's "Group Size" is 48 (also known as "H6") and the part number ACDelco 48PS. A few compatible replacement batteries with their part numbers include the following: DieHard 50748, Delphi BU9048 and Exide Battery L348X. An upgrade to the OEM battery is the ACDelco 48AGM (absorbed glass mat = maintenance-free, spill proof, leak proof and longer service life). The tools needed to complete this procedure include a 10mm socket with a 1/4" drive ratchet, a flat head screwdriver or a plastic pry bar tool, a 13mm socket with a 3/8" drive ratchet and a 13mm wrench or an adjustable crescent wrench. The first two steps are to open the hood and move to the right (driver) side of the engine bay. The 12 volt car battery is situated to the right of the electrical fuse box and in front of the brake fluid reservoir by the windshield. Loosen the nut on the "-" negative terminal by turning it a few turns in the counterclockwise direction with a 10mm socket and a 1/4" drive ratchet. |
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Pull Off Negative Terminal |
Loosen Positive Terminal |
Open Plastic Cover |
Pull the negative
terminal off the "-" battery post.
Wrap the terminal in a small towel and tuck it away on the left side of the battery to help prevent accidental electrical contact. Open the black plastic cover over the positive terminal. Then loosen the "+" positive terminal by turning the nut in the counterclockwise direction a few turns with the 10mm socket and a 1/4" drive ratchet. |
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Pry Off Retaining Clip |
Pry Off Right Side Clip |
Black Cable - Right Side |
Gently pry out the
black plastic retaining clips on the left and right side of the power
distribution board to release them. Open the black plastic cover on the right side of the power distribution board. |
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Attach Socket To Ratchet |
Loosen Counterclockwise |
Spin Off Nut |
Loosen the nut on
the black cable attached to the power distribution board by turning it in
the counterclockwise direction with the 13mm socket and a 3/8" drive
ratchet. Set the nut aside in safe place such as on top of the black plastic cowl below the windshield. |
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Pull Off Black Cable |
Power Distribution Board |
Loosen Counterclockwise |
Pull the ring
terminal at the end of the black cable off the power distribution board. Carefully pull the power distribution board off the top of the old battery and the "+" positive post. To remove the battery hold down bar, first remove the black metal nut at the top of the silver bar on the left side of the hold down bar. Loosen the nut by turning it in the counterclockwise direction with the 13mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet. |
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Spin Off Black Nut |
Set Aside Nut |
Raise Left Side of Bar |
Set the black nut
aside in a safe place. Raise the left side of the hold down clamp off the threaded end on the top of the silver bar. |
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Battery Hold Down Clamp |
Rotate Counterclockwise |
Spin Out Silver Bar |
Continue raising
the left side of the black metal bar until the hook on the right side can be
removed from the body panel on the far right side of the engine bay. Set the hold down clamp bar aside in a safe place. Loosen the round silver metal bar on the left side of the old battery by turning it in the counterclockwise direction with a 13mm wrench. Spin out the silver metal bar. |
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Silver Bar Removed |
Hold Down Plastic Block |
Slide Battery Forward |
Set the silver bar
aside in a safe place. Reach down to the left side of the battery tray and pull off the black plastic hold down block. Set the plastic hold down block aside in a safe place. The OEM battery is still held in place to the tray by five plastic hooks. There are four hooks on the right (driver) side of the battery tray and one on the rear edge (closest to the windshield). To release the old battery from the hooks, slide the battery forward and then to the left (towards the passenger side). |
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Slide Battery To Left |
Plastic Brackets - On Right |
Plastic Battery Tray |
Carefully lift the
old battery out of the off the tray and out of the engine bay. Gently set the old battery on the ground. Try to avoid dropping or tipping over the old battery to prevent from having acid leak out. Be sure to bring the old battery with you to the auto parts store or Walmart to prevent from having to pay a "core", recycling disposal or "environmental" fee. If you can wait a few days for delivery, I recommend buying the upgraded version of the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) ACDelco 48PS which is the ACDelco 48AGM absorbed glass mat 12V battery. There are many advantages to AGM (absorbed glass mat) batteries including a longer service life of up to twice as long, being spill-proof and leak proof, faster charging due to lower resistance, resistance to vibration, being maintenance free, the ability to be deep cycled, having a lower weight and offering higher performance in cold weather. |
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View of 5 Plastic "Hooks" |
Remove Old OEM Battery |
ACDelco 0819 (48PS) |
Clean off any debris from the black plastic tray in the engine bay so that the new battery will rest evenly on it. | ||
Lower In New Battery |
Slide To Right - Hooks |
Plastic Hold Down Block |
Carefully lower the
new battery into the engine bay with the "+" positive post situated closer
to the front of the truck and the "-" negative post closer to the rear of
the engine bay by the firewall and windshield. Slide the new battery towards the right and the rear of the engine bay to secure the bottom plastic lip to the hooks on the tray. Lower the black plastic hold down block on to the left side of the battery tray. |
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Lower Down On Left Side |
Spin In Silver Bar |
Tighten Bar Clockwise |
Spin in the silver
bar into the hold down block to secure it to the battery tray. Tighten the bar by rotating the fixed nut in the center in the clockwise direction with a 13mm wrench until it is snug. |
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Lower "+" Board |
Replace Black Cable |
Tighten Nut Clockwise |
Carefully lower the
power distribution board over the front of the battery and the "+" positive
terminal (located closer to the front of the truck). Replace the ring terminal at the end of the black cable over its post on the power distribution board. Replace the silver metal nut over the cable and tighten it in the clockwise direction with a 13mm socket and a 1/4" drive ratchet. If you've had a problem with corrosion (blue or white powder) building up on the terminals, I highly recommend installing some felt anti-corrosion washers over the battery posts. They are cheap insurance against having to replace your terminals or battery cables due to damage from corrosion. |
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Replace Positive Terminal |
Close Plastic Cover |
Re-Insert Right Side Clamp |
Push the positive
terminal (red cable) over the "+" battery post. Tighten the 10mm nut on the positive terminal in the clockwise direction until it is snug. Line up the black metal hold down bar over the new battery. Re-insert the curved (hook) end on the right into the opening in the side panel of the engine bay. |
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Lower Hold Down Bar |
Spin On Black Nut |
Positive Terminal Secured |
Lower the hold down
bar over the top of the new battery and pass the threaded silver metal bar
through the opening in the left side. Spin the black nut a few turns in the clockwise direction on the top of the silver bar to prevent it from becoming cross threaded. Tighten the nut with the 13mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet in the clockwise direction until it is snug. |
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Push On Negative Terminal |
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Close the plastic
cover over the power distribution board and the positive terminal. Push the negative terminal on to the "-" battery post. |
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Tighten "-" Terminal Nut |
12V Battery Replaced |
Start Engine - Test Battery |
Tighten the nut on
the negative terminal in the clockwise direction with the 10mm socket and a
1/4" drive ratchet 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. To test the new 12V battery, start the engine and flash the high beam headlights. To make sure the alternator is working properly, test the voltage while the engine is running with a digital multimeter. The alternator should be charging the battery at over 13 volts to as high as just over 14 volts. If you often leave your truck unused for two weeks or longer, I highly recommend using a 12V battery trickle charger to keep it fully charged such as the Battery Tender Junior. Lead acid batteries have the longest service life when they are kept fully charged while also avoiding deep discharges. Be sure to write down the battery change in your truck's service records. Please check out all of my
2015-2019 GM Chevrolet Colorado DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides. |
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