As the battery in your Tacoma ages, it begins to ineffectively hold its charge. This occurs naturally from everyday use but can also be hastened from the simplest things. Leaving a phone charger plugged into the cigarette lighter. Continually playing the radio for long periods of time without the engine running. Even a defective alternator, which normally charges the battery, can cause its demise. You can replace the battery in the Toyota Tacoma with a few tools right at home. Removing and installing a new battery should take less than 15 minutes.
Raise the hood on your Toyota Tacoma and locate the truck’s battery. On the top of the battery, you should see a small negative and positive sign. The cable connected to the positive post on the battery should be red. The other cable, which is the negative, should be all black.
Remove the bolt securing the black cable to its post first, with a socket wrench. Remove any built-up debris from the terminal on the cable with a wire brush. Once cleaned, wrap electrical tape thoroughly around the terminal, then position it away from the battery.
Take the positive cable off its post on the battery by removing its bolt with your socket wrench. Clean off any debris that has built up on its terminal with the wire brush. You don’t have to wrap the positive cable’s terminal with the tape, but do position it away from the battery.
Loosen the holding bracket bolts on both sides of the battery that secure it to the battery tray. Do not completely remove the holding bracket bolts. Loosen them just enough to slide the lips on both sides of the battery from under them.
Lift the battery out of the engine compartment with both hands and set it to the side. Lower your new battery down onto the battery tray. Make sure the lips on both sides of the battery are under the holding brackets on the tray. Tighten the holding brackets bolts with your socket wrench until secure.
Connect the positive cable’s terminal back to the battery first. Set a 3/8-inch drive torque wrench to 12 foot-pounds and secure the cable in place completely. Remove the electrical tape that you wrapped around the negative terminal. Connect the terminal back to its post and secure it in position with the torque wrench at the same torque specification.
