Knowing how to replace a dead battery in an automobile is an important part of auto maintenance. The first step in battery replacement is locating the battery in your vehicle. While most batteries are located under the car's front hood, some manufacturers place their batteries in other locations on the car. Buicks from the 2002 model-year have batteries in different positions on the vehicle.
The battery in the Buick LeSabre and Buick Riviera is located under the rear seat cushion. To access the battery, release the cushion hooks by pulling up on the front of the cushion then out toward the front of the car. Once the cushion is out, you will be able to see the battery and the rear fuse box.
The batteries in other 2002 Buicks, such as the Century, are located under the hood of the car. Once you pop open the hood, you'll see the battery near the front of the engine compartment, on the left side in front of the under-hood fuse box. On either side of the battery are the windshield wiper fluid reservoir and the radiator pressure cap.
If you need to jump-start a 2002 Buick, you will not connect the jumper cables to the battery itself. This is true regardless of whether the Buick is a LeSabre or another model. Instead, you will connect the cables to the remote positive terminal. In all 2002 Buicks, the remote positive terminal is located under the hood, behind the under-hood fuse box. When jump-starting your Buick, drive the other vehicle with the working battery close enough so that the two hoods are close but not touching. Both ignitions should be turned off. After locating the positive and negative terminals on the working battery, take the cover off of the remote positive terminal in your Buick. Connect the positive jumper cable to the remote positive terminal in your Buick and connect the other end of the positive jumper cable to the positive terminal on the other car's battery (or remote positive terminal). Connect the negative jumper cable to the negative terminal on the working battery and connect the other end of the negative cable to an unpainted metal location on your Buick. Start the engine of the car with the good battery and, after a few minutes, start the engine on your Buick.
All 2002 Buicks come factory-equipped with an ACDelco battery. When the battery has completely died and the battery fluid is spent, purchase another battery to replace it. To ensure you purchase the correct battery, locate the replacement number on the dead battery's label and refer to that number when shopping for a new battery.
