This is a stupid question, but I can't figure it out. My wife's 2003 GS430's battery died, and she had it jump started then drove home. I was trying to take the battery out tonight but my garage didn't have enough light, so I couldn't really see what I was doing.

How do you remove that cover over the battery? I can see you just pull it up, but it has the negative and positive cables attached to the side of it. The negative cable has some clip that looks like if you pushed it together it would pop off, but it didn't seem to work. The positive was in an awkward position and I couldn't tell what the hell was going on.

I'm sure this is one of those things where once you do it once it's easy, but my wife pulled the car all they way into the garage so I'm worried I'm not going to have much light, even in the daytime tomorrow.

Any tips?

 

tip #1...get a flashlight.

tip #2...just pull up the terminal covers.

 

Ya, just do it during the day while you have more light.

"Please see above," then you just get an allen wrench or adjustable wrench and take out the four 10 mm screws that lock in the 2 placement brackets that secure the battery found parallel on the face of the battery.

Then replace the new battery in the OEM rectangular battery tray and redo the above in inverse.

 

It may sound simple and amateurish, but be careful that you connect the right terminals. I just swapped a battery in the dark and accidentally crossed the terminals...causing a major power outage in my car...it could happen! It was a pain in the *** to deal with...

 

yes..detach negative first...then positive.

 

Yeah detaching the cables and the tie-down weren't the problems, there are these clips that attach the cables to the side of the battery cover (that slips over the battery).

The answer ended up being more light, and just jamming a screwdriver into them to pop them open. At first I was worried about breaking them and figured there must be some trick to opening them, then I got irritated and just pried them with a screwdriver until they opened up. Didn't break them either, so I guess that's the preferred way of doing it.

 

My battery came right out as soon I disconnect the cable and remove the battery hold down. I didn't see any clip or nothing..It's easy as pie...LOL

 

Just in case anyone finds this thread through searching, I took some photos of what I was talking about. It's hard to tell from the photos, but there is a plastic battery cover that goes over the battery (that arrow on the lower right hand corner is on the cover, and you can see the top of the cover is cut out so you can see the battery / access the terminals). The main power cables that connect to the battery are attached with clips on the sides of the cover, so you can't slide the cover up far enough or else you hit the spade connectors on the cables.

The problem I had was popping open those clips, once you open them you can slide the cover up without any problems, as it won't catch on the cables anymore. I was just worried about using too much force on the clips, but they held up fine.

 

I have a 2002 LS430. Because of your good directions with the photos and the hint to just get in there and pop those battery terminals off, and unscrew the "J" hooks (being careful not to drop them into the engine compartment). Then I had the hardest time getting the cable holders off on the right side of the battery. My boyfriend was even going to go out and buy some larger screwdrivers, but since I had been looking at all of the Lexus websites for hours last night (up until 3:30 a.m.), I was stoked to finish the battery job myself. So I went down this morning, and carefully slid a few small screwdrivers next to the long cables, on the right side of the battery (near the red positive "+") terminal and popped the clip off of the one closest to the front of the car, and then struggled for ten minutes with the one in back of the first clip (which I had just removed). Just be patient and determine that you're not going to BREAK the clip. I slid the battery casing sleeve off slowly up, and removed it and put in on the garage floor. Then I cleaned out the area with a spray for battery acid removal (you could use a mixture of baking soda and water maybe - just make sure that the battery cables (+ and -) are OFF of the battery). Then I slid the new battery into place (it was a 23 group battery for the Lexus LS 430 or something like that from Costco $59.99 plus tax, and it is warrantied for 100 months), and slid the battery case back over the whole new battery. AAA wanted $124 to put in a new battery, good for 6 years, but I needed to save money!! Next I attached the metal piece that holds the battery in place with the "J" hooks, and tightened it too much, so I had to unscrew the back part and slowly tighten front and then back screws with the J hooks on them. I next hooked the terminal cables (positive + and negative -) back up. I watched a video for another make of car on the internet, and they said to be sure to detach the Negative (Black "-") cable first, and then the Positive (Red "+"). BUT HEED THIS WELL: When you hook them back up, attach the Positive (Red "+") terminal FIRST, and then, attach the Negative (Black "-") terminal next. You can short out your new battery, if you don't do this just right. I attached the positive one first and got a spark, and I had tried to remind myself about 30 times, about how to do this right. Anyhow, since I told you I have a boyfriend helping me, you know I'm a gal (67-young) and sick of the proprietary stuff they do to cars so that we cannot learn to fix them ourselves for the lesser important items. I feel really good about doing this. I have also taught myself how to snake a toilet and a trap under the sink, by reading repair manuals. Thank you for all your help. I couldn't have done it without you! Also, my boyfriend had bought some battery protective spray from the Autozone store (when he bought the battery acid neutralizer/cleaner, he bought the spray, which you spray at the end. One more thing - clean the battery terminal connectors with a $2.00 wire brush from the auto supply store, or with a clean cloth and maybe a small screwdriver (but don't scrape off the copper). GOOD LUCK! and MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND NEW YEAR!!

 

I have a 2002 LS430. Because of your good directions with the photos and the hint to just get in there and pop those battery terminals off, and unscrew the "J" hooks (being careful not to drop them into the engine compartment). Then I had the hardest time getting the cable holders off on the right side of the battery. My boyfriend was even going to go out and buy some larger screwdrivers, but since I had been looking at all of the Lexus websites for hours last night (up until 3:30 a.m.), I was stoked to finish the battery job myself. So I went down this morning, and carefully slid a few small screwdrivers next to the long cables, on the right side of the battery (near the red positive "+") terminal and popped the clip off of the one closest to the front of the car, and then struggled for ten minutes with the one in back of the first clip (which I had just removed). Just be patient and determine that you're not going to BREAK the clip. I slid the battery casing sleeve off slowly up, and removed it and put in on the garage floor. Then I cleaned out the area with a spray for battery acid removal (you could use a mixture of baking soda and water maybe - just make sure that the battery cables (+ and -) are OFF of the battery). Then I slid the new battery into place (it was a 23 group battery for the Lexus LS 430 or something like that from Costco $59.99 plus tax, and it is warrantied for 100 months), and slid the battery case back over the whole new battery. AAA wanted $124 to put in a new battery, good for 6 years, but I needed to save money!! Next I attached the metal piece that holds the battery in place with the "J" hooks, and tightened it too much, so I had to unscrew the back part and slowly tighten front and then back screws with the J hooks on them. I next hooked the terminal cables (positive + and negative -) back up. I watched a video for another make of car on the internet, and they said to be sure to detach the Negative (Black "-") cable first, and then the Positive (Red "+"). BUT HEED THIS WELL: When you hook them back up, attach the Positive (Red "+") terminal FIRST, and then, attach the Negative (Black "-") terminal next. You can short out your new battery, if you don't do this just right. I attached the positive one first and got a spark, and I had tried to remind myself about 30 times, about how to do this right. Anyhow, since I told you I have a boyfriend helping me, you know I'm a gal (67-young) and sick of the proprietary stuff they do to cars so that we cannot learn to fix them ourselves for the lesser important items. I feel really good about doing this. I have also taught myself how to snake a toilet and a trap under the sink, by reading repair manuals. Thank you for all your help. I couldn't have done it without you! Also, my boyfriend had bought some battery protective spray from the Autozone store (when he bought the battery acid neutralizer/cleaner, he bought the spray, which you spray at the end. One more thing - clean the battery terminal connectors with a $2.00 wire brush from the auto supply store, or with a clean cloth and maybe a small screwdriver (but don't scrape off the copper). GOOD LUCK! and MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND NEW YEAR!![/QUOTE]

 

I have a 2002 LS430. Because of your good directions with the photos and the hint to just get in there and pop those battery terminals off, and unscrew the "J" hooks (being careful not to drop them into the engine compartment). Then I had the hardest time getting the cable holders off on the right side of the battery. My boyfriend was even going to go out and buy some larger screwdrivers, but since I had been looking at all of the Lexus websites for hours last night (up until 3:30 a.m.), I was stoked to finish the battery job myself. So I went down this morning, and carefully slid a few small screwdrivers next to the long cables, on the right side of the battery (near the red positive "+") terminal and popped the clip off of the one closest to the front of the car, and then struggled for ten minutes with the one in back of the first clip (which I had just removed). Just be patient and determine that you're not going to BREAK the clip. I slid the battery casing sleeve off slowly up, and removed it and put in on the garage floor. Then I cleaned out the area with a spray for battery acid removal (you could use a mixture of baking soda and water maybe - just make sure that the battery cables (+ and -) are OFF of the battery). Then I slid the new battery into place (it was a 23 group battery for the Lexus LS 430 or something like that from Costco $59.99 plus tax, and it is warrantied for 100 months), and slid the battery case back over the whole new battery. AAA wanted $124 to put in a new battery, good for 6 years, but I needed to save money!! Next I attached the metal piece that holds the battery in place with the "J" hooks, and tightened it too much, so I had to unscrew the back part and slowly tighten front and then back screws with the J hooks on them. I next hooked the terminal cables (positive + and negative -) back up. I watched a video for another make of car on the internet, and they said to be sure to detach the Negative (Black "-") cable first, and then the Positive (Red "+"). BUT HEED THIS WELL: When you hook them back up, attach the Positive (Red "+") terminal FIRST, and then, attach the Negative (Black "-") terminal next. You can short out your new battery, if you don't do this just right. I attached the positive one first and got a spark, and I had tried to remind myself about 30 times, about how to do this right. Anyhow, since I told you I have a boyfriend helping me, you know I'm a gal (67-young) and sick of the proprietary stuff they do to cars so that we cannot learn to fix them ourselves for the lesser important items. I feel really good about doing this. I have also taught myself how to snake a toilet and a trap under the sink, by reading repair manuals. Thank you for all your help. I couldn't have done it without you! Also, my boyfriend had bought some battery protective spray from the Autozone store (when he bought the battery acid neutralizer/cleaner, he bought the spray, which you spray at the end. One more thing - clean the battery terminal connectors with a $2.00 wire brush from the auto supply store, or with a clean cloth and maybe a small screwdriver (but don't scrape off the copper). GOOD LUCK! and MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND NEW YEAR!!

 

I have a 2006 LS 430, but this post saved me a lot of grief. I was struggling with the same problem and a Google search pointed here. The hardest thing when working on plastic items is using enough force to get them open without using too much and breaking them. This encouraged me to just have at it.
The other problem is that in the confined space it was difficult to tell if the clips slid off the battery cover or the cable clips opened up. Of course it turns out you just pry open the cable clips. Although the 430 is slightly different, the answer is the same.

Bill K

 

Thanks! Came across the same issue w/ my 2011 is250, and this was helpful