How do you change the battery on a 2002 Mazda Protege?

Answer 1

Pop the hood. Disconnect the negative battery cable, then the positive battery cable. If you disconnect the positive first you could possibly ground out the battery with your wrench causing a short. Once those have been disconnected the car should have no power. There is a battery tie down on top of the battery that holds it in place. On one side of the battery tie down there is a bolt threaded on to a long rod that continues down to the bottom of the battery. I believe that bolt is either an 8mm or 10mm. Once that bolt has been removed the battery tie down bar can be removed and there is a black plastic box that sits around the battery and that should lift right up. Once those pieces have been removed the battery is free to be removed. Follow the same steps in reverse to install a new battery. The main thing is that when putting the cables onto the new battery put the positive on first then the negative.