How to Check/Refill the Battery Electrolyte in a Chevy Cobalt

Chevrolet designed the Chevy Cobalt to replace the Cavalier in 2004. Though the Cobalt has gone through minor changes since its inception, the maintenance remains generally unchanged. Checking and refilling the battery electrolyte in a Cobalt is easy to do and the same regardless of the year of your Chevy.

Instructions

Checking a Maintenance-Free Battery

1

Park your Chevy Cobalt and turn the engine off. The battery in a Chevy Cobalt is located in the trunk near the spare tire.

2

Use the hydrometer outside the battery to check the electrolyte fluid levels if you have a sealed battery. A green eye indicates that the battery is charged and has electrolyte fluid. A dark eye indicates that the battery has enough fluid but the charge isn't significant. A yellow eye indicates that the battery does not have enough charge or fluid.

3

Replace your maintenance-free battery if you see a yellow eye on the hydrometer.

Checking and Refilling a Traditional Cell Battery

4

Pry the caps off each cell on the battery with a screwdriver.

5

Look at each of the fluid levels. There will be an indicator line on the outside of each cell.

6

Add distilled water to any of the cells with fluid below the indicator line.