Changing a car battery is easy to do yourself. The replacement of the car battery occurs more often during the winter months than in the summer months. Usually a good car battery lasts about 5 years. The life depends on the use. So if you make a lot of short trips and restart often, the car battery will not last as long. In this article I explain how to replace the car battery in 12 steps. If you are unsure to do this yourself, it is better to stop by the garage. In most cases, this job should be completed in 15 minutes.
Before replacing a car battery, you can test more > Battery test.
Step 1 Consult the user manual
Consult your car's owner's manual for the location of the car battery. Space under the bonnet is at a premium in many new cars. Some batteries can be hidden in the boot, under the floorboard or even out of sight behind a wheel well.
Step 2 Look at plus and minus
Identify the positive and negative poles and the cables attached to them. The positive terminal may have a red plastic sleeve and/or the cable attached to it may be red. There should also be a "+" symbol stamped or printed on the battery, next to the positive terminal.
Step 3 Disconnect the minus pole
Use a spanner to loosen the nut or bolt that secures the negative terminal and the cable to the negative battery terminal.
CAUTION:
Be careful not to let metal objects touch both battery terminals at the same time, and do not let your spanner touch the positive terminal and the body or wing at the same time.
Step 4 Use a battery terminal puller
After loosening the bolt or nut, use a battery terminal puller, if necessary, to remove the cable and the terminal from the negative battery terminal. Do the same with the positive terminal.
Step 5 remove the fastening system
Remove the clamp or the fastening system that holds the battery pack in place and set aside the parts and fasteners to prevent misplacement.
Step 6 Use the handles to lift the battery pack
Carefully lift the battery out without moving it too much (be prepared, it is a bit heavy). If there is a handle on the battery, use it to lift it out of the car.
Step 7 Clean the battery poles
Examine the battery terminals attached to the ends of the battery cables to make sure they are clean and free of corrosion. If they are not, clean them with the terminal cleaning tool. There is a special tool that fits over the terminal, with another brush that fits into the terminal. If this doesn't work, a stiff wire brush can do the job. The cleaner your poles and terminals are, the better and more positive connection the battery will have, more current.
Step 8 plus with + and minus with -
Position the battery so that the red, positive pole matches the positive pole and the location of the cable.
Step 9 Secure the battery
Place the battery pack. Then secure it with the previously removed clamp or the fastening system.
Step 10 Remove the plastic caps
Remove the plastic caps that cover the battery terminals and place the corrosion protection rings over them.
Step 11 Use anti-corrosion grease
Apply a thin layer of grease to the battery terminals before connecting to the positive terminal. Special anti-corrosion grease is available to prevent deposits of downy greenish white corrosion, which may prevent the battery from being charged. Use the spanner to tighten the connector until it is secure. Then repeat for the negative terminal and battery terminal.
Try wobbling the car battery. If it moves, tighten the clamp or the fixing system. You're done installing a car battery! Be proud of this good work. And now you know you won't be stranded with a dead battery!
Step 12. Think about the environment and recycle
Replacing a car battery, as you have read, is easy to do yourself. Just remember to take your old car battery to a local garage for recycling.
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