How to Replace a Car Battery

How many times has this happened to you…your leaving work, its late, and of course it has to be raining. You turn the key over and the engine wont crank, or it cranks just barely. The most common issue is always the battery. Its possible to get a jump start to make it home but it will need to be replaced when you shut your vehicle off. Replacing the battery is a quick and simple process but can be dangerous not only to you, but to your vehicle as well if it isn’t done right.

The first step is to get the right set of tools. Usually a ratchet and a few sockets is enough, but sometimes a Flathead screwdriver might be needed to pry the battery terminals off the posts. Always make sure the key is not in the ignition before performing any work. There is usually some form of battery hold down that keeps the battery in place from rattling around while you drive. This should be removed first.

The next step is to remove the positive battery cable. All batteries have a plus or minus sign next to the terminal to let you know which is which, but a quick way to tell is by the cable color. Positive battery cables are red and negative battery cables are black. Once the positive cable has been removed, remove the negative cable. If either terminal is giving you trouble use the flat head to give your self some leverage to pry it off.

Once both cables have been disconnected you can easily remove the battery. When you are reinstalling the battery, the positive battery cable should be hooked up first. This is to prevent sparking. Once the positive cable has been hooked up, hook up the negative battery cable. You might get a little spark but most of the time there wont be any. After both cables have been hooked up, tighten the bolts on the terminals so they don’t come loose on you. The bolts should be tight but not too tight to the point of where you start stripping the bolts. The final step is to place the battery hold down in place and tighten that as well. All of the tools you need are able to be found at your local hardware or department store such as Lowe’s or Sears.