Introduction
The importance of a car battery stands atop the many priorities and mechanisms under the hood. Although cars don’t fully run on electricity, they are dependent on the power provided by the battery nonetheless.
One could go as far as to say it’s the beating heart pocketed inside the system. You should have the slightest understanding of it to be able to take care of it. When it’s dying, is dead, its expiration date before you’re stuck in the middle of the road.
Today, we’ll talk about how to change car battery yourself, the necessary equipment, and if the replacement is the climax, we’ll walk you through the period leading up to that point so you can tell its coming.
Why you need to know how to change car battery consists of multiple factors, but the most important one is that it’s economical and non-reliant on external actors such as a mechanic. Homo economicus is the motto of the day.
Dead End Closing In
Car batteries usually don’t die on people suddenly but show signs of the coming end. These are one of them, though, not limited to them:
- The engine doesn’t respond when you turn the key: The most elementary action to start the car doesn’t work because the battery might’ve met its maker.
- Abnormally slow reaction from the starter: This time, the car starts but more slowly, as if it hesitates or trying to shoulder a burden heavier than it can handle.
- Dim-lit headlights: You can tell if the headlights aren’t as bright as ever in the ravenous night or if it’s that dim, even during the day.
Safety Measures
You’re convinced after the signs above, and even you had a mechanic check who also agreed that it needs changing. It’s time to get down with the work. You should be careful with a car battery, the main organ to start and run the electric systems of the whole car. What you need to change is listed below:
The new battery: This one goes without saying, yet the battery you’ll use needs to meet the criteria of your car. You can consult a mechanic if you don’t know how to tell which battery could replace yours.
Wear long-sleeved clothing and pants: For the battery to store energy, it has acid inside, which may burn the skin with a possible scar. So be careful to carry it in an upward-looking position not to spill acid. Without you noticing, it may have cracks for acid to spill out.
Wear protective rubber gloves: The same rule above also applies here. The rubber glove protects you from either acid or possible electric outages from the battery.
Wear safety glasses: The acid component, even against the low risk, makes things complicated, urging you to protect your body parts that might be exposed to the battery. The rest of the engine isn’t 100% safe as well, which is another reason for you to protect yourself.
The Tools
Socket/Wrench Set
The battery doesn’t stand on its own without being fixed one way or another. There are bolts keeping it stable and secure in the engine. You just need to pay attention to the size of the bolts since if the size and the wrench you’re using don’t match, you may possibly round the bolts out.
You’re equipped with safety clothing and the right set of tools. You are now ready to start removing the car battery. How to change car battery shouldn’t be so complex, or finding the battery shouldn’t be a problem if it’s not located in a weird place.
How to Change Car Battery
We’re at the climax of today’s topic: the removal of the old battery and the placement of the new one. You don’t need to panic as this part is fun and doesn’t require professional car-battery-changing skills.
1- Find the battery
Park the car and be sure it’s not running. To double-check, take the keys off. Wait for the car to cool down. Mostly, the battery is located under the hood section, but it could be in the trunk, too. If you can’t find the battery’s location, you can consult the user’s manual to see where it is.
2- Disconnect the Terminals
For the battery to produce and conduct energy, it has two terminals: positive (+) and negative (-). The positive (+) cable is red, while the negative (-) is black. Be sure not to touch the two sides at once due to electrical current, which is where the rubber gloves come in handy.
Always undo the negative terminal before the positive one. After you loosen both sides, shake the cables off and secure the battery where they aren’t in contact with anything.
3- Removal of the Old
Batteries are bolted above with a metal bar to hold them in place. Take them out as well and carry the battery out of the trunk and the car.
4- Cleaning Phase
After where the battery is located is empty, you might want to clean the resting place as the acid may cause corrosion. You can use a battery cleaner and a wire brush. You can mix baking soda with water if you don’t have them. Just don’t forget to clean it thoroughly after you’re done since another battery will come in its place.
5- Coming of the New
Before putting the battery down in the engine, make sure that the terminals’ sides match as the negative meets the negative side and the positive one meets its side, too. You’ll only need to backtrack your steps from here on:
- Put the battery down
- Put the protective bar on the battery
- Fasten the bolts on the bar
- If you could, apply anti-corrosion battery gel on the terminals
- Connect the positive cable first
- Repeat the same for the negative terminal, and you’re done with the battery replacement.
Conclusion
You may be into cars and repair or not at all, but there are some skills you need to pick up unless you want to find yourself stranded somewhere absurd. Picking up how-to skills gets increasingly life-saving on the road.
One of those skills is how to change car battery which doesn’t hurt to learn but benefits you. You not only learn how to change car battery but also how to tell if your battery is dying and how to know when to change it before beginning the process.
