How to Remove Car Battery Cables

Do you need to remove car battery cables that have a lot of corroded buildup on the ends? Corrosive matter develops on exposed battery cables and clamps connected to old car batteries or new ones that are not well maintained. As the material grows around the cable connections it weakens connectivity, eventually making it impossible for the battery to supply power to the car. The solution is to remove car battery cables that are severely affected by this common problem.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Adjustable wrench
• Floor jack
• 2 jack stands
• Hammer
• Wire brush
• Screwdriver
• Toothbrush

1. Raise the hood of the car so that the top of the battery can be reached easily. Use a wire brush to clear away corrosive material from the black, negative cable clamp. Clean away just enough material so that you can use a wrench to loosen the battery cable clamp. Do not come in contact with the red, positive battery cable or battery post while cleaning the black, negative cable clamp.

2. Remove the black, negative cable from the battery by loosening the battery clamp with a wrench and pulling the cable free from the battery post. It is important to get the black, negative battery cable disconnected first to prevent shorts and sparks. A mix of gas and air that caused the battery's corrosive buildup is also highly explosive and is present as you do this procedure. Disconnecting the black, negative cable from the battery will eliminate the hazards of sparks around an old battery that is corroded and emitting this gas and air mixture.

3. Trace back down the black, negative cable to find its anchor point. The negative battery cable is used to ground the electrical system, and originates from a secure point on the car's frame or engine block. Corrosive build up will be found here as well.
   Use a brush to clean the connection before removing. Loosen the nut or screw that secures the ground cable in place and separate the cable from the car. Pull out the old negative car battery cable from the top of the engine compartment and discard.

4. Wire brush the red, positive battery cable clamp connected to the car battery. Use a wrench to loosen the battery cable nut and remove the cable clamp from the positive battery post.

5. Separate the positive battery cable from the battery and keep it from contacting the battery when you remove car battery cables.

6. Follow the red, positive battery cable from its battery clamp to the starter. The starter is located next to the engine's fly wheel also known as a flex plate. Loosen the nut that fastens the end of the red, positive battery cable to the starter solenoid and free the old cable end from the starter. Use the wire brush to clean away excess build up of corroded material. If the red, positive battery cable has a companion "Pig Tail" wire, follow it to the junction box it originates from, and disconnect it with a screwdriver. Pull the red, positive battery cable free from the top of the engine compartment and dispose of properly.

Tips & Warnings

• Rinse corroded cable connections or clamps with a mixture of baking soda and water if the wire brush does not do a good job of removing enough corrosion to loosen the nuts that hold the clamps tight. Using 2 tbsp. of baking soda in 8 oz. of water is a great solution for removing all the corrosive build up that the brush could not get to.
• Always remove the black, negative cable from a car battery first before removing the red, positive cable from the battery. You must prevent sparks that will happen when a positive battery cable comes in contact with the negative battery post or the negative battery cable touches the positive post. It only takes one spark to trigger an explosion of an old battery that is emitting its gas into the engine compartment if it is done incorrectly.

Resources

• Custom Battery Cables

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