How to Disconnect and Remove a Truck Battery

Battery removal is something all men and women should know how to do, and that every parent of a teenage driver should teach their child. Nobody is immune to being stuck somewhere with a dead battery and the need to change it. Sometimes triple A is not available, so it’s best to know what to do. It is not hard at all, so don’t worry. Prepare correctly, be smart about safety, and you will have that battery out in no time!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Gloves
• Socket wrench and sockets
• Paper towel

1. Get all tools and supplies together before you begin. Put the vehicle in a cool place, so sun exposure is kept to a minimum. This will ensure no sweat from an overheated brow drops on the battery cables, and reduce the risk of skin cancer.

2. 
   Gloves

   Put gloves on to avoid getting any acid that may be on the battery cables on your hands. Remember, even thick gloves can be eaten through, so do not mess around with anything with acid on it for long. The gloves will also protect your hands from grease and engine grime should you bump anything.

3. Select the appropriate socket by placing different sizes on the bolt heads on the top (or back if your battery is set up that way) of the battery, trying different ones until you find the right fit. Once you have the correct socket, loosen the bolts for each cable, starting with the positive (red) cable.

4. Clean the battery cables by hitting them slightly with the socket wrench to shake off any dried acid dust. You can also clean cables using paper towels, just do it quickly. Clean the connectors the cables were attached to also if you will be putting the same battery back into the vehicle.

5. 
   Battery hold down bolt

   Loosen the battery hold down bolt, or bolts, with the appropriate socket and lift the battery free of the vehicle. Lift the battery by the strap provided if possible to avoid injury. If no strap is available, grab the battery firmly on both sides and lift straight up and out.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure the windows are rolled up before disconnecting the battery in case of rain. This only applies if you are removing the battery to do other mechanic work, but it is worth mentioning. It would be awful to ruin the interior of your car because you can’t reconnect the battery before a storm arrives.
• Never allow the positive and negative battery cables to touch each other!

[gahazeleyes]

on 5/31/2009 Thanks for sharing.