How to Take Out a Battery in a 1997 Mustang GT
The 1997 Ford Mustang GT (coupe or convertible) featured the 4.6-liter V8 engine. Removing the battery is a fairly cut-and-dry procedure, but there is a proper way to do so. Follow the safety precautions and procedures illustrated in this article to safely remove the battery from the engine compartment of your Mustang.
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Things You'll Need
- Safety goggles
- Mechanics gloves
- Ratchet, extension and socket set
- Hand wrench set
Instructions
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1
Put on the safety goggles and mechanic's gloves before attempting to remove the battery.
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2
Open the hood of the Mustang GT and locate the battery. It's in the front driver's side corner behind the headlight.
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3
Use a ratchet, extension and suitable-size socket to remove the battery hold-down clamp's retaining bolt.
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4
Extract the bolt and then remove the hold-down clamp.
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5
Use a hand wrench to loosen the negative battery terminal clamp. The clamp is toward the front of the Mustang and has a minus sign stamped on the battery to indicate the negative battery post and terminal. Always take off the negative terminal clamp first and the positive clamp last to avoid creating sparks when removing the battery.
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6
Wiggle the terminal clamp once the retaining screw is loose enough and then remove it from the battery post.
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7
Repeat Steps 4 and 5 for the positive battery terminal clamp.
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8
Carefully lift the battery out of the engine compartment. Place it on a non-concrete surface until ready to replace or reinstall.
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Tips & Warnings
Anytime you're removing or replacing the battery, you should always clean the battery terminal clamps from any corrosive sulfate. Battery terminal clamp cleaners are available quite inexpensively at all auto parts stores. A solution of baking soda and warm water or a battery terminal cleaner spray will help to clean off the corrosion as well. In addition, clean the battery tray once the battery is removed.
When replacing the battery, always connect the positive terminal clamp first and the negative terminal clamp last. Again, this will avoid creating sparks when connecting the battery. Battery vents can emit hydrogen gases from the internal chemical reaction. The gases are highly flammable and can ignite from the smallest of sparks. This can cause serious to fatal injury if the gas ignites and the battery explodes.
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