How to Change a Car Battery in Vehicles

by Contributing WriterUpdated June 12, 2017

The battery in the Vehicles is used to start your engine and run many of the electrical components of your car, such as the radio and power windows. In time, the battery will lose its charge and not provide the power needed to start the engine. When the battery no longer holds a charge, you need to replace it with a Vehicles battery. Vehicles batteries are available Vehicles auto parts stores and other locations, and do not need a mechanic Vehicles replacement.

Under The Hood:

 How to Change a Car Battery in a New Beetle

Open the hood of your Beetle and locate the battery on the right side of the engine compartment. You may find that the battery has a soft plastic cover over it.

Unsnap the cover to expose the battery, if your vehicle’s battery has a cover.

Disconnect the negative battery cable by loosening the bolt with an 8mm or 10mm wrench and lifting it off of the negative battery terminal, which is marked by a “-“ symbol.

Remove the positive battery cable by loosening the bolt and pulling it off of the positive battery terminal, which is marked by a “+” symbol.

Locate the battery holder retaining bolt on the holder in front of the battery and loosen it using the same wrench used in Steps 3 and 4.

Pull the battery out of the holder.

Place the new battery in the battery holder, making sure the negative and positive terminals are in the same location as the old battery. The battery must sit flush in the holder.

Tighten the battery holder, retaining bolt to secure the battery.

Attach the positive battery cable to the positive battery terminal and then the negative battery cable to the negative battery terminal.

Snap the battery cover closed, if needed, and close the Beetle’s hood.

Items you will need

  • 8mm or 10mm wrench

  • Replacement battery

 How to Change the Car Battery in a Honda Civic 98 LX

Engage the emergency brake and ensure the ignition is in the "Off" position.

Open the hood of the Honda Civic and locate the battery on the back, left side of the engine compartment.

Pull up on the protective cover of the negative battery cable, use the 10-mm wrench to loosen the wire bolt and lift the wire off of the negative terminal. The negative battery cable is often black. It is connected to the terminal with the "-" symbol.

Lift the protective cover of the positive battery cable, loosen the wire with the 10-mm wrench and pull it off of the terminal. Positive battery cables are often red. The cable is connected to the battery terminal with the "+" symbol.

Loosen the bolt on the bracket that secures the battery to the battery holder with the 10-mm wrench.

Items you will need

  • 10-mm wrench

  • Wire brush

  • Replacement battery

 How to Change a Car Battery in a Chrysler Pacifica

Turn off the transmission.

Put on gloves to protect yourself from an acid burn. This should not be a significant risk though, since the Chrysler Pacifica battery is permanently sealed.

Loosen the metal clamps on the battery terminals with a crescent wrench. You may need to scrape away some corrosion to get it loose. Keep track of which clamp attached to the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals.

Pull out the battery, and insert a 12V replacement of a size that fits into the battery cage. You may want to measure the old battery size before purchasing the replacement.

Reattach the clamps, making sure the clamp that was attached to the positive terminal of the old battery goes on the positive terminal of the new one.

Reactivate the auto-up feature of the power windows by pulling the window switch up all the way—until the window goes up all the way. Hold the button there for two seconds after the window closes. The auto-up feature allows you to make the window go all the way up by pulling the button all the way up --without your having to hold it the whole time. The auto-up feature deactivates when the battery dies or is disconnected.

Items you will need

  • New battery

  • Safety gloves

  • Crescent wrench

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