Steps in Replacing a Battery in a Car

No car battery lasts forever.

Replacing a car battery is a basic and straightforward task, and every vehicle owner should be familiar with this valuable process. Be aware of the position of your vehicle's battery: While the battery is located underneath the hood of most cars, you can also find it in a compartment located behind the left front fender of some autos, or in the trunk of others. If you eliminate corrosion as a reason for the battery failing to start the car, or if you test and find that the battery is indeed bad, replace it. Remember to protect yourself while you remove the old battery and install a new one.

Things You'll Need

• Work gloves
• Safety glasses
• Wire brush
• Wrench
• Petroleum jelly
• New battery

Instructions

1. Put on work gloves and safety glasses, to protect yourself while removing the old battery.

2. Scrub the terminals with a wire brush, to break up and remove the corrosion that is built up on them.

3. Locate the negative battery terminal -- which is often designated with a "-" symbol -- on the battery. The cable connected to this terminal is black. Loosen the bolt that holds the cable's clamp to the terminal, using a wrench, and disconnect the cable from the negative terminal.

4. Loosen the bolt that holds the positive, or red, cable's clamp to the battery's positive terminal -- this terminal is usually denoted by a "+" symbol. Remove the cable from the positive terminal.

5. Unfasten any bar that is installed over the battery to hold it in place, if necessary, using a wrench. Grip the battery firmly and lift it up and out of the car's battery tray.

6. Scrub any remaining corrosion from the clamps on the cable ends, using the wire brush. Scrub any corrosion or debris from the battery tray. Rub a thin layer of petroleum jelly around the ends of the cables.

7. Lift the new battery and position it in the battery tray. Install the bar over the battery, if necessary, using a wrench.

8. Connect the positive, or red, cable to the corresponding positive terminal on the battery, often marked with a "+" symbol. Connect the negative, or black, cable to the negative battery terminal, which is usually marked with a "-" symbol.

Tips & Warnings

• While replacing the battery, do not touch both the positive and negative terminals at the same time, and also do not touch the positive terminal to any metal parts on the car, or sparks may result.

References

• AutoMedia: Battery Replacement