If your car is cranking up slower than usual or just not giving good response, maybe it is time to change the car battery. We often rush to the mechanic to get our new battery fitted, but there are scenarios where you don’t have access to any auto-shop, then? Don’t worry! Installing a new car battery is not that difficult, and you can do it yourself.
Keep reading our easy-to-understand battery installation guide, and get ready to take charge!
How To Install A Car Battery Yourself
Safety Precautions
Before getting into the Replacement procedure, you need to ensure a few mandatory safety precautions.
- Wear an Insulated glove to avoid any electric shock in case of sparking.
- Make sure car keys are out of the ignition. In case of remote entry, keep the car remote fob at least 2 meters away.
- If you just parked your car, let it cool down before moving toward the engine.
- For our female readers, don’t forget to tie up your long hair. Also, Remove any piece(s) of metal jewelry.
- Make sure your vehicle is parked in a safe spot.
Tools You Will Need
Once you get yourself ready with all safety precautions, It’s time to find some tools in your garage. You will need the following tools to install a new battery:
The above-mentioned are essentials you will need to replace the car battery. However, We recommend you invest in the following stuff to keep everything up to the mark:
- Battery terminal Cleaner: You can buy a battery terminal solution at auto stores at a reasonable price. Terminal cleaning is sometimes necessary when battery acid is leaked or there is corrosion on terminals and clams.
- DIY Battery Terminal Cleaner: However, no problem if you forgot to buy a terminal cleaner. We always have our quick DIY Baking soda solution. It will get the job done.
- Battery Terminals Grease: “ Prevention is better than Cure” If you have the budget, we recommend buying a terminal grease. This will help to prevent future corrosion and also make connection fitting smoother.
Caution: Be careful not to allow any metal objects to touch both battery terminals simultaneously. Also, don’t let your wrench touch the positive terminal and the body or fender simultaneously.
Battery Replacement
Before setting up everything, you need to buy a replacement battery. And it’s pretty easy to find the battery location in your car. Just read the car manual.
Usually, Batteries are located in the front, But some cars have batteries placed in the back. Hence look for your car manual or download one from the manufacturer’s website.
When you find the battery location, look at its specifications. If you are not interested in technical specs, just picture the battery from all sides and go to the market. Auto experts will assist you at the market.
Installation Steps
When you are done with the above steps, it’s time to start our battery installation. Follow our step-by-step guide to Installing a new car Battery.
Remove Old Battery
With all the safety precautions, it’s time to dig into your car’s engine. And follow mentioned instructions to remove the old battery.
- Open the car’s bonnet or boot (Depending on your battery).
- Lock up the bonnet / Boot.
- Find the battery. If your battery has a cowling that goes over it, remove it first. It’s straightforward; just loosen the nuts and bolts and expose the battery.
- Now, remove the battery terminals. Always remove the negative terminal when replacing the battery. It is usually labeled on a terminal. So please be attentive while removing the terminals.
- We can move to the positive side when you successfully detached the negative terminal using the appropriate size spanner.
- Tuck the terminals away from the battery for further procedure.
- Now we will move to remove the clams.
- Finally, you are now able to take out the old battery. It was that easy!
Cleaning
Once the old battery is out of the car, look for any signs of battery acid leakage and corrosion on terminals and clams. If you find any signs of damage, clean the battery location, terminals, and clamps with a terminal cleaner or Baking soda solution.
Installing a new Battery
We are moving to the final step, installing a new battery. You also need to be careful while attaching replacement batteries to terminals. Follow the below-mentioned instructions.
- Position your new battery in the same way it was before. Make sure it is sitting correctly on the battery location or tray.
- It’s time to secure the battery with clams. Use the same Snapper to tighten the clams nicely and snugly.
- Here comes the most critical step; Attaching the terminals. Most newbies get confused about which terminal to attach first on a new battery? It is pretty easy to remember to just do the “ opposite” to the removal of the battery. Attach the Positive terminal first, followed by the Negative terminal
- Here you can use terminal grease to avoid any future corrosions.
- Properly tight the terminals, but don’t overtighten.
- And Your battery is replaced successfully.
Test the Vehicle
- While both terminals connect, Ignite the car engine, look for battery status and check if everything is working smoothly.
- If the car ignites without any issue, congratulations. Your installation was successful.
Caution: Don’t try to start the car more than three times in ten minutes. If the vehicle is not responding, please call an auto- expert.
FAQs
What Should I Do With The Old Battery?
Car batteries contain toxins and can’t be thrown away in waste. Sell your old car batteries to the nearest auto parts recycling shop.
After How Long Should I Replace My Vehicle’s Battery?
Generally, you should check for a battery replacement every 2-3 years. Also, the new battery will have an expected lifespan with the month and year mentioned.
How Can I Tell If A Battery Is In Good Or Bad Condition?
You can contact the nearest auto expert for Load testing or use an electronic battery tester. If your battery fails either of the tests, it is time to get a battery replacement.
Will Instruction Be The Same For Both Dry And Wet Car Batteries?
Yes, This is a basic car battery replacement guide. Applicable to almost all vehicles. Although few brands have additional requirements to replace batteries, you can find them in vehicle manuals.
Is Replacing A Car Battery By Yourself Safe?
Yes. Installing a new car battery by yourself is 100% safe unless you follow all the safety precautions. However, if your battery is damaged, Don’t try to remove it yourself and contact a mechanic.