It doesn’t matter if you got your call last week or 10 years ago – there’s a battery servicing that engine. It provides enough power for your car’s engine to turn over and roar into life. At some point, the battery will decline and stop working (due to old age, cold weather etc.). Replacing the battery is a relatively simple task, but needs to be done correctly. Learn how to put a battery in a car the right way, right now.
1. Loosening the Nuts
Locate the two nuts holding the negative and positive wires onto the battery. They’re normally protected by rubber covers, which is true for both car and boat batteries.
Pro tip: Slide on gloves and protective eyewear before touching them.
Use a wrench to loosen the negative wire. Perform the same action on the positive side. Both wires should still be attached to the battery with loose nuts at this point.
2.Pulling the Wires
Putting a battery in a car requires attention to detail. Carefully slide the nut and wire off of the negative post on the battery first. Bend the wire so that it has a safe distance between the battery and positive terminal.
Remove the positive side’s nut and wire. Adjust the wire so that it’s on the opposite side of the battery from the exposed, negative wire.
Pro tip: Keeping these wires apart from each other will prevent sparking.
3.Detaching Clamps
When you learn how to put a battery in a car, you know that removing it takes some effort. The battery doesn’t just rest in a small compartment. It’s actually clamped down to the car’s mount.
Remove the clamps holding the battery in place.
Pro tip: They might require an Allen driver or screwdriver, depending on the car’s model. Be sure to place all of these small parts to the side so that they’re not lost within the engine compartment.
4.Pulling the Battery
Carefully pull the battery from its compartment. Try to use the handle if there’s one installed. The battery will be heavy so take care during its removal. Place it to the side of the vehicle.
You may know that the battery is bad, but consider a trip to a mechanic. They can check the charging rate on the battery to verify that it’s entirely bad. If it still has some juice, you may want to check the rest of the engine for any other declining parts.
5. Cleaning the Contacts
Clear away any corrosion from the wire contacts by using a wire brush. Consider the purchase of a contact-cleaner kit so that you can remove every particle from the contacts.
Don’t skip this step because clean contacts equate to a strong, electrical connection between the battery and vehicle system.
Pro tip: Poor performance and battery damage often occur with dirty contacts in place.
6. Adding the Battery
Verify that all of the wires are out of the way as you slide a new battery into position. Be sure to position the battery so that the positive terminal is closest to the red wire. The wires shouldn’t stretch into any unusual positions.
Clamp the new battery down with the brackets removed from the old battery.
7. Preparing the Posts
The battery’s posts should have protective covers. Remove and discard them. Slide anti-corrosive washers onto the posts afterwards. Many batteries come with these accessories.
Without the washers in place, corrosion has a pathway across the posts and wire contacts. You want to hinder this progress as much as possible.
8. Securing the Wires
Apply battery-protector grease onto each post. Slide the positive wire contacts into place with the fresh grease. Repeat this process with the negative side. This fine film is another protective agent against corrosion. Your battery is vulnerable to rapid corrosion growth without the grease.
Secure the wire contacts onto the posts with a wrench or socket driver. The connection should be hand tight. Don’t over torque the contacts because damage might result.
Consider a call to our experts at Northeast Batteryfor all of your power needs. Car batteries are our specialty. Take care of your car so that it can run for thousands of miles without any failures. Regular maintenance and helpful advice will keep you on the road.