5 Things to Know When Changing Your Car Battery

For most of us, our cars are our primary mode of transportation. Driving to work, the grocery store, or a friend’s house all require us to be within reach of a car. That means that our cars are going to see a lot of use, which means a lot of wear and tear on the battery. This can result in a car that has a dead battery or one that needs to be changed. Whatever type of battery it is the issue, changing it is almost always the same. With that in mind, let’s look at the main things you need to know when changing your car battery.

What to Know Before You Change Your Car Battery

There are a few things to know first. This will help you determine if your battery is even a good candidate for replacement. The first is the age of your battery. If your battery is more than two years old it may be time to replace it. The second is the health of your battery. Make sure it has no signs of corrosion or other damage before beginning.

What Tools Do You Need?

– Flare Tape – Jumper Wires – 12-Point Battery Socket – New Battery – Battery Terminal Grease – Hammer – Screwdriver – 8mm Socket – Screws – Wire Connectors – Insulation and Cable Puller – Extension Cord  – A good set of tools will make the job of changing your car battery much easier.  – There are some basic tools you’ll need to change your car battery. These are the things that are almost always in every car toolbox.  – A good set of tools will make the job of changing your car battery much easier. more info

How to Change Your Car Battery

– Find a safe, level place to work – You don’t want to fall or hurt yourself while working on the car. You should also make sure there isn’t anything nearby that could get damaged if the car moves unexpectedly. – Park the car on level ground, if possible. – Make sure there are no obstacles that could hit the car, like trees, a power line, or a gas line. – Close all windows and doors. This will help keep dust and dirt from getting inside the car as you work. – Turn off the car’s ventilation system and remove the air conditioner hose from the vent panel. This will help cut down on dust in the car. – Clear out any items that could be damaged if they are moved. This could mean things like soda cans, paper bags, mail, etc. – Get the right angle on your work light. This will help you see what you are doing as you work and make sure nothing is in danger of being damaged. – Remove the old battery. – Put the battery in a trash bag and take it to a hazardous waste disposal site. This is a good practice even if you don’t have a car battery disposal site nearby. – Disconnect the cables from the battery. This includes the negative cable, ground cable, and positive cable. – Attach the positive cable first. Connect it to the positive terminal on the battery, then to the car through the hood. Keep track of which cable goes to which terminal in order to attach the ground cable correctly. – Attach the other cables in the same way. – Move the car as close to a wall as possible and take the wheel off. This will help keep the car from falling over while you work on the battery. – Find a level spot and place a jack under the car. This will help support the weight of the car as you work. – Find a safe, level place to work – You don’t want to fall or hurt yourself while working on the car. You should also make sure there isn’t anything nearby that could get damaged if the car moves unexpectedly. – Park the car on level ground, if possible. – Make sure there are no obstacles that could hit the car, like trees, a power line, or a gas line. – Clear out any items that could be damaged if they are moved. This could mean things like soda cans, paper bags, mail, etc. – Get the right angle on your work light. This will help you see what you are doing as you work and make sure nothing is in danger of being damaged. – Remove the old battery. – Put the battery in a trash bag and take it to a hazardous waste disposal site. This is a good practice even if you don’t have a car battery disposal site nearby. – Disconnect the cables from the battery. This includes the negative cable, ground cable, and positive cable. – Attach the positive cable first. Connect it to the positive terminal on the battery, then to the car through the hood. Keep track of which cable goes to which terminal in order to attach the ground cable correctly. – Attach the other cables in the same way.more information here

How long will it take?

Depending on how far your battery is from needing to be replaced, it could take anywhere from a few hours to a few days to replace the battery. The length of time it takes to get your battery changed will depend on a few different factors.

Aftercare: Making sure your battery is good as new

There are a couple of things you can do to make sure your battery is good as new after it has been replaced. The first is to fully charge the battery before you use it for the first time. This ensures that there is enough charge in the battery to make it to your next destination.

Final Words: Replacing your dead battery is an important task

Changing your car battery is something that every car owner should do at least once in their lifetime. It is an important task that will ensure the safety of your family as well as the longevity of your car. If your car isn’t working right or if it has a dead battery, changing the battery is essential.  You should change your car battery every two years if your car is driven only short distances, or if it isn’t driven often enough to fully drain the battery. If you want to make sure your battery is in good shape, it’s important to change it every year.