DIY: How to change a car battery

Lifestyle Sunday 25/March/2018 17:45 PM
By: Times News Service
DIY: How to change a car battery

When jumper cables no longer work or your car headlights dimming, it could be time to replace your old battery with a new one. Changing a car battery is something that most people will be able to do themselves. Monitor your battery’s life and get a new one before it leaves you stranded.
When handling your car battery, make sure to keep all of your metal tools away from the posts and the battery in order to minimise the odds of an electrical discharge. It’s also recommended that you wear eye protection in the unlikely event that battery acid is released from the battery.
•Switch off your engine.
•Make sure that your vehicle is in Park, with the engine shut off and the parking brake on. Remove the cigarette lighter and plug the memory keeper into the socket. If you don’t have a memory keeper make sure you have all the PINs for your electronic equipment before you start. Consult your car manual to see which devices may be affected.
•Open the hood and put a blanket or pad over the fender. This protects your car from corrosive battery acid.
•Remove the cables from the battery terminals. Determine which terminals on the battery are positive and negative. The terminal with a plus sign is positive and the terminal with a minus sign will be negative.
•Remove the automotive battery hold-down clamp or retaining system. Place parts and fasteners aside, in a place where they won’t get misplaced.
• Take off the used battery and put in the fresh battery. Have on your gloves because the battery stuff is corrosive.
• Reconnect the positive battery cable first and then the negative battery cable. Tighten the clamps one at a time using a wrench.
• Close the hood firmly and start your engine.
• Inspect to see that all the electronic devices are functioning as they should.
• Always properly discard the used battery.