Looking for simple instructions on how to change a car battery? Look no further.
When you own a car, chances are sometime during that ownership you will need to know how to change a car battery. There's nothing worse than going to start your car on a cold winter day only to have it sit there and do nothing because the battery is completely dead. Regular battery checkups at a local automotive store can prevent this from happening, but sometimes the batteries can fail unexpectedly. While most places that sell you the battery will install it for you, there is often an expensive fee for such a service. Also, if your car is stranded at home and you have to go get the battery, you'll need to know how to install it once you are back home. So, in case you ever need to install your own car battery, here are the steps to follow.
Of course, you'll want to first make sure your battery actually needs to be replaced. This may seem obvious if you car won't try to start, but the culprit may actually be something else, like a bad alternator. If your battery as some white powder around one of the terminals, it's likely that the battery is the problem. However, if the battery shows no signs of being bad, have a mechanic look at the car first.
Second, and importantly, you should wear some rubber gloves to make sure you do not get battery acid or corrosion residue on your skin. This also makes cleanup a little easier. You should also make sure you have all the tools you will need. You will need small sockets of wrenches that are able to remove the battery cables and the battery bracket.
Next, get your battery. If you are unsure about which battery to get, you can go ahead and remove the old one and take it to the store with you. A lot of businesses will offer the replacement at a lower price if you will bring the old battery in for them. Or, you can simply write down the model of the battery or the make and model of the vehicle and have the business look up which battery you need. Something to keep in mind here is the battery warranty. A cheap battery may seem like a good idea at the time, but the warranty may be short or nonexistent. A more expensive battery with a better warranty may be a better long-term investment.
When you have your battery, and if you haven't already done so, you can remove the old battery. You should remove the negative terminal first, which is usually black, and then remove the positive terminal, which is usually red or blue. After all the brackets and cables have been detached, the battery can be lifted out and the new one can be dropped in its place. After reattaching the bracket, attach the positive cable first and then the negative one. Always be careful not to let metal touch metal where it shouldn't.
You can take the old battery almost anywhere that sells them and they will recycle it for you. You can also take it to a local trash collection location for recycling. Never dispose of the old battery in the regular garbage dumpster.
These steps should have your car cranking and ready. If you live in a very cold climate, use a lot of add on equipment in your vehicle, or simply want the best money can buy, you may want to check out performance batteries with higher cranking amps and longer warranties than standard batteries.
Author Resource:
Bobby George is a technical writer for Low Cost Batteries , a large online retailer offering laptop batteries, power tool batteries, cell phone batteries, camcorder batteries, and much more.Distributed by Content Crooner
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/rss.jpg "XML Feed For RSS")