How to Remove and Install a Car Battery

Pull your gear together — an adjustable wrench, a couple of clean lint-free rags, a pair of disposable latex gloves, some water and baking soda, a battery brush, and an inexpensive pair of safety goggles — and then follow these steps:

Turn off your engine.

Make sure that your vehicle is in Park, with the engine shut off and the parking brake on.

Open the hood and place a blanket or pad over the fender.

This protects your car from corrosive battery acid.

Remove the cables from the battery terminals.

Look in your owner’s manual to see whether your vehicle has negative ground (most do). If it does, use an adjustable wrench to first loosen the nut and bolt on the clamp that holds the battery cable on the negative terminal. (That’s the post with the little “–” or “NEG” on it.) If your vehicle has positive ground, loosen the cable with “+” or “POS” on it first. Remove the cable from the post and lay it out of your way. Then remove the other cable from its post and lay that aside.

If you have trouble loosening the bolt, grab it with one wrench and the nut with another, and move the wrenches in opposite directions. In this case, you don’t want to remove the bolts; just loosen them enough to release the cable clamps.

Remove whatever devices are holding the battery in place.

When you’re removing a bolt or screw, after you’ve loosened it with a tool, turn it the last few turns by hand so that you have a firm grip on it when it comes loose and it doesn’t drop and roll into obscurity.

Remove the battery.

When the battery is free, lift it out of its seat and place it out of your way.

If the tray on which the battery was standing is rusty or has deposits on it, clean it with a little baking soda dissolved in water.

Wear your gloves because the battery stuff is corrosive, and be sure the battery tray is completely dry before taking the next step!

Place the new battery on the tray.

Make sure it is facing in the same direction as the old one was.

Replace the devices that held the old battery in place.

Try to wiggle the battery to make sure it’s completely secure.

Replace the battery cables on the terminals in reverse order from which you removed them.

If your vehicle has negative ground, the positive cable goes back first. Make certain that the clamps holding the cables on the battery terminals are gripping the posts tightly.

Take the old battery to a recycling center that accepts batteries.

Batteries are filled with a toxic, corrosive liquid and must be disposed of properly. What’s more, old batteries are usually rebuilt into new ones, so just throwing one in the trash is doubly bad for the environment. If you have your new battery installed when you buy it, the shop will recycle the old one for you. They’ll probably want to charge a few dollars for this service, but try to negotiate it into the price. You also can call your local recycling center for a referral.

Change Your Car Battery In 2 Minutes

Some Tips To Remember

Which battery cable should be removed first?

You should always disconnect the ground, negative,(black) terminal first. If your wrench comes in contact with any metal part of the car when doing so, nothing will happen. even if the positive is still connected.

How heavy is a car battery?

The batteries that come out of cars, trucks, heavy equipment, ride-mowers, ATV's, and motorcycles have lead plates inside and have value as recyclable items. An average car battery weighs close to 40 pounds, so we pay a set price for them.

Buy the correct replacement battery

Find out what kind of battery you're replacing (or the dimensions of your battery) and bring this, your car's make, model and engine size information to a local auto parts store. This is important because automotive batteries vary in size and electrical capacity and you will want to purchase a battery which matches the size of the battery tray/support in your vehicle.

Set up a secure working environment.

Park on a flat, level surface at a safe distance from traffic, sparks or open flames. Put on the parking brake. Don't smoke, and make sure any smokers in proximity to the working area know not to smoke as well. Remember that electricity is not the only danger; batteries contain a sulfuric acid electrolyte solution, which is highly corrosive (i.e. can burn your skin) and produces a flammable hydrogen gas. Put on gloves and safety goggles.

Dispose of the used battery at service garages, auto supply stores, and recycling centers. There may be a small fee for the service, but throwing the battery away as normal garbage is not an option.

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