| October 20th, 2008 by admin |
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How to Change a Car Battery
How to Change a Car Battery
For those of you who own a hybrid vehicle, you do not have to concern yourselves with changing a car battery. But the majority of cars on the road have batteries that require regular maintenance and occasional replacement. The following article will explain battery replacement.
First, you will need to refer to the vehicle owner’s manual for the exact battery your car requires. Then you will need to purchase a new battery. They can be found at any auto parts or discount store. The prices vary-from the very reasonable to the relatively expensive. You want to get the most for your money, so price compare. If affordable, buy a battery with the longest warranty possible-60-months.
If at all possible, remove your old battery (see below) and take it to the auto parts dealer with you. When you do this, check the battery cables (cable terminals) to see if they can be cleaned to expose new metal; if not, they will need replacing.
Ask the dealer about the return policy on your old battery. Some auto parts stores will give you money for your old battery even if you didn’t purchase it at their store. Don’t ever throw away a battery or leave it in the garage. Always recycle.
When you purchase a new battery make sure that it is fully charged. The auto parts service team can check this for you. Also, be very careful handling batteries. They can explode if dropped.
Put on some gloves-latex ones work nicely because of the flexibility they offer. After you open the hood and locate the battery, you will need to disconnect the cables from the battery. Take a mental note of the position of the positive and negative poles, as they will need to be in that same position when inserting the new battery.
Make sure that you completely remove (meaning to pull it away from the post) the Negative (Black) first and then remove the Positive (Red). This is a very important step.
Next, remove the frame that incases the battery. Now carefully lift the battery out of the vehicle and place in a safe spot.
You will possibly need to clean the battery cables (sometimes called cable terminals). Use a brush and water, or water mixed with baking soda. If you have already purchased something to clean the terminal with, you may use that. It is important that the new battery be in contact with clean metal. If the cables are too damaged, they will need to be replaced.
Carefully place the new battery into the car, making sure that it is positioned carefully. Insure that the negative and positive poles are in the same place they were in before you removed the old battery. Now reposition the frame back into place.
Now you are ready to connect the cables to the new battery. Reconnect the Positive (Red) first then connect the Negative (Black). Once again, this is very important. Now make sure that the cables fit securely.
You may now start your engine. If the vehicle starts running then you have correctly installed a new battery. If you did not take the old battery with you, now is the best time to return it to the auto parts dealer. This process should take you less than an hour and save you money on a minor car repair.
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