On Wenesday, I wrote about how to shop for a new battery for your vehicle, so I thought I would expand on the battery business and walk you through how to install that new battery into your vehicle.  This is a pretty easy process and should take no longer than 20 minutes, so let’s get started!

You’ll Need: Wrench, Small Wire Brush, Paper Towels or Rag, New Battery

1) Remove the old battery:

• Make sure your vehicle is turned off and open the hood.
• Notice there are two cables on your old battery; one is black and the other is red. Using a wrench, the first thing we want to do is to loosen and remove the nut which holds the black battery cable to the negative post.  
• Next, loosen and remove the nut which holds the red battery cable to the positive post and then remove the battery clamp which holds the battery in place. 
• Using both hands, lift the battery up, out and away.  If the battery comes with a handle, all the better.  Keep in mind that the battery will be heavy, so using both hands – even with the handle – is a good idea. 
• With the battery out of the way, it’s a good time to clean out the battery tray using a rag or paper towels.  If using a rag, be sure to throw the rag away after using in the event that it comes into contact with battery acid.  Using a wire brush, remove any corrosion from the clamps and the battery posts. 

2) Install the new battery:

• With both hands, lift the new battery up and into the battery tray.  You should never sit the new battery on cement ground since the cement will drain the battery.  It’s a good idea to keep the new battery on a work bench or on a flat board at any time prior to installing it in the vehicle.
• Now, reattach the battery, paying special attention to the cables.  The cables are color coded, so the black cable goes to the negative (-) terminal and the red cable attaches to the positive (+) terminal. 
• Using your wrench, tighten the nuts so the battery cables wont wiggle when you give them a tug. 
• That’s it – you’re done!

Now all you need to do is take the old battery back to the automotive store where you bought the new battery so it can be disposed properly, and so you can get your core charge refunded.

Remember to keep the receipt for the new battery in case the battery fails during the warranty period.

Tags: Advice, General, Guides // 3 Comments »