How many of us have tried to be a grease monkey, while changing our car batteries but ended up being just a monkey who had grease all over him? Many of us for sure! It seems like a daunting task to most of us. And it may seem herculean of a task to those who had all hell broken lose on themselves when they were learning how to drive a car. “If driving is this tough, learning to install a car battery is not at all on my cards would soon popped the response”. However, learning to install the battery isn’t as tough as it sounds in your head. Agreed that working with the mechanics of any vehicle is a tricky business; it’s either a thing you have or you don’t; but what would you do if you’re left stranded in the middle of nowhere because your car battery gave up on you and are left with no other option but to change it by yourself? Call for help? You’ll only attract flesh-hungry scavengers! So stop finicking around and stop hitting your car. Read this article about how to install a car battery, and roll up your sleeves to install one. Here:
Image: phuqthemup@flickr
Installing a Car Battery
- Start thinking about the time when you last replaced your car battery or got it replaced via mechanic. If your battery is over 4-5 years old, it may be time to let it go and install a new one.
- Before taking out your old battery, try the ignition one last time. If there’s a definite audible noise, there might be some problem other than a dead battery. Don’t replace it yet and look for what you can do. But if it doesn’t make any noise, it’s definite that your car battery has died up and it’s time to let it pass on to the afterlife.
- Make sure you have with you a combination wrench, wire brush or steel wool, and of course, a new battery.
- First you need to disconnect your old battery’s wires with a combination wrench. Look for two wires, one black and one red, connected to the nuts. Using the wrench, unscrew the nuts and take both the wires out from under them. Then remove the battery clamp that holds the battery in place.
- Using both your hands and putting all your strength into it, pull up the battery out of your car. Remember that the battery will be heavy and weigh around 40 pounds. Don’t end up falling inside the hood of your car.
- Now that your battery is out of the battery tray, it’s probably a good time to clean it up using a wire brush or steel wool. Now place a cardboard or some old newspaper in the tray area so as not to get the below of your new battery dirty and scuffed up.
- Now again using both your hands and putting all your strength into it, pull up the new battery and place it in that tray you just cleaned, on top of the cardboard or newspaper.
- Reattach the battery - while the red cable belongs to the positive terminal, the black one belongs to the negative terminal. Attach the positive end (red) first, and then the negative end (black) later. Now using the wrench, tighten the nuts to perfection to avoid further stoppages if you’re stuck in a God forsaken place.
- Your car is now ready to burn rubber. Put the key into ignition as quickly as possible, start it, and accelerate away as fast as you can, lest you get mugged.
Installing a car battery is not like asking a carpenter to perform a surgery over a patient. You can do it and do it right, that to without being a grease monkey!