Ultimate Guide To Install Car Batteries

Most car batteries have acid and are near the engine, where other liquids are also moving. We strongly suggest wearing protective glasses, gloves, and clothing to avoid touching anything. Before working near the engine, remove any rings or other metal jewelry you may be wearing.

To put in your new battery, make sure you follow all safety rules and have the right tools:

• Wrenches: The right size wrench should be used to loosen and tighten cable clamp nuts and side terminal connections. If the sizes are correct, they can protect the contact points, making it hard or impossible to loosen or tighten the nuts and terminal connections.

• Cable Clamp Puller: The cable clamp puller pulls the cable clamp off the battery terminal after the clamp has been loosened. It keeps damage from happening from sideways or twisting forces.

• Cable Clamp Spreader: The cable clamp spreader makes the clamps bigger after they have been removed from the terminals. This makes it easy to put them back on the terminals in the right place.

• Tapered Terminal and Cable Clamp Cleaning Brush: This brush cleans the tops of lead die-cast cable clamps and tapered battery terminals. You should never use wire brushes on stamped-metal cable clamps because the brushes could wear away the surface that keeps the metal from rusting. 

• Scraper and Wire Brush: One can use the scraper and wire brush to clean the battery tray, the hold-down, and the hold-down bolts of dirt, rust, and corrosion.

  
  

The next step in putting in a battery correctly is to find the right one for your car. Check your owner's manual to see what the manufacturer of the original equipment (OE) recommends for:

• Type of technology

• Group size of a battery

• Amps that cold crank (CCA)

• Capacity to hold back (RC)

• Amp hours/C20 capacity

  
  

• Before you take out the old battery, note where the positive terminal is and write the polarity on the positive cable. This will help you make sure you put the new battery in on time.
• Before you start, please read the information on this website about safety and how to handle it and do what it says.
• Loosen the screws on the cable clamps to disconnect the wires from the battery terminals. First, take out the negative cable, then the positive one.
• Loosen the strap that holds the battery in place. This metal strap is what holds the battery in place.
• Take off the strap that holds the battery in place and the two long screws.
• Pull up the battery while keeping it as upright as possible to get the battery out of the car. This will make electrolytes less likely to leak and damage other car parts. Don't pick up the battery by the ends.
• Check the battery for any signs of damage or rust.
• Please return it to the store or workshop where you bought the replacement battery or to any other place where you can drop off used batteries.

• Please read and follow the information on this website about safety and how to handle it.

• The tray where the battery sits needs to be cleaned. Rub the metal clamps with steel wool or a wire brush to remove rust.

• Put your new battery in the tray for batteries (make sure your battery is fully charged). Make sure it is facing the right way so that the positive and negative terminals match their cables. Place the hold-down strap back where it was over the new battery, ensuring it is tight enough to prevent wear from movement or vibration. Do not tighten the hold-down bracket too much, as this could damage the plastic case and cover.

• Join the two cables. First, connect the red (positive) cable. Then, connect the black (negative) cable.

• Tighten the nuts by hand. Don't tighten the terminal bolts too much; the following values are suggested:

• 50 to 70-inch lbs for an SAE (tapered) automotive terminal.

• Side terminal (3/89 nut): 70 to 90-inch lbs.

• Stud terminal with a thread: 120 to 180 inch-lb.

  
  

You'll need a battery tester or multimeter to test your new battery.

• Start by connecting the positive and negative leads of the tester to the corresponding terminals on the battery. Then, turn on the tester and wait for it to display the battery's voltage and condition.

• If the voltage is within the recommended range and the tester indicates that the battery is in good condition, you can proceed with installing the battery in your car. However, if the voltage is low or the tester indicates the battery is in poor condition, you may need to return it to the store or contact the manufacturer for a replacement.

• It's important to note that even a new battery can have defects or be damaged during shipping, so it's always a good idea to test it before installing it in your car. This will help ensure that your new battery is functioning correctly and ready to provide reliable power for your vehicle.

  
  

When your old battery has died, you shouldn't keep it around. Please return it to the store or workshop where you bought the replacement battery or to any other place to drop off used batteries.

So, that's it! Your new battery is up and running. We recommend you refer to your vehicle's manual before you proceed. We hope this article has helped you by giving you all the information you need to install new car batteries.