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Release Date: 2009-04-26 11:51:05

How Do I Replace My Car Battery?

Nowadays it is very easy to purchase car parts online. This even includes car batteries which can be delivered to your door. It is advisable to replace your car battery well before the end of its lifetime, as finding your car won't start due to a flat battery is a frustrating experience.

When you should change your car battery is difficult to determine as there are so many variables. They way in which you use your car is a factor, for instance if you regularly do short runs then the lifetime will be decreased. Also the quality of a car battery can vary considerably, generally as a function of price. You should certainly change it at the very first sign of it being in a poor condition, for instance if the starter motor appears to turn over at a slower speed than usual.

Changing the battery is a straight forward operation. Locate the battery and find the terminals that go to it. The terminals should be marked + for positive and - for negative. Alternatively, if the leads are colored than they will be colored red for positive and blue/black for negative.

First you should remove the negative terminal. The connector is generally a clamp that is tightened with a nut. Undo that nut until the connector is loose and then lift it off. After you have done this. do the same with the positive terminal. The body of the battery will be secured to the car by a battery clamp that can be loosened by undoing a couple of nuts. Remove these next. Carefully lift the battery away from the car and place it gently on the ground or workbench. Be very careful to avoid spilling any of the battery contents which are highly corrosive. It is a good idea to clean the battery tray and surrounding area before installing the new battery.

Install the new battery in the correct orientation, which is making sure that the positive terminal of the battery is close to the positive battery cable. Tighten up the battery clamp. Next attach the positive battery terminal and tighten up the clamping nut then do the same with the negative terminal. Smear a little Vaseline on the terminals to prevent corrosion.

Your old battery must be disposed of at a local recycling centre / depot, where you may also find various places for old car parts to be recycled .

How to replace your car battery - David Saltonstall is an avid amateur mechanic and loves getting involved in projects to do with cars and motorbikes, in particular classic cars. He would like to refer those who also love restoration and mechanics to the online car parts service provider -- http://www.breakeryard.com/