When replacing the battery of your vehicle it is advisable that you have at least the following resources available such as, a spanner which corresponds to the size of the nuts which has been used on the battery connectors. Because batteries contain acid, safety gloves should be available as well as a cleaning rag and also safety goggles. Sufficient quantities of baking soda and water should be available as well as an old toothbrush or something similar. Anyone who has been driving a motor vehicle for some time, will be fully aware of the fact that although vehicle batteries can last a long time, they will eventually run out of steam and will have to be replaced. It does not require rocket science in order to be able to replace a vehicle battery and the most difficult part of the job will be to actually lift out the old battery and to fit a new one which should not be too difficult for most people.
It is a relatively simple process
Once you have purchased a new vehicle battery, switch off the motor vehicle, open the bonnet and locate the battery. Remember safety first, therefore put on your safety goggles and your gloves and then you can proceed to take the spanner and loosen the battery connectors. It is preferable that you loosen the negative connector first because when the positive is done first, it has to be protected in such a way that it doesn’t accidentally touch some metal part which can result in an electrical spark. This can be avoided by loosening the negative connector first, but sometimes the connectors might be stuck and therefore at battery terminal puller may be necessary to do the job. Do not use improper tools or excessive force because this can result in unnecessary damage. The next step will be to loosen the clamp which is used to hold the battery in place. Now you can proceed to remove the battery out of the motor vehicle, but remember that such a battery can weigh as much as 40 pounds and therefore if one or more handles is available, they should be used.
Preparing to install the new battery
Because vehicle batteries still work on the lead acid principle, there may be some damage to the battery connectors and also some acid residue and this will have to be removed first before fitting the new battery. These pollutants is easy to see, because it mostly represents a white chalky substance and in most cases an industrial battery cleaning solution will work just fine. It is also possible to use a solution of water and baking soda to remove excessive residue. This is where your old toothbrush or something similar can be used with great effectiveness, to properly clean that battery connectors and to ensure that they will be in an excellent condition and that they will function effectively when fitted to the new battery. You can now proceed to fit the new battery and to replace the battery clamp and the battery connectors. All that remains to be done is to carefully check the work which was done in order to ensure that everything is just perfect.
