As you trundle along towards your car, you reach for the remote, hit the unlock button and…?! Somehow, you don’t seem to be able to unlock your car! By the time you manage to get in, by using the old-school key, you realize that you cannot start your car. This most probably means that your car battery has gone flat. As that happened to me this morning, trust me—by the time the mechanics arrive, you’ll want to know how to get it fixed yourself.
This has to be the best step-by-step instructions out there.
1. Purchase the new battery recommended and rated for your car (the parts dealer and your mechanic will have that information). Be aware that the old battery is usually exchanged for the new one for recycling purposes, so you can either take it with you or drop it off later.
2. Open the hood of your car and locate the battery.
3. Disconnect the cable terminals from the old battery's terminals (negative/black first and then positive/red).
4. Remove the frame or bracket holding the battery in place, and lift the battery out.
5. Clean the cable terminals with a wire brush, baking soda and water if they're corroded or dirty.
6. Use a wire brush or a battery terminal cleaner (a very inexpensive tool) to scrape the inside of each cable terminal to expose new, clean metal to the new battery terminal. If the cable terminals are damaged, they need to be replaced.
7. Lower the new battery into position, with the positive and negative poles in the same relative positions as before, and secure the frame.
8. Connect the cables to the new battery securely - positive to positive and then negative to negative. The cable ends should not be able to move at all; any looseness can prevent your car from starting.
9. Test the battery by starting the engine.
Find out even more at | eHow.com
For extra help, I find that this video straightens things out even more:
http://www.ehow.com/video_512_replace-car-battery.html#ixzz1MP4G1rHX
This has to be the best step-by-step instructions out there.
1. Purchase the new battery recommended and rated for your car (the parts dealer and your mechanic will have that information). Be aware that the old battery is usually exchanged for the new one for recycling purposes, so you can either take it with you or drop it off later.
2. Open the hood of your car and locate the battery.
3. Disconnect the cable terminals from the old battery's terminals (negative/black first and then positive/red).
4. Remove the frame or bracket holding the battery in place, and lift the battery out.
5. Clean the cable terminals with a wire brush, baking soda and water if they're corroded or dirty.
6. Use a wire brush or a battery terminal cleaner (a very inexpensive tool) to scrape the inside of each cable terminal to expose new, clean metal to the new battery terminal. If the cable terminals are damaged, they need to be replaced.
7. Lower the new battery into position, with the positive and negative poles in the same relative positions as before, and secure the frame.
8. Connect the cables to the new battery securely - positive to positive and then negative to negative. The cable ends should not be able to move at all; any looseness can prevent your car from starting.
9. Test the battery by starting the engine.
Find out even more at | eHow.com
For extra help, I find that this video straightens things out even more:
http://www.ehow.com/video_512_replace-car-battery.html#ixzz1MP4G1rHX
1 comment:
Saved my life--the link to the video is really helpful.
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