3 Steps to Replacing a Car Battery
- There are many reasons for a car battery failing or dying.
- Replacing a dead battery won't take up much of your time.
- Not many tools are needed to complete the process.
A typical car battery is designed to last anywhere between 2 to 6 years. So if you have a car that's more than 2 years old, the possibility of it dying on you unexpectedly becomes all too real. And you wouldn´t know about it until the day your car fails to start when you turn on the ignition. At such a point, you can start out by cleaning its terminals and cable connectors to ensure good contact. If that doesn't work, try jump-starting the battery. If jump-starting doesn't work, the problem could be with your starter, alternator or another component of the electrical system. If these components are also working well, only then will come the time to replace your car battery.
Photo Credit: cdn.pixabay.com
Common reasons for battery failure
Photo Credit: cdn.pixabay.com
Before looking at the 3 steps to replacing a car battery, just have a look at some of the most common reasons for your battery failing.
1. High temperatures: Heat is the main reason why grid corrosion gets accelerated and this leads to grid growth in the positive plate. When this heat corrodes the positive grid, the battery loses capacity and starting power.
2. Faulty alternator: Another common reason for battery failure is having a faulty alternator, which undercharges the battery.
3. Vibration: Too much vibration of the vehicle can cause the components inside a battery to move, leading to reduced performance and eventually, failure.
Steps to replacing a car battery
- Remove the battery from its slot: As you may know, the battery is located under the hood of your car. To remove it, you will first need to clean the top of the old battery. The residue can be removed easily by using a mixture of baking soda and water. Once that's done, you will need to disconnect the battery bolts holding the negative and positive clam. With that done, you can now move ahead with disconnecting the battery from its tray and removing it out of the hood.
- Install the new battery: Before you buy a new battery, you will need to ensure that it's of the same size as the one being replaced. You must also consult about its compatibility with your car. Once that's sorted and you've purchased your new battery, it's now time to install it. You can start by placing it on the battery tray and connecting the positive and negative terminals. You can now enter the car and start the engine. If it works perfectly, go ahead and secure the battery in the terminal and close the hood.
- Dispose of the old battery: Do note that old batteries are an environmental hazard if they are not disposed of properly. You can do the right thing by dropping them off at recycling centres. You can search on Google for ones that are present in and around the location you stay at.
As you can see, replacing the battery is a pretty simple job that doesn't involve many tools. Just make sure to have the right-sized crescent wrench with you for removing the connections.
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