Not so long ago, changing the car battery was comparatively easy. If you still own a car that is a little older, you can change the car battery quite easily on your own. However, you should have a little technical understanding.
Changing the car battery – what you need to know
Car mechanics have fond memories. In the good old days, there was nothing they couldn’t accomplish on their beloved car by themselves. No matter whether it was changing the battery or replacing spare parts.
- In the new vehicles, it is usually hardly possible to carry out maintenance work or minor car repairs yourself due to the complexity of the countless electronic components. Experts even strongly advise against replacing the battery on new cars.
- The vehicles are equipped with a battery management system that can only be operated professionally with special equipment. In addition, the sensitive electronics of various other vehicle parts are affected by the battery change.
- For all vehicle parts directly connected to the battery, the individual settings must be restored after the battery change. However, the respective initialisations and the deletion of fault codes can only be accomplished after the new car battery has been installed with special tools and the appropriate expertise.
- If, however, you own a somewhat older sweetheart without the technical “bells and whistles”, you have a clear advantage when it comes to DIY operations around the car.
How to remove the old battery
Before you install the new battery, you have to remove the old car battery. However, before you get to work, be sure to put on safe safety glasses and long, acid-proof work gloves. It also makes a lot of sense to look at the car’s owner’s manual beforehand. The instructions of the car manufacturer are not only useful, but should also be followed when changing the battery.
- In addition to safety glasses and gloves, there is another safety measure you should not forget: Before changing the car battery, first remove the ignition key from the vehicle.
- To avoid disabling the new car battery during installation, wrap the red positive terminal with insulating tape. Alternatively, place the terminal cap protector of the new car battery on the positive terminal
- After you have loosened the car battery holder and the vent hose, you can carefully remove the battery. Do this slowly in case you have forgotten a screw somewhere.
- You insert the new battery into the holder and first reattach the vent hose. Then fix the car battery securely in the holder.
- First connect the red cable and then the black cable to the new car battery. After the positive and negative terminals are back in place, seal the connections with terminal grease.
- Finally, replace the terminal cap protector and battery cover securely and try out the new car battery straight away.
Fitting a new battery
After removing the old car battery, insert the new car battery. When changing the car battery, you basically go the same way – only the other way round.
