Don’t ask the question “How do I change a car battery” too late.

You jump into your car, turn the key only to find that your engine won’t start. It’s every driver’s nightmare and sooner or later it will happen to you. So what can you do to make sure you don’t get stranded somewhere because of a flat battery?

Auto batteries typically last only 2 to 3 years so it’s no surprise that a flat battery is the most common reason why your car engine won’t start. The trick is to recognise the tell tale signs of a failing battery and change it before it fails completely and leaves you stranded miles from home, late at night in the cold.

How to spot that your car battery is about to fail

Get to know what your engine sounds like when it’s starting up because when your battery starts to get weak this sound will change. Your battery will struggle to turn your engine and it will take longer to start. These are signs that your battery will soon fail and you should replace it before it fails completely.

Changing your car battery isn’t difficult

First go and get a replacement battery. There are many different shapes and sizes available but make sure that you get one that’s recommended for the make and model of your car.

Disconnect the car battery leads

Lift the hood or bonnet of your car and locate the battery. It will have 2 thick wires connected to it, one at the negative end, usually a black wire with a ‘-’ sign on the battery. The other wire is the positive and will be colored red. The battery will have a ‘ ‘ sign to indicate positive. When you put the new battery on you must make sure that the positive and negative wires are connected to the correct terminals.

Disconnect the negative wire first. You will need a spanner or large pair of pliers to do this. Make sure that the wire is well away from the battery then disconnect the positive wire in the same way.

Remove the car battery

The battery often sits in a tray with a retaining strap or metal bar fastened with a simple nut and bolt. Release the retainer and remove the battery from the tray. Lead-acid car batteries are heavy so you need to be careful when lifting it out.

Fit the new car battery

Place the new battery into the battery tray and secure it with the retainer. Make sure that the fixings are tight and that the battery can’t move. Fit the positive (red) lead to the ‘ ‘ terminal of the battery. Terminals are often tapered so you may need to tap the connector gently onto the terminal with a small hammer to make sure that it makes a good connection when you tighten the nuts that clamp the connector to the terminal.

Do the same with the negative (black) lead onto the ‘-’ terminal. When both terminals are tight and you’ve started the car to test it you should cover all the exposed metal parts of the battery leads with petroleum jelly. This will help to prevent corrosion and maintain the electrical connection between the connector and the terminal.

That’s it, close the hood or bonnet of your car and you’re done. You won’t need to ask, “How do I change a car battery” ever again.

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