How To Remove a Car Battery

Your car’s battery supplies power to start the car up, and as you drive, your alternator will restore its charge! Still, there will inevitably come a time where you need to take the battery out. Whether you’ve had to jump start your car one too many times, or you’re worried about leaking battery acid, you can take the next steps with confidence at home in Edgewater. Here’s how to remove a car battery the smart way!

Preparing the Car Battery for Removal

The shock from a car battery can kill you, so it is a must that you wear insulated work gloves. Not only that, the fluids from car batteries are corrosive, so safety goggles are also a good idea. Turn your car off as well, because running vehicles can cause a fire while you’re working with your car battery.

Take off jewelry such as necklaces and watches to prevent an accidental shock from metal parts of the battery. Get some sort of tie, such as a zip tie, to keep the battery cables in their proper place. After that, cover the positive end with a cloth once you take it off to reduce the chance of metal-to-metal contact. You should also ensure that you’re in a well-ventilated area to reduce the chance of exposure to harmful gases.

Removing the Car Battery Safely

After you have made the right preparations, here are the steps to remove your car battery:

• Locate the negative terminal, denoted by a black plastic cover or a minus sign. It should be on the post or very close to it.
• With a wrench or pliers, take the bolt head of the negative terminal and hold it still.
• Use another wrench or set of pliers to remove the nut, then remove the negative cable and stow it away from the battery.
• Do the same for the positive cable and be absolutely sure the two battery cables do not touch.
• If there is a securing bracket holding in the battery, use the pliers or wrench to remove the bolts and screws keeping it there.
• Lift the battery straight out of the bracket, but watch out, as it may be as heavy as 40 pounds.

Need to install a new car battery? If you’re anywhere near Crofton or Severna Park, you can find parts and components approved by Jaguar at our parts department in Annapolis.

Jaguar Annapolis Knows Your Needs

Now you know how to remove a car battery, but you should also know that Jaguar Annapolis is here to help! If you decide that you’d like to have an expert take care of your car battery removal, don’t hesitate to schedule service. Interested in taking care of more maintenance at home? We’re happy to pass along our best DIY car care tips or teach you how to check your coolant level today.