How to Install a Car Battery

Installing a car battery is one of the easiest vehicle maintenance tasks to accomplish at home and on your own. All you need is the proper basic tools, level ground to park your vehicle, and about an hour of time. If you don’t have the time or the tools, feel free to schedule a service appointment with Bayer Auto Group. Our friendly technicians will take care of you and help you with a car battery installation near Brownwood and Stephenville.

If your battery is nearing the end of its serviceable life, it’s better to replace it before it conks out completely. The team at Bayer Auto Group will also help by testing your battery’s efficiency every time you bring your vehicle in for regular service. 

Read on to learn more about car battery installation near me as we show you how to replace one in your vehicle. 

What Tools Do You Need to Install a Battery?

Before you think about replacing your old vehicle battery, have some tools on hand. We’ll show you how to use the tools properly ahead of replacing your car battery.

If you want to know how to install a car battery, you’ll need:

• Rubber gloves to protect your hands
• An adjustable wrench or pliers
• Battery cleaning solution
• Wire brush
• Anti-corrosion spray

Have all of your tools? Now you’re all set to learn how to install a car battery.

Step-by-Step Guide for How to Install a Car Battery

Follow these simple steps to install a new car battery. Make sure your car engine is cool because you don’t want to pop the hood only to have to deal with a hot engine when installing a new car battery.

1. Park your vehicle on level ground.
2. Activate the parking brake to make sure it doesn’t accidentally roll away.
3. Turn your engine off.
4. Pop the hood and open it.
5. Put on rubber gloves to protect your hands.
6. Loosen the nut that holds the black (negative) cable on the battery. Twist the nut all the way off once it’s loose enough.
7. Follow the same step for the red (positive) cable. At this point, your battery is now completely disconnected from the vehicle.
8. Loosen the clamp that holds the battery in place. This prevents it from shifting around in your engine compartment.
9. Remove the clamp completely after loosening it. Set it aside, as well as the nuts that attached it, so you don’t lose them. Now the battery can lift out of its compartment.
10. Carefully lift the battery out with both hands. Your car battery is very heavy. Use caution.
11. Set the battery on the ground.
12. Clean away any corrosion that may be left behind from the old car battery, using the specialized cleaning solution and wire brush. If you don’t have any cleaning solution, make a water and baking soda solution. The baking soda can neutralize any small amounts of acid that might have appeared on the nodes or wires of the battery. Small amounts of corrosion are normal for batteries near the end of their serviceable lives.
13. Remove any corrosion you might see on the black and red cable connectors. This will make them more effective at carrying electricity from the battery to your vehicle’s electrical systems. They also allow your alternator to recharge the battery as you travel.
14. Place the brand-new battery in the empty spot.
15. Tighten the clamp to keep the battery in place.
16. Spray anti-corrosion spray on the two wires. This will help prevent build-up over time. Small amounts of corrosion may happen after several years of use. Anti-corrosion spray can increase the life of your battery because it doesn’t have to work as hard to get power to your systems. It also makes the battery more efficient, which is good for colder weather in the winter.
17. Attach the battery cables in their proper place.
18. Tighten the cables completely without over-tightening.
19. Start your vehicle. If the car battery is connected properly, your vehicle should start as normal.
20. You might notice that the dashboard clock has reset itself. That’s because the car battery kept that clock on! Just like a power outage at your house might mean resetting the time on alarm clocks, you may have to reset the time on your dashboard clock. 

There is one final step to take care of when you’re installing a new car battery. You cannot just throw away a car battery after you remove it from your vehicle. It must be disposed of properly. Feel free to bring it to the service center of Bayer Auto Group, and we’ll take care of it. Batteries are sent back to recycling centers and manufacturers to reuse the metal and plastic, while the liquid inside is converted to a cleaning solution.

Ready for Car Battery Installation Near Me?

We specialize in selling new vehicles from Cadillac, Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, GMC, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and we can install car batteries on any make and model. We also perform regular maintenance on any vehicles, such as oil changes or tire rotations. Contact us or call (325) 356-2541 for more information. We’re happy to help in any way we can!