How to Change a Car Battery
No matter how well you maintain your vehicle, your car’s battery will still eventually wear out and need to be replaced. Signs that your car’s battery may be on its last leg include electrical issues and a slow crank. Fortunately, changing the battery is a simple and easy automotive repair that you can accomplish yourself with the right preparation and a little physical strength. Our Aurora area Volkswagen dealer is here to show you how!
Aurora Area Drivers Should Take These Steps When Changing a Car Battery
- With the engine off, pop the hood and locate the battery. Identify the negative (black) battery cable and the positive (red) battery cable.
- Detach the negative battery cable from the battery. Using a wrench, loosen the nut or bolt that secures the negative terminal and cable to the negative battery post.
- Detach the positive battery cable from the battery using the same method.
- Using a combination wrench or a socket and ratchet, remove the battery hold-down clamp.
- Take the battery out of the battery tray. Since batteries can be heavy, you should grab it from the bottom using both hands. If the battery has a handle, use that instead.
- Use either a battery cleaning solution or a combination of baking soda and water to thoroughly clean any corrosion that may be left behind on your battery tray and hold-down clamp from your old battery.
- Clean the battery cable connectors with a wire brush. To remove heavy corrosion from the connectors, use a battery cleaning solution.
- Place the new battery in the battery hold-down tray and secure the battery with the hold-down clamp.
- Spray both terminal ends with anti-corrosion solution. Attach and tighten both the positive and negative battery cables.
- Ensure that all cable connections and hold-downs are properly tightened. Check the security of your battery by trying to move it back and forth. If you can move the battery cable terminals at all, your car may not start due to a weak electrical connection.
If you’re not up for the task of changing your car’s battery yourself, leave this job to the professionals at our VW service center near Aurora! Our certified technicians will replace your battery in an efficient and timely manner to get you back on the road quickly.
For more maintenance tips and tricks, please don’t hesitate to contact the team at Emich Volkswagen today!
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