Change the car battery yourself? This is how it's done!

Recently updated on March 1, 2022 at 08:51 am

According to his own statement, almost every second assignment from the ADAC automobile club is for one Insufficiently charged car battery traced back. And that also in summer! As a short-term solution, the battery can use a Charger or by start Help are supplied with power again, but if the battery is too old or simply no longer efficient, you will lose you Change not around. This post explains how to use the car battery on your own can switch. Attention: We recommend changing for current, ultra-modern vehicles in a specialist workshop. Our instructions serve more as a basis for "simple" vehicles such as a used Ford Fiesta, VW Golf or Opel Astra.

The Preparations

Even if the car battery can be changed in a few simple steps, it still has to the chronological order observed and Vorbereitungen must be taken so that the battery can be changed safely. Before the bonnet is opened, the vehicle must stand horizontally and the Handbrake must be applied .

In most cases you will find the car battery under the bonnet, sometimes it is still protected by a cover, which can be easily removed with a screwdriver or instructions on the release mechanism. In some cases, the battery can be in the trunk or somewhere in the vehicle floor. There are also vehicles with two batteries (Starter battery / comfort battery). The exact installation location can be found in the operating instructions for the car.

1. Remove the dead battery

After you have downloaded the Have removed the cover, you can start with to loosen the cables. With the help of a suitable open-end or ring wrench, first loosen the screw on the pole terminal of the black cable. This cable is the Negative pole and it is removed from the clamp after loosening the screw deducted. The process for the positive pole red wire .

After the cables are removed, you can proceed to the Car battery holder to loosen. This bracket is usually located as a clamp holder on the Skirting or at the top as a bracket made of metal. With the fuses removed, the next step is to lift the battery out of the engine compartment. Be careful though, the weight of the battery should not be underestimated.

2. Installation of the new car battery

Before you install the new battery, you should take the opportunity and clean the battery compartment. Any foreign bodies and dirt should be removed. Furthermore, you should make sure that the dimensions and the technical key data (volts / amperes etc.) of the two batteries are the same to ensure that the new battery can be installed without any problems.

This will be done in the next step placed in the car and then fixed again in reverse order with the previously loosened bracket. Before you screw everything together, please check that the battery is too in the right direction was installed.

3. Fasten the cable

Before you reconnect the two cables to the poles in the last step, it is recommended to remove any excess Pole bold, Corrosion and eventual Pollution from the terminals with a wire brush remove. This is necessary because this buildup increases the conductivity of the terminals is restricted. Now you can use the open-end wrench to connect the red and black cables to the car battery connection. This time the order will be turned around, that means, first thing is the red wire at positive pole connected, then that black cables to the negative pole.

A swapping of the two poles can be almost ruled out because they are with Symbols (in plastic + , and a - Sign) are marked and also different diameters (Positive pole is bigger) own. To prevent rust and moisture, the battery poles and pole terminals are also included Pole fat / pole spray treated, I nachdem the terminals are screwed tight. To protect you from a short circuit, bring the Pole covers on. Depending on the vehicle type, it may be necessary to use the new battery to learn. What needs to be considered in this regard can be found in our article "Battery change made easy - without any training!“Read. You have now successfully replaced your car battery and can continue your journey.

Summary information on changing the car battery:

• Wear protective goggles, safety gloves and acid-proof gloves when replacing
• Changing a car battery is done in four rough steps
  - Find the battery in the car
  - Disconnect the old battery and lift it out
  - Insert a new vehicle battery
  - Connect a new vehicle battery
• Clean the connection terminals with a wire brush if they are dirty
• after the change it may be necessary to re-enter the radio code and the time, for example
• Tip: a charger with a supply function maintains the power supply
• The new battery should match the old model in terms of dimensions, pole distribution, capacity and battery technology

Summary information to check the car battery:

• Check the battery with a voltmeter
  - Switch off the ignition
  – Remove the connection protection from the positive pole of the battery (clean the battery poles if necessary)
  – Connect the positive cable from the voltmeter to the positive pole of the battery (the positive cable on the voltmeter is usually red)
  – connect the negative cable of the voltmeter to the negative terminal of the battery
  – Voltage should be between 12,4 and 12,7 volts
  – Reading below 12,4V means the battery needs to be charged
  – Charge the battery to “trickle charge” (then check again)
  – Values ​​above 12,9 V indicate excess voltage (remove the excess surface charge using high beams, heated seats, etc.)
• an overvoltage can be an indication that the alternator is overcharging the battery
• Check the battery with a test lamp
  - Switch off the ignition
  – Remove the connection protection from the positive pole of the battery (clean the battery poles if necessary)
  – Connect the positive cable of the test lamp to the positive pole of the battery (the positive cable of the test lamp is usually red)
  – Connect the negative cable of the test lamp to the negative pole of the battery
  – Hold the tip of the test lamp to the positive pole of the battery
  – Read the voltage display on the test lamp - the voltage should be between 12,4 and 12,7 volts
  – Reading below 12,4V means the battery needs to be charged
• Check the battery by starting the engine
  – Start the engine (turn the ignition key until the starter turns on)
  - Hold for two seconds
  – A second person checks the battery voltage drop
  – Check the display on the test lamp at the time of starting
  – the value should not fall below 9,6 V
  – if this is the case, the battery will sulphate and will not hold any voltage
• Info: Never short-circuit battery poles. Severe burns, damage to the poles and even a hydrogen gas explosion can occur.

What do you have to pay attention to so that the battery survives the winter well? What do you have to do to avoid a nasty surprise in the morning at low temperatures? Our information report on "Avoid these mistakes and the car battery will survive' sheds some light on this. (Back to overview)

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