How to Disconnect a Car Battery

Automotive maintenance can be time consuming and is susceptible to cause serious injury if any missteps are made.

Don't turn into a wanna-be automotive mechanic and follow these common myths about your car battery. If improperly maintained, you're liable to wreck your car's electrical system, or internal computers for good.

Especially when disconnecting a car battery, you can be electrocuted, drop nearly 40lbs of weight on your feet, or worse, lower the car hood on your head.

Though you may not know how to disconnect your car battery, we're here to help. To ensure none of the above mistakes take place, please follow these quick and easy rules of thumb.

How to Disconnect a Car Battery: Step One

Before touching anything under the hood, make sure to turn off the engine and to take your keys out of the ignition.

Don't forget to set the transmission into park, because you don't want the car rolling forward or back as your messing around under the hood.

For an added mode of safety, engage the emergency break. You never know what could happen, so keep a high level of caution.

How to Disconnect a Car Battery: Step Two

Safety is key to any automotive project, and disconnecting the battery is no different. Before getting to work, please put on some gloves and goggles so as to avoid serious injury.

It may sound like a self-explanatory step, but people oftentimes don't take the right precautions before popping up the hood. Don't be like most people, heed these warnings and just put on the damn gloves and goggles!

How to Disconnect a Car Battery: Step Three

Some cars may need to have their hood released from the inside. This lever can usually be found under the steering wheel or on your car's center console. If otherwise, just open your hood and secure it with the pop rod, so it doesn't tumble back down against your head.

Other cars may even have the battery and engine compartment in the rear, which is no different. Know your car's schematics and what type of battery you have, so you can plan accordingly and avoid costly, injurious mistakes.

How to Disconnect a Car Battery: Step Four

After the hood is set in place and safe, next you gotta find the battery.

Automotive batteries can be found under a plastic cover near the driver side in the front of the vehicle. If it's located in the rear, check under or behind the trunk lining.

Before continuing, know that the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals are oftentimes labeled with a red and black cap, respectively. If not, then the positive terminal will sometimes be the only thing labeled.

Check for symbols before jumping into your automotive work.

How to Disconnect a Car Battery: Step Five

Find the right socket wrench and use it to loosen the negative (-) terminal. This is a preliminary risk-averting maneuver, but you should still remain careful when preforming these next few steps.

After its loosened, remove the negative terminal and place it away from any metal within the vehicle's engine block. Best way to ensure you don't screw up the car or battery, set the negative cable in a dry rag.

Only after removing the negative cable is it viable to take the positive cable from its connector. Then, your battery is completely safe from electrical malfunction and sustained static currents.

How to Disconnect a Car Battery: Step Six

Preform any necessary repair work, such as changing or cleaning your battery.

Once you unscrew the hold-down brackets, lift it straight up. Keep in mind batteries tend to weigh around 40lbs, give or take, so don't injure your back or drop it on yourself.

Use a toothbrush and some baking soda to clean the tray and cables, because they are guaranteed to be some of the many spots in your car that everyone forgets to clean.

To set a new battery into the compartment, just tighten the clamps of the hold-down bracket on your new battery, reconnect the positive lead before the negative, then tighten their respective nuts before closing the hood.

How to Disconnect a Car Battery: Step Seven

Try starting the car once everything is done, if it starts without any hiccups, you are good to go. After every step has been completed, learn some of the bad habits that damage your car before getting back on the road.

Always remember, now that you know how to change a car battery, safety is absolutely key. Be aware, cautious, and stick close to safety measures whenever performing automotive maintenance.