Is it hard to replace car battery?

S

smree

Registered User
Messages
68
Hi

Just wondering if any of ye have replaced a car battery and how complicated it is? Would it be something that someone with no car mechanics experience could do?

Thanks
 
About as complicated as changing a battery in a torch. The place you buy the battery from should normally pop it into the car for you for free — to check that it's working — and (I think) take your old one for disposal.
 
If you do have to fit it yourself the important point to remember is not to allow the spanner you use to undo the connections to short with the other terminal/ body. Wipe a small bit of "Vaseline" around each terminal and make sure each battery clamp is clean before fitting.
 
Very simple indeed..... but be very carefull as on some car, it is very easy to touch the body of the car with the spanner when tighting the bolts...

To disconnect the battery
- disconnect "-" (black) first , then disconnect "+" (red)

To reconnect
- connect "+" (red) first, then connect "-" (black)

By doing it this precise sequence, it does not matter (though i am never tried!!) if you touch the body or some metallic element of the car with one side of the spanner while the other side of the spanner which is on he battery pole.

There is enough power/current in a car battery to weld the spanner to the body of the car and them probably melt it!! and serioulsy harm your hand in the process...
 
Before you disconnect the old battery just check that you still have the car radio code .
 
I recently had my battery replaced in one of those fast fit places (10 minute job).

The bloke that fitted it said that it was a particularly difficult job on some cars (particular VW and Audi models). He would supply them with the battery but he wouldn't fit them as he had to take out loads of stuff (bulkhead??) to get at the battery.

Murt
 
Hi

Make sure you connect the terminals correctly first time. Unlike a torch, you will not get away with placing the battery in backwards.
 
Good point steelblue - as you point out, placing the battery in backwards can blow all the fuses, so beware!
 
Most modern car batteries have different-sized + and – terminals, precisely to avoid this kind of error — but yes, steelblue's is a good point.
 
By coincidence my battery died last night. Got it jump started and it's gone again this morning.

So how much should a replacement cost?
 
hi. i recently had my battery changed by a garage, it was in for a service and i told him i wanted a new battery because the car wasnt starting. I was half way home decided to put on radio but no go. As someone said there make sure you have the code for the radio, I drove back and he was able to get a code of a computer but it didnt work as I had bought the car 2nd hand and someone had put a cd player in it. Luckily the code was on one of the booklets in the car.
 
Hello,

Why not keep a look out for a 12 volt power start. We bought one in Aldi some time ago. But as you know the same offers often come up again from time to time. With the power volt starter there is no need to take out the battery!!. Just charge up the power start from the electric mains, bring it out to your car, connect it to your battery, and voila instant charge.

The 12 volt power start has to be charged initially for 24 hours, but after the initial charging it should only take approximately an hour and a half. Hope this helps!!! Safe Driving
 
I'm surprised people are having such problems with their batteries; we've had 12 year old cars (and some slightly younger models) and never had any problems with starting. I've never had to buy a car battery in my life (touch wood). If the battery is shot or on the way out I'd just get rid of it, without delay. Unless you have cars which don't get much use or are used intermittently I wouldn't see much point in buying power packs etc. If the car is used regularly and the battery looked after (if this is even necessary now with modern batteries?) you shouldn't have any trouble. Batteries won't just fail overnight. A lot of people don't realise that if they have a lot of electrical equipment on (particularly heaters/ defrosters etc) that their battery is more likely to run down, particularly on short runs during cold weather- the battery just won't achieve full charge. This is especially a problem as cars are now packed with electrical goodies- all of which can be a substantial drain on the battery, more so in cold weather.
 
that's the reason why the start up pack is so useful. No point in telling a busy young mother who is maybe ferrying her children to school or has other necessary car runs "sorry you can't use the car to-day you left the radio and the heating on all night in the car". I found the charger invaluable.
 
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