Don’t get in trouble: three important points when changing the battery in the car
- October 21, 2022
- 0
It is no secret that today many motorists, who have replaced an old battery in their car with a new one, are trying to do it themselves. And
It is no secret that today many motorists, who have replaced an old battery in their car with a new one, are trying to do it themselves. And they often get into trouble. The portal “AvtoVzglyad” understood the technical nuances and “pitfalls” of such a procedure.
Obviously, with any car, the procedure for replacing an old battery is to disconnect it from the on-board network and remove it from the engine compartment. So at this stage you need to be extra careful. Note: when disassembling the battery, the “minus” is always disconnected first. But first read the manual for operating the machine.
It is possible that before removing the wires from any of the battery terminals, they must first be connected to an external power supply. In some modern cars, this sometimes has to be done – so that the “brain” of the on-board computer does not burn out. If there are no warnings about this in the instructions, feel free to switch off and remove the battery.
Required Condition:
After removing the old battery from the engine compartment, first check the condition of the power wires and the mounting platform to which the new power source will be mounted.
It is very important that this “pan” is completely cleaned not only from dirt, but also from all foreign objects such as rolled nuts, bolts or pebbles that accidentally bounce off the wheels into the engine compartment. Any of these “aliens”, which are installed under the housing of a new battery, can easily make a hole in the bottom with all the consequences that entails.
In addition, the ring lugs of power cables must also be carefully examined. Before installing a new battery, they must be thoroughly cleaned of old grease and all dirt and any traces of electrochemical corrosion must be removed from the tips. This can be done quickly by sanding the ring connectors on the outside and inside with ordinary fine sandpaper.
Is there a surcharge?
In fact, after such “cleaning procedures”, you can proceed to install a new battery. However, before you start, be sure to check the degree of charge by measuring the voltage level on the terminals with a multimeter. Ideally it should be about 12.8-12.9V.
Admittedly, in practice it often happens that a new battery, which is taken from a store after a long storage period, shows a “voltage” of 12.5-12.6 Volts. In general, with such indicators, the battery can be placed under the hood, but provided that the car is in motion for an hour or two after installation. This allows you to top up the battery charge to the desired level.
If everything is in order with the battery charge, we take it and carefully place it, without sudden movements, on the prepared mounting site. Then we connect the power cables to the terminals. Again, please note: the plus wire is connected first during assembly. When the connection of the battery to the onboard electrical network is complete, all you need to do is fix it securely using standard fasteners.
Terminals must be processed
That’s not all, however. Towards the end of the installation procedure, it is highly desirable to treat the ends of the power wires and open areas of the battery terminals with a special protective agent. This will further protect them from the effects of dirt, saline solutions, moisture and, accordingly, corrosion. Various types of “electroprotective” agents are currently produced for this purpose. On sale you will find, for example, colored aerosols, liquid sprays or greases.
One of the possible applications of such products is the coating of battery terminals.protective spray lubricant from Ruseff. This product of domestic production has repeatedly:tested in practice by the experts of the portal “AvtoVzglyad”.
The tool has a blue color, which allows you to visually check the treated joints. The use of lubricant will protect the terminals from various types of corrosion and current leakage for a long time, which will significantly slow down the self-discharge of the battery (especially in the cold season) and extend its service life.
Photo avtovzglyad.ru
Photo avtovzglyad.ru
Photo avtovzglyad.ru
Obviously, with any car, the procedure for replacing an old battery is to disconnect it from the on-board network and remove it from the engine compartment. So at this stage you need to be extra careful. Note: when disassembling the battery, the “minus” is always disconnected first. But first read the manual for operating the machine.
It is possible that before removing the wires from any of the battery terminals, they must first be connected to an external power supply. In some modern cars, this sometimes has to be done – so that the “brain” of the on-board computer does not burn out. If there are no warnings about this in the instructions, feel free to switch off and remove the battery.
Required Condition:
After removing the old battery from the engine compartment, first check the condition of the power wires and the mounting platform to which the new power source will be mounted.
It is very important that this “pan” is completely cleaned not only from dirt, but also from all foreign objects such as rolled nuts, bolts or pebbles that accidentally bounce off the wheels into the engine compartment. Any of these “aliens”, which are installed under the housing of a new battery, can easily make a hole in the bottom with all the consequences that entails.
In addition, the ring lugs of power cables must also be carefully examined. Before installing a new battery, they must be thoroughly cleaned of old grease and all dirt and any traces of electrochemical corrosion must be removed from the tips. This can be done quickly by sanding the ring connectors on the outside and inside with ordinary fine sandpaper.
Is there a surcharge?
In fact, after such “cleaning procedures”, you can proceed to install a new battery. However, before you start, be sure to check the degree of charge by measuring the voltage level on the terminals with a multimeter. Ideally it should be about 12.8-12.9V.
Admittedly, in practice it often happens that a new battery, which is taken from a store after a long storage period, shows a “voltage” of 12.5-12.6 Volts. In general, with such indicators, the battery can be placed under the hood, but provided that the car is in motion for an hour or two after installation. This allows you to top up the battery charge to the desired level.
If everything is in order with the battery charge, we take it and carefully place it, without sudden movements, on the prepared mounting site. Then we connect the power cables to the terminals. Again, please note: the plus wire is connected first during assembly. When the connection of the battery to the onboard electrical network is complete, all you need to do is fix it securely using standard fasteners.
Terminals must be processed
That’s not all, however. Towards the end of the installation procedure, it is highly desirable to treat the ends of the power wires and open areas of the battery terminals with a special protective agent. This will further protect them from the effects of dirt, saline solutions, moisture and, accordingly, corrosion. Various types of “electroprotective” agents are currently produced for this purpose. On sale you will find, for example, colored aerosols, liquid sprays or greases.
One of the possible applications of such products is the coating of battery terminals.protective spray lubricant from Ruseff. This product of domestic production has repeatedly:tested in practice by the experts of the portal “AvtoVzglyad”.
The tool has a blue color, which allows you to visually check the treated joints. The use of lubricant will protect the terminals from various types of corrosion and current leakage for a long time, which will significantly slow down the self-discharge of the battery (especially in the cold season) and extend its service life.
Source: Avto Vzglyad
I’m Sandra Torres, a passionate journalist and content creator. My specialty lies in covering the latest gadgets, trends and tech news for Div Bracket. With over 5 years of experience as a professional writer, I have built up an impressive portfolio of published works that showcase my expertise in this field.
