As a frequent car user, it’s important to learn how to disconnect a car battery. If you need to work on the internal components of your vehicle, a huge risk of getting electrocuted will surely await you.
The following set of guides to disconnect a car battery is based on expert advice, so doing them is really the best approach you should take. Listed below are comprehensive directions that can be easily understood by any layperson.
Read on so you’ll have the best insight into getting the job done.
“Your car is a delicate and expensive object which must be taken care of in a very organized manner. Thus, maintenance must be performed every now and then.”
When Do You Need to Disconnect a Car Battery?
For Maintenance Purposes
Your car is a delicate and expensive object that must be taken care of in a very organized manner. Thus, maintenance must be performed every now and then. To prevent accidents such as getting electric shocks, you need to learn how to unplug your battery connections properly.
For Recharging Or Replacing The Battery
Typically, batteries have a lifespan of up to 2-5 years. You can’t dispose of it yet if it can still be recharged. This will help you save on expenses. If you can’t recharge the battery anymore, then you need to remove it for replacement.
When Adding Other Electronic Devices to Your Car
No car would be complete without a sound system and in installing a stereo component, you need to disconnect your battery too. Aside from the stereo, there are other digital gadgets you might want to add such as a miniaturized TV or any other entertainment component.
When Doing Car Modifications
Modifying cars is one of the most challenging yet rewarding hobbies. In enhancing your car’s features, adding more functionalities might require some electronic work. Since the battery is the main source from which your car draws power, you need to learn how to properly remove your battery or install a new one to cater to the additional devices you might plug or embed into the existing features of your vehicle.
When Putting Your Battery for Storage
There will be times when you don’t plan to use your car for extended periods. In this case, you may need to remove your battery for storage. This is ideal if you don’t want to waste the stored energy inside your battery.
Experts suggest that you have to at least disconnect the negative connector of your battery. This is recommended to prevent your battery from getting drained. You have to bear in mind that a battery can only retain its power for around 6 months to a year.
Which Car Battery Terminal Do You Take Off First & Why?
Which Cable Do I Disconnect First On a Car Battery?
The proper way to do this is by disconnecting the negative first, before the positive one. This is for safety purposes as failing the do so would result in an electrical short. You have to bear in mind that the negative cable is the ground – it is always meant to be connected to the metal body or frame of any object, including cars. Thus, it can be safely disconnected first without the risk of causing sparks.
Why Disconnect Negative Battery Terminal When Working On Car?
As stated above, an electrical short happens if you don’t detach the negative terminal. The reason for this is that by removing the negative clamp, there will be a complete circuit flow because the clamp itself is already grounded. This is basic electricity at work and is vital knowledge you must remember at all times.
How To (Safely & Properly) Disconnect A Car Battery?
It is wise to remember that detaching a car battery must be done by removing the negative cable first for the sake of practicality and safety. The positive one should come later and must be the first one to be connected.
To get the job done, you basically need 2 things, a socket wrench, and a socket wrench extender.
Step 1
You should look for the negative and positive terminals on the top of the battery. Usually, the negative one has a black cap. If you can’t find it, you should look for a minus sign near it or on top of the connector itself. The positive terminal has a red cap and a plus sign, in case you’re unsure if what you’re seeing is the positive or the negative one.
Step 2
You must figure out the size of the socket you need in loosening up the nut on the connector of the negative cable so you can disconnect the battery.
Step 3
Put the socket with the correct size on the socket wrench. You might find it a bit tricky to do this. That’s why you may have to use that socket extender mentioned earlier. This can make you reach the nut properly on the connector.
Step 4
Loosen the nut on the negative cable by placing the socket into the nut. By turning it counter-clockwise, it should only take a few turns to loosen it up.
Step 5
After the nut is loosened, disconnect the connector of the negative terminal by pulling it off. Put it away from the battery to prevent electric shorts.
Step 6
Loosen the nut on the positive cable so you can disconnect the cable from the battery. In removing the battery, you have to make sure that the positive terminal doesn’t touch any metallic part of the vehicle.
By doing all of these 6 steps, you can guarantee that both you and your vehicle are safe from any possible harm.
Final Verdict
In removing a car battery, safety must be a priority. Study the above-mentioned steps carefully, and put them into practice to make the most out of your car-troubleshooting tasks. If you have some questions or tips of your own, you may leave them in the comment section below.
Hope this article helps. Thanks for reading!
