Your car battery helps power up your engine, turns on your lights, supports your car’s computer, and more. These essential functions make learning how to disconnect and connect a car battery valuable. Show
Installing a new battery incorrectly may permanently ruin your battery, destroy a module/computer, blow fuses, or cause physical injury. To learn how to safely connect a car battery, disconnect it, and jumpstart this essential component, continue reading. Note: These steps are intended to be a general set of guidelines when performing the tasks listed below. Always consult your vehicle's owner’s manual prior to attempting any of these services. Some vehicles may require advanced tools to register the new battery, save the vehicle’s memory, or disable the vehicle’s high voltage system. Some vehicles may need a code entered to resume radio functionality after battery replacement. Some vehicles may have multiple batteries. If unsure, please consult your local professionals at Firestone Complete Auto Care and leave the rest to us. How to Correctly Disconnect a Car Battery1. Turn off EngineThe first step in learning how to correctly disconnect a car battery relates to safety. Start by turning off your engine and all electrical components. Once your vehicle is completely off, locate the battery. Note: Never attempt to disconnect a car battery while the vehicle is turned on. Doing so could lead to car damage and bodily injury. 2. Gather Your ToolsYou may need the following items before disconnecting your car battery:
3. Locate the Battery and TerminalsMany modern vehicles house their battery under the hood. However, some car manufacturers place them in the trunk. Consult your owner's manual if you have difficulty locating yours. Now that you've found the battery, it's time to pinpoint the car battery terminals. The negative terminal is indicated by a negative symbol (-). The positive terminal is labeled with a positive symbol (+) and sometimes has a red plastic cover. 4. Disconnect Battery CablesSafety Disclaimer: Ensure that your wrench doesn’t touch both terminals simultaneously. This can send electricity through your wrench. The positive and negative battery cable ends each have a nut or bolt connecting them to their respective battery post. Your job is to disconnect both. However, DO NOT disconnect the positive terminal before the negative one. Doing so can cause an electrical short. Always disconnect the negative battery terminal first. Here's what you need to do:
5. Loosen and Remove the Battery HarnessYou’ll likely find a strap or bolt down wedge holding your battery in place. Loosen nut(s) with your wrench, and remove the battery hold down. 6. Remove the Car BatteryNow, it’s time to take the battery out, but be mindful of its weight. On average, car batteries weigh about 40 lbs. So, ensure that your legs are prepared for the lift. You'll also want to make sure the battery remains level when removing it from your vehicle. Doing so can help prevent battery acid from sloshing around. Then, set the battery down on a flat, dry surface. How to Connect a Car Battery CorrectlyYour negative and positive cables are a good distance from the battery terminal. Your battery is lying on a flat surface. And most importantly, you’re safe because you were careful when removing your car’s battery. If you can check all those boxes, then you’re ready to learn how to connect a car battery correctly! 1. Clean Cable Contacts and Battery TerminalsYour replacement battery (or existing one if it’s still good) should not be installed until the cable contacts and terminals are corrosion- and debris-free. Follow the steps in this blog article to do it properly: How to Clean Battery Terminals with Stuff You Already Have 2. Install the New BatteryNow for the fun part: learning how to connect a car battery properly.
Installing a new or existing battery may reset your car’s clock. Set yours back to the correct time, and then you’re done! How to Connect Jumper Cables to a Car Battery  You never know when you may need a jump-start or when someone needs you to power back up their car. Neither scenario tends to happen at a convenient time. But at least if you know how to connect jumper cables to a car battery, the process can be over sooner rather than later:
Time to Jump-StartOnce your cables are properly in place (and not hanging over any belts or pulleys that will rotate when the engine starts), it’s time to jump-start the car. Follow these steps:
When performing a jump-start doesn’t sound like fun, give Firestone Direct a call. We’ll be happy to handle it for you. Firestone Direct Comes to YouNeed an extra hand with your car’s battery care but don’t have time to come in for an appointment? Or maybe you’d rather leave this process up to professionals? We get it. With Firestone Direct, our professional technicians can address your car battery needs wherever you are. From jumpstarting your car to connecting and disconnecting the battery, we've got you covered. See if services are available in your area, and schedule your mobile appointment today! How do I reset my car after disconnecting the battery?How do you reset your car after replacing the battery?. Detach the battery cable for two to three minutes.. Reconnect the battery and start the car.. Drive the car for at least 10 miles to let the engine control units find any potential problems.. Is it safe to reconnect a car battery?Reconnecting the car battery – positive first
Once you're finished with the electrical work on your car, you can go ahead and replace the connectors back on to the terminals. Make sure you start the way you finished, reconnecting the positive terminal first and then the negative afterwards to prevent short circuits.
Which battery terminal to connect first when jumping?Start by connecting the positive (often red) clamps of the jumper cables to the positive terminals of your battery. These are often marked, but they can be hard to see. Be sure to look closely to ensure that you are connecting to the right portion of the battery.
What happens when car battery is disconnected?Disconnecting your car battery will not cause any permanent damage to your computer or ECU (electronic control unit), but it can have some adverse effects. Those include canceling your preset radio stations, forgetting learned shift points, and your car's ideal fuel/air mixture.
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