How to Safely Remove a Car Battery

It’s easy to get a new car battery from the parts department at Toyota of Brookhaven. What’s not quite as easy is removing the car battery from under your hood. A car battery weighs around 40 pounds and contains corrosive agents and can administer extremely dangerous shocks. You need to know how to remove a car battery properly to prevent injuries and damage to your engine. Take a look at our steps for removing a car battery at home in Jackson. 

Preparing to Remove a Car Battery

Even a dead car battery can hold enough power to deliver a deadly shock. Insulated work gloves and safety goggles are a must to protect yourself from shocks and corrosive agents. Always make sure your car is turned off before you begin to remove a car battery, otherwise it could start a fire. Here are some other important tips for how to safely remove a car battery: 

• Use zip ties to keep the battery cables in their proper place. If they touch, they’ll create sparks and become a fire hazard.
• Cover the positive cable end with a cloth once it is removed to avoid the risk of metal-to-metal contact.
• Take off any jewelry to prevent getting a shock if it comes in contact with the battery.
• Ensure you’re in a well-ventilated area to prevent exposure to harmful gases.

One battery removal roadblock you might encounter at this stage is a fused terminal. You’ll need a special battery cable removal tool from our parts department near Monticello to loosen it. 

How to Remove a Car Battery

Now that you’ve taken the necessary precautions and made sure you can remove the battery, here’s how to proceed: 

• Find the negative terminal. It should have a black plastic cover or a minus sign.
• Use a wrench to take hold of the bolt head of the negative terminal and hold it still.
• Use pliers or another wrench to remove the nut, then pull off the negative cable and secure it with a zip-tie away from the battery.
• Repeat the above step for the positive cable, taking care that the two battery cables do not touch.
• If the battery is held by a securing bracket, use your pliers or wrench to take out the screws and bolts that hold it in place.
• Lift the battery straight out of the bracket. Remember that it may weigh up to 40 pounds.

Get Service Advice From Toyota of Brookhaven

If you’d like to perform other basic maintenance on your vehicle from your McComb driveway or garage, check out the Toyota of Brookhaven service guides for more tips and tricks.