How to Fix a Car Battery

When a car battery dies, it can get quite a bit frustrating. At this point you will have to decide if you want to get a new battery or if you can fix your old one. Can you fix a car battery? The answer is yes, depending on certain conditions. Let’s talk about how to fix a car battery. You will need to decide on what fix to use when your car has a dead battery. Now one of the first things that most anyone will try is a jump off. This is when you use battery cables to connect two cars.

You will connect like cable to like post on both cars. Do not let these black and red connectors touch or you will have quite a problem. Once you have someone that can jump you off, then you will connect the cables as described above and let the motor charge for about a minute or so to build the electrical charge in the battery. If it doesn’t start, then you need to wait a little bit longer. Once the car is started then you will need to let it run in order for the electrical charge to build up enough to keep your car running.

Then you will disconnect the battery cables. Now let’s say that doesn’t work and you need to fix your dead battery. You’ll need to open the hood and get to the battery compartment. Keep the hood propped open so that you have a clear and free space to work in. Getting conked on the head doesn’t solve anything. Now you will need to use a screwdriver, preferably a flat head so that you can get to the battery and open the lids. If these are wet, then you need to think about a different fix.

However if they are dry, distilled water needs to be poured into them up to a half an inch from the top. Replace the lids on the battery. Now if it is a battery cable that is the problem, you will need to remove these cables with pliers or a wrench of some kind. If there is corrosion on the battery posts, then use a wire brush to clean the terminals and the hole inside the battery cables. A cleaning solution of 2 teaspoons of baking soda to a cup of water will work nicely.

You will then pour this solution on the connectors and the posts to clean them. Pour this slowly. Once this is dry then you will need to reconnect the cables back to the battery in question. Once this is done, if you have access to a battery charger, preferably a 12 volt, then you will need to connect it into the wall and connect it to your car’s battery in order to charge it back fully. This can take from a few minutes to several hours before the battery will hold a full charge to start your car.

Once the battery is charged then remove the cables from the charger and start your car’s engine. Now if all else fails then you will need to just get a new battery. There are certain circumstances in which this is the only way to fix a car battery. But if you can use the other suggestions that are made available above, then it is entirely possible that you can fix your car battery and get your car back on the road again in no time. Fixing your car’s battery is often preferable to getting another expensive battery for your automobile when you can just fix it instead.