Are you looking to change your good ol’ car’s battery? Makes sense. After all, since the vehicle never gave up on you, it’s only fair you don’t give up on it either.
Or maybe you realized that it’s high time you give your car an upgrade by installing a new battery. And If you’ve changed your car battery before, you know that doing so is a relatively straightforward task.
But, here’s the catch: How do you change the car battery without losing your settings in the process? Well, once you’ve determined that the battery has failed, use a secondary power source and be careful with the leads when switching the battery.
Sounds complicated? Don’t worry. We are here to break it down for you!
Why Do I Lose My Settings while Changing the Car Battery?
What’s every car owner’s worst nightmare? Having their car stolen. Knowing this, car manufacturers decided to endow the car battery with certain anti-theft properties.
As a result, when anyone removes the battery from your car, the radio signal and other related features immediately stop working.
To restore the signal, you’ll be required to enter certain security codes. But, here’s the problem. These security codes require deft handling. If something goes wrong, the damage done can end up burning a big hole in your pocket.
And that’s a situation you’d want to avoid finding yourself in. Thankfully, there’s another way out of this predicament.
How To Change A Car Battery Without Losing Settings
Just follow the step-by-step guide we’ve come up with, and you’ll be able to breeze through this task just fine:
Step 1: Get Spotting
Usually, car owners tend to jump the gun and suspect the car battery whenever there’s something wrong with their cars. However, the problem may not always lie there.
Inspect your car thoroughly so that you can spot what the problem is exactly. Don’t rush to replace the battery if you know that the battery is indeed the root cause of all the troubles. That is because certain battery-related issues can be resolved easily, without replacement.
Your car battery might be causing problems because of cold weather, loose connections, or corrosion. In short, please don’t change your car battery unless it’s absolutely necessary to do so.
Step 2: Choose the Right One
There’s no point in wearing clothes that don’t fit you, right? The same logic applies to your car battery as well. Make sure that the battery is of the right size and type.
All you need to do is this: Jot down the important details about your car, like its model and the engine’s size. Take this information to a garage or a shop that sells car parts. The folks there can help you pick the right battery.
You mustn’t overlook this step, as a battery of the wrong size will not be of any use. Sometimes, a faulty battery can end up inflicting heavy damage on your car’s engine.
Step 3: Pick a Spot to Work In
After buying the battery, you’ll need to pick the right spot to change the battery. Remember, car batteries come with many reactive chemicals.
So, it would be a great idea to change the battery at a place away from other people. Additionally, you should ensure that there are no flammable or highly reactive substances in the vicinity.
Before starting work, make sure that you’re wearing protective gear like gloves and safety goggles.
Step 4: Select a Secondary Power Source that Works for You
While many choices are available, it is recommended to choose a 12 V battery as your secondary power source. If you do choose a 12 V battery, here is how you can set it up:
- Position the 12 V secondary battery on the floor
- Connect the secondary battery with power leads
- Connect the secondary battery’s leads with the main car battery’s cables
- Ensure that you connect the red lead with the red cable and the black lead with the black cable only.
- Also, it would be helpful if you ensured that the secondary battery’s leads connect with the metallic portion of your car battery’s cables
Follow the steps mentioned above to the T, and you’ll have a tip-top secondary power source ready to be used.
Step 5: Start Disconnecting the Car Battery
Now, here’s a step that you’re probably familiar with. Start freeing your car battery’s terminals, and proceed with removing the cables.
Step 6: Place the New Battery
While placing the new car battery, make sure that you position it correctly. The battery needs to sit perfectly inside the tray (this is where Step 2 matters). Proceed with the connections only after you’re sure that the battery has settled in the tray like a perfect puzzle piece.
Step 7: Your Tryst with the Moment of Truth
Okay. You’ve done everything with great care and unwavering attention. Before ticking the task off your to-do list, it would be a sensible idea to check two things. First, whether the new battery works or not, and second if your settings are still intact.
Turn on your car’s engine, and prepare for the moment of truth. There are high chances that you’ll be very happy with what you see. If not, retrace your steps to find out if you’ve missed anything.
How Will I Know that My Car Battery Needs Changing?
You can be on the lookout for many signs to determine whether or not your car battery needs to be changed. However, irrespective of the circumstances, you should get your car battery replaced every 3-4 years.
Apart from that, you should consider replacing your car battery if:
- Your engine is slow in starting
- Your check engine light is always on
- You face electrical issues in your car
- You can smell gas leaking from the battery
- Your battery has lost its shape
Final Thoughts
The experience of resetting all the settings every time you change your car battery can be rather time-consuming and annoying. That’s why it’s better to avoid the situation altogether.
Now that you know why this happens, you’ll be less baffled. Furthermore, you also know about the steps you need to follow to change your car battery without losing the settings. We also told you about the signs that indicate it’s time for a battery replacement.
We hope that you’ll have a hassle-free, no-settings-lost, car battery-changing experience!
