A good car owner has to conduct regular check-ups and even washing it frequently. This will help you detect damages early before they become magnified and washing keeps the car clean to avoid damages caused by too much dirt. One commonly overlooked car maintenance is checking on the car battery and its components, in this case the battery terminals.
Do you have to replace battery terminals for your Nissan Altima? Yes, this should be done on a regular basis and not only for your Nissan Altima, but for any motor vehicle that you may own.
The battery terminals are bound to be corroded after some time of being used in the car. This might be as a result of corrosion that occurs as a result of acidic reaction. A technician might come in handy, but this is a simple job that you can perform on your own provided you have the required tools for the job.
What Are the Tools Needed for the Nissan Altima Battery Terminal Replacement?
The following tools get the job done in the least of time:
• A regular wrench
• Sandpaper
• A set of new battery terminals
• A piece of cloth
• A cutting tool, a knife will do
When to Know That the Car Battery Needs Replacement
Regular checks on the internal parts of the car are needed to ensure your car is in good health. For the car battery, you will need to go under the bonnet and check up on it. If there are either whitish or bluish powder build-ups on its upper surface, then there is need for an alarm. The powder is dried acid and prevent the battery from working normally. This shows that the battery terminals need to be replaced as soon as possible.
Before you go on with the battery changing process, you should follow a number of instructions. For one, do not tighten the nuts too much, and when you have to take a nut off, a cloth should be used. You should also have protective gear on so that you avoid contact between your skin and the acid as it can cause some irritation.
Lastly, in the case you have to replace a terminal cable, you will need to cut the insulation properly.
8 Steps to Change a Battery Terminals In Your Nissan Altima
Once you get to the bonnet and conclude that the car battery needs to be replaced, you will have to follow these steps to ensure you get the job executed in the easiest of ways:
1. Begin by disconnecting the negative end. This is for every time you have to take out the car battery. The negative end should always be disconnected first so that you avoid a situation of short circuiting the car battery. This task is performed using the wrench; turning it in the counter-clock direction does the trick.
2. Carefully bring the negative terminal upwards. Using a cloth, bring the negative terminal up as carefully as you can. Being cautious helps avoid contact between your body and the corroded cell. Otherwise, the corrosion is harmful when it comes into contact with the skin or the eyes.
3. Go onto disconnecting the positive end. You can then proceed with disconnecting the positive end by loosening the nut the same way you did for the negative end. You should be patient when doing this, as forcing or using a lot of force may cause some unnecessary damages. When the nut gets loose enough, you will be able to remove the terminal quite easily. Using a sandpaper, clean either side of the terminals.
4. Find the nut on the negative terminal. Once you find the nut on the negative terminal, get the wrench and remove it from the bolt. Thereafter, proceed to take off the wire plates that are usually on the top and bottom of the terminal. This can be done with bare hands as there is no danger in this case.
5. Replace the wire plates with a new one. It is now replacing time, take the new sets of terminals and replace them right where the old ones were. The wire plates go next, in this case you can start with any side, not necessarily the negative before the positive end.
6. Working on the wires. With the cutting material, you will have to cut the ends of the cables in order to strip them. Thereafter, you will need to insert the stripped wires inside each of the terminals. This should be done only after tightening the bolts in place.
7. Clean the top of the battery. As you finish up, you will need to clean the top part of the battery using a wire brush. This will help get rid of the powder that you had earlier seen on it. It should be done until the metal looks shiny as this will enable the battery perform well without the hindrance of corrosion.
8. Installing the terminals back. Once you are done with the clean, you will have to replace the terminals, beginning with the positive terminals first. The negative terminals go next and this should be done using a cloth. You then have to finish up by tightening the bolts on either side of the battery.
Here is the great YouTube video I found for you below:
Bottom line
As you can see, replacing battery terminals is an easy task that anyone can pull off. You just have to get the required tools and the task will be done quite easily. You do not have to be an expert to get this job done and you can even get it done in the comfort of your home.
Having a check on the parts of your Nissan Altima is advisable as it may be the sole reason for it to be long-lasting and reliable. This helps identify little damages before they come and wreak havoc for your car and may cause greater damage. The checks might be random or regular, and you just have to pay close attention on some parts, like the car battery.
Sources:
1. Nissan Altima 12V Automotive Battery Replacement Guide – Paul’s Travel Pictures
