Gentleman, both my car and the internet have failed me.

Doris, my 1997 Honda Civic, isn't starting without jump leads and as I'm driving 400 miles in it on the weekend I thought I'd better swap it.

I've googled, and got to page 5 then got bored. Chances of me getting a Haynes manual in time are unlikely, and considering I'm doing it myself to save money I'd rather not spend more than I have to til payday.

So- has anyone done this? Is it simple? Is it self explanatory? Are there any places on tinterwebs that I'm not aware of that would have pretty pictures showing me how to do it?

Cheers!

It should be simple, however the motor shop may change it for you for free, Halfords at this point might be worth a phone call. I have a place right near me, Anlglia batteries that does a check on your battery and changes it for free too, however unless you live in Southend on Sea that wont help you much.

ps if you can attach jump leads you can change a battery.

halfords will fit it for you and most independent motor factors will probably give you a hand too.

does the car have an alarm or a coded radio? That would be the only potential pain in the arse, esp if you don't have the pin for the radio! but if you're starting off jump leads, you've prob already gone over that faff. Go into your local factors, ask them for a battery for the model you have, undo the cable clamps. undo the battery clamps (potentially rusted to buggery on an old car like that), remove battery. place new battery in. clamp in place, connect & clamp +ve to +ve and -ve to -ve.

job done.

I doubt it'll be quite as gordon ramsay as that but it sounds fairly simple. The engine's not got much rust in it so hopefully we'll be OK.

It's got nothing like an alarm or coded radio, but fortunately nobody'd want to nick it!

[*]Take keys out of ignition[/*]
[*]Undo any bolts holding battery down[/*]
[*]Remove [probably red] cable off the positive terminal – do not touch the negative terminal while doing this![/*]
[*]Remove [probably black] cable off the negative terminal – do not touch the positive terminal while doing this![/*]
[*]Remove battery[/*]
Installation of new battery is reverse of the above. Smear vaseline over the terminals after the cables have been fitted/tightened up

…….. or ask Halfrauds to do it for you 🙂

it is very simple! you'll undo at most 4 nuts/bolts.

Regarding what Sharkbait said – shouldn't you undo the negative terminal first?

The car chassis is connected to the negative terminal, so if you undo the positive terminal first and accidentally touch your spanner to something metal while doing this it can get exciting. Typically the positive terminal has a plastic hood over it to prevent accidental shorts otherwise.

I'd always been taught (from Haynes manuals) to disconect the negative terminal first, and reconnect it last.

Just a quick one, the alternator is not on the way out is it?

Do you get the battery light on the dash while driving?

Batteries are fairly easy to replace, but as mentioned above Halfords will do the spanner work for you.

it is very simple! you'll undo at most 4 nuts/bolts.

Hopefully….. if it was a Volvo you'd need to remove about 4 things before you can see the battery!

shouldn't you undo the negative terminal first?

Quite probably 8) Even if you undo the neg first, wouldn't you still get a shock if you 'connected' the positive to the car body using anything conductive?
I simply don't touch anything when doing the positive terminal!

It's dead easy. Last battery I bought I got about 40% cheaper at local motor factors over Hellfrauds.

My dad killed a volvo battery once- jeez, what a faff.

I'd been told to disconnect the negative first by my dad.

I'd not had the battery light come on but the interior light started coming on after a lot of rain. I thought that had sorted itself out and I reckon it came on in the night and killed it.

Getting it on a hellfrauds trade card so should be cheap enough.

uhm, you need a full circuit to make things exciting. if you've already removed one of the terminals from the battery and knock against the car (+ve or -ve), nothing will happen as there isn't a full circuit back to the battery.

Its cold, if a battery is suspect the cold gets them, so will halfords will fit it for you, and save getting the rage at the rusty clamp bolts, they will have the right grease to pop on the terminals to stop em corroding (make sure they do that bit) and you wont even get your hands dirty…. interior light, take the bulb out if its suspect, and its probably just the switch on the door or the light itself.

Quite probably Even if you undo the neg first, wouldn't you still get a shock if you 'connected' the positive to the car body using anything conductive?

Undo the neg first, then the body is no longer part of the circuit and the postive can be touched to whatever you like.

And don't worry about touching the opposite terminal while removing one, you're incredibly high resistance and the voltage is remarkably low – you can LICK the two terminals and the biggest threat is the metal that the terminal is made from (lead), it'll just tingle a bit like a 9v battery, not that I'd recommend it.

if you've already removed one of the terminals from the battery and knock against the car (+ve or -ve), nothing will happen as there isn't a full circuit back to the battery.

Doh….. of course. 😳