What tool do I need to remove the battery cables from the battery?

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

Nothing to add to the headline above

2

I don’t either .

3

10mm wrench…

But if you have to ask… should you even attempt it?

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4

Every car I have owned has required TWO wrenches to remove or tighten the battery cables–at least one monkey wrench to hold the square part that you don’t want to turn, and a second monkey wrench or small ratchet to turn the nut that you need to loosen or tighten. The only exception would be GM side post batteries, which indeed require only one wrench to loosen or tighten. Those are easiest done with a small ratchet.

5

Most every top post battery terminal I’ve worked with had a recess that prevented the square head from turning so only one wrench was required.

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6

Remove the negative terminal first. Attach the negative terminal last when reinstalling the battery. If the positive terminal is removed first and the wrench contacts any metal the battery will be shorted to ground and bad things will happen. I did it once and momentarily welded the end of the wrench to the fender.

Ed

7 Likes
7

Remove the negative terminal first. Attach the negative terminal last when reinstalling the battery. If the positive terminal is removed first and the wrench contacts any metal the battery will be shorted to ground and bad things will happen. I did it once and momentarily welded the end of the wrench to the fender.

Just to clarify that the positive terminal and/or the positive cable, wrench, and metal of the car all need to be in contact simultaneously to cause the short circuit.

8

Agreed. If poster can not even look and figure out what is needed he/she should just close the hood and walk away.

6 Likes
9

Yeah, maybe. Or find a mentor. Learning to change a battery is a good place to start your education. It’s simple enough, but can be hard to describe to a total beginner.

10

Sounds like you’re talking about this type of terminal . . . which is a cheapo aftermarket terminal

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1 Like
11

Why do you need to disconnect the battery?

12

The person has another thread asking if the battery will hold a charge while the vehicle is in storage .

13

Anybody that has to ask what tools, should not be fooling around the battery. Too many things to go wrong. Anyway, the battery lives best on a float charger. If the vehicle has a cigarette type power outlet that stays alive with the key removed, a charger could be plugged into that without endangering anything.