How to Replace a Car Battery Cable

When a car won't start, you can usually blame the battery. A battery can have a few things wrong with it that won't allow it to keep a charge, or the connections to the battery can be faulty. Follow these steps to replace car battery cables for a quality connection and to get your car back on the road.

Things You'll Need

  • Wrench set Pliers
  • Note your car model, year and make. Buy a positive and negative battery cable at your local auto repair store for your car.

  • Remove the red positive cable and black negative cable connectors from your battery with pliers and a wrench.

  • Follow the black cable to its other end. It will be connected to the frame of your car with one bolt. Use the proper size wrench to unscrew the bolt. Hold onto the bolt and remove the black negative battery cable.

  • Follow the red cable to its other end. It will be connected to your car's starter. Use the proper size wrench to unscrew the bolt. Hold onto the bolt and remove the red positive battery cable.

  • Get the new red positive battery cable and screw the bolt through the flat eyelet end of the new cable onto the car's starter where the old cable used to be attached.

  • Get the new black negative battery cable and screw the bolt through the flat eyelet end of the new cable onto the car's frame where the old cable used to be attached.

  • Reattach the new red positive battery cable to the positive post of the battery and tighten it with pliers and a wrench. Reattach the new black negative battery cable to the negative post of the battery and tighten it with pliers and a wrench.