1. How do I maintain my battery?

The first factor is safety. Keep cigarettes and other flames away from battery and always wear protective eyewear when working near your battery. Visually inspect the battery for corrosion, loose connectors or terminal posts, defective cables or cracked covers.

Remove corrosion from the battery by spraying with a corrosion removing spray or an alkaline solution such as baking soda and water (one pound of baking soda to one gallon of water). It is important not to let cleaning solution get inside of battery to avoid damage. Also leave battery caps in place. Rinse with water, dry, and spray with corrosion protection spray.

If there are cracks or leaks replace your battery and have the old battery recycled by a battery dealer.

2. What battery size is correct for my needs?

Follow your vehicle manufacturer's recommendations and use their recommended capacity as a minimum. Buying a battery with more power is a wise choice for climates with extreme temperatures or if your vehicle is equipped with electronic accessories. The proper size battery will have sufficient cranking power and reserve capacity.

3. How do I charge my battery?

Make sure the battery charger you use is a proper match for your battery size.

Do not overcharge. Overcharging causes damage and reduces the life of your battery. A charger with an automatic shutoff or a timer is a safe bet. Normally a battery should charge 10 - 12 hours. Under no circumstances should you charge the battery for more than 48 hours.

4. How do I jump-start my battery?

Practice safety by wearing protective eyewear. Do not allow vehicles or booster cable ends to touch.

Connect positive (+) cable to positive (+) post of battery to be charged.

Connect the other positive end of the cable to the positive post of the booster battery.

Connect negative (-) cable to negative (-) post of booster battery

Connect the other negative end of the cable to the engine block of stalled vehicle. Move-back a safe distance.

Start both vehicles and remove cables in reserve order.

5. How do I install a battery?

Wear protective eyewear. If your vehicle has a computer, consult the manufacturer's directions to avoid damage to the computer system.

Remove old battery by disconnecting the ground cable first.

Clean and remove any corrosion from battery tray. Make sure your battery is resting level in the tray.

Tighten the hold-down until it fits snugly, without over tightening. Be sure that the positive post is connected to the positive terminal. Do not use force or over-tighten! Next, connect the negative terminal.