Batteries

Automotive Art prides itself in stocking a wide range of automotive, commercial and marine batteries designed to deliver power when you need it. Whether it’s our Powermaster, Maximo or Deka brands, you can be assured our maintenance free and conventional products deliver superior cranking power at an affordable price.  For your convenience, we offer a free alternator and battery check service in all our stores, comprehensive product warranties, and easy claims service at any of our stores.  Avoid being stranded; power up with a battery from Automotive Art.

To purchase a replacement battery for your car, you first need to know the make and model of your vehicle in order to select the correct battery.  Knowing the JIS or BCI will be of great assistance in this regard.  Car batteries come in different sizes , construction types, CCA (cold cranking AMPS) and ampere hour ratings.  You want the replacement battery to match the original battery as closely as possible.

Open the hood of your car, using the prop rod to firmly hold it in place.  Locate the car battery and identify the “positive” and “negative” terminals.  Positive terminals are labelled with a “+” and are colour-coded red.  Negative terminals are labelled with a “-“ and are colour-coded black.  Always remove the negative terminal first by loosening the battery lug holding the negative terminal.  Next, remove the positive cable.

Unscrew the battery hold down clamp by loosening the nuts on either end.  Then lift the battery and remove it from the car, and inspect the battery terminal clamps.  Clean and replace them if necessary.

Clean the battery tray.  Use plenty of fresh water or a mixture of baking soda and water.  Thoroughly dry the terminal clamps and battery tray before installing the new battery.

Clean all corrosion from your battery.  Corrosion can be cleaned off by using a stiff brush and a solution of baking soda and water.  Battery terminal sprays are also available that can aid in this process.  After removing the corrosion, rinse off the battery with water.  Make sure the battery tray is thoroughly cleaned and dried before installing the battery.  An anti-corrosive battery spray should also be applied to the terminals to prevent future corrosion.

Install the new battery into the battery tray.  Make sure that the positive and negative terminals are on the correct sides and install the battery hold-down.  Reattach and tighten the positive cable first, then the negative cable.

Start your car.  Verify that the installation is complete and the cables are securely attached to the battery posts.  Release the prop rod and close the hood of your car securely.

Dispose of the old battery properly.  Car batteries contain highly toxic material and cannot be thrown out with your garbage.  Please feel free to bring your batteries to any of our Automotive Art stores for environmentally friendly disposal.

Important safety tips

  • Wear gloves whenever working with batteries and follow all safety precautions listed in your owner’s manual.
  • Your battery and charging system or alternator should be inspected at least once a year at your local Automotive Art store.
  • Neutralize any electrolyte spills or corrosion with a solution of baking soda and water.
  • Always remove the negative terminal first.
  • Protect your eyes with safety glasses when changing a car battery.
  • Never touch a metal tool across the battery terminal or from the positive post to any other metal on the car.  Heeding this advice will help prevent large sparks and damage.
  • Extinguish all smoking materials and open flames.  Be cautious about creating any electrical sparks around the battery.

How to Jump Start Your Battery

  1. If possible, bring the two cars together nose to nose, about 18" apart.  Be sure you're parked well away from traffic.  Make sure both cars have their parking brakes on, and that your transmission is in park (or neutral in the case of a manual transmission).  Make sure your parking brake is engaged.
  2. Determine which terminals are positive and negative on both batteries.  Look for a "+" sign or red indicator for positive, "-" sign or black indicator for negative.  The positive terminal is usually wider than the negative.

Caution: Once you begin the next steps, do not touch the metal portion of the jumper cable clamps to each other or any part of the car except the proper battery terminal.

  1. The jumper cables are marked with colours or stripes to help you keep track of the two separate wires.  Attach one end of the positive cable clamp to the positive terminal of the dead battery (the positive cable may have a stripe, or if the cables are marked with red and black, the red cable is positive).
  2. Attach the other end of the positive cable to the positive terminal of the good battery.
  3. Attach one end of the negative cable to the negative terminal of the good battery.
    YOUR CABLES ARE NOW LIVE!  DO NOT TOUCH THE REMAINING CABLE CLAMP METAL PORTION TO YOURSELF OR ANY PART OF THE CAR EXCEPT THE NEGATIVE TERMINAL OF THE DEAD BATTERY.
  4. Attach the other end of the negative cable to a metal section (bracket, block, etc.) of the engine away from any moving parts (CAUTION: belts and pulleys can be dangerous).  Connecting this cable last, and away from the battery, will avoid sparks and potential hazards at the battery.
  5. Make certain everyone is clear of the engine compartments - don't allow hands or clothing to be caught by moving engine parts.
  6. Start the engine of the good car.  Allow it to run for 1-2 minutes.  Rev the engine slightly by pressing on the gas pedal lightly.
  7. Start the engine of the dead car.  It may take more than one try, but do not try to restart it more than three or four times.

Caution:  Some car's electrical and computer systems may be damaged by running the engine with a dead battery.  Check your owners manual or service provider for guidance.

If the car still won't start:

If the dead car gets no "click" when you turn the key, the booster cables may not have a good connection at the terminals.  Turn off the engine and try rocking the cable clamps back and forth to get the clamps to dig into the terminals.  Or, try another ground point to attach the negative cables.  Retry from step 7.  If the engine still won't start, allow the good car to run for 5-10 minutes while hooked up to the dead car.  Rev the engine slightly.  This may build a charge in the dead battery and allow you to restart.  If these steps do not work after three or four more tries, stop trying to jump-start.  The battery may be shorted internally, or the dead car may have other electrical problems besides the battery.  Continuing to try to jump-start can cause damage to the electrical system.  Have the car towed to Automotive Art for service.