How To Change A Commercial Truck's Battery

Commercial Trucks need to undergo routine maintenance to help them keep up with optimum performance. It is imperative to understand that automotive batteries (whether for commercial trucks or cars) require a level of care.

Similarly, a sure-fire way to maintain your commercial truck is changing the batteries as needed. You cannot stand by and wait for your truck's battery to die first before deciding to replace it. In fact, everything is wrong with that plan. This plan puts you, your truck and the freight at risk.

On another note, the most dreaded and hopefully unlikely thing to happen would be not having a replacement battery on hand. However, if there's a replacement on hand (or you're doing it at the right time), here are the steps on How To Change a Commercial Truck's Battery.

1. Turn off the Main Power Switch.

2. Open the Battery Compartment (often under the steps of the passenger side). Usually, the red battery cables are positive, and the black battery cables are negative. The positive terminals are normally in the middle, while the negative terminals are on each side. It is advisable to take a picture of the arrangement before unfastening anything.

3. Remove the negative cables from the negative battery terminals. Do the same for the positive terminals. You can do this by using a socket and wrench. Remember to take note of what goes where.

4. Unfasten the bracket holding down the battery. It could also be a case that would need to be unbolted to access the batteries.

5. Remove the batteries and put in the new ones. Make sure to check and arrange the positive and negative terminals of the batteries exactly the same way as it was before.
6. Take a wire brush to remove corrosion from the terminals of the replacement batteries and from the ends of the battery cables to allow proper contact.
7. Once it's all rust-free, fasten the bracket holding down the battery. Then, couple everything up (i.e., the positive cables to the positive terminals and the negative cables to the negative terminals) in the same way it was before. Make sure it's all tight and secure.

8. Close up the battery compartment turn the main power switch back on.

It is really straightforward. Double-checking each step is mandatory to prevent damage and costly mistakes.

While replacement is important, you should not wait until the last minute (i.e., when the battery has failed you on the side of the highway) to maintain your batteries. Before replacement, you should make sure you:

1. Keep track of warranties (since frequent repairs or replacements could mean there's a larger mechanical issue).

2. Perform voltage tests.

3. Troubleshoot battery issues.

4. Always check battery-life indicators (e.g., the engine light, battery electrolyte levels, etc.)

5. Pick the right batteries suitable for your truck. Please don't settle for substandard batteries because they are cheap.

In Conclusion, from taking good care of your commercial truck's batteries to properly changing them, you will need to get only the best parts.

Source One Parts Center provides only genuine OEM parts with a minimum one-year unlimited mile warranty direct from the manufacturer. Shop online using a part number or call our customer service team at 1-800-466-1571 today.