follow this guide instead<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n<p>This guide uses a Toyota Corolla to demonstrate the procedure, which is similar for most motor vehicles.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Note<\/strong>: Disconnecting your battery may erase certain stored settings, such as radio\/navigation presets and power window memory. Consult your owner's manual for details.<\/p>"},"subscribed":false,"isFavorite":false,"favoriteCount":2,"isCompleted":false,"completedCount":4,"guideData":{"title":"How to Disconnect a Car or Truck Battery","mainImage":"https:\/\/guide-images.cdn.ifixit.com\/igi\/RXdsMSkvYTBcvTNr.140x105","mainImageUrl2x":"https:\/\/guide-images.cdn.ifixit.com\/igi\/RXdsMSkvYTBcvTNr.200x150","mainImageUrlFull":"https:\/\/guide-images.cdn.ifixit.com\/igi\/RXdsMSkvYTBcvTNr.large","published_date":"August 29, 2016","modified_date":"April 24, 2023","isTeardown":false,"commentCount":0,"viewCounts":{"today":2,"week":9,"month":76,"all":25641},"author":{"url":"https:\/\/www.ifixit.com\/User\/668072\/Jeff+Suovanen","name":"Jeff Suovanen","image":"https:\/\/guide-images.cdn.ifixit.com\/igi\/uYn4Ihpxm4PJCBrU.thumbnail","authorCount":4,"historyUrl":"\/Guide\/history\/66802"},"difficulty":3,"difficultyName":"Moderate","timeRequired":"5 - 10 minutes","flags":[],"mainImageWidth":"140","mainImageHeight":"105","totalTimeIso":"PT600S","stepCount":8}}">
How to Disconnect a Car or Truck Battery
Introduction
It's always a good idea to disconnect the battery before working on your vehicle's ignition system or other electrical components. (If you need to fully remove or replace the battery, follow this guide instead.)
This guide uses a Toyota Corolla to demonstrate the procedure, which is similar for most motor vehicles.
Note: Disconnecting your battery may erase certain stored settings, such as radio/navigation presets and power window memory. Consult your owner's manual for details.
Raise the hood by simultaneously lifting and pressing up on the hood latch release (usually located beneath the front edge of the hood, near the center or center-right).
Using a correctly sized wrench or socket, loosen the nut/bolt securing the cable on the negative battery terminal.
Always disconnect the negative cable first (before removing the positive cable).
The negative terminal may be marked with a minus (-) symbol, or it may be unmarked. The positive terminal is almost always marked with a plus (+) symbol, often in red.
If the nut or bolt spins without loosening, it may be necessary to counter-hold the opposite side with a second wrench or socket.