Battery Question

[JDietz]

I hope this is in the right place. I have an 04. 5 that will probably need battery replacement in the near future. My question is, is there a standard disconnect and hook up proceedure? Do I replace one battery and hook it up, then do the other battery, or just disconnect both at the same time and replace them. How about positive and negative, which comes off first, and how will changing batteries affect my Smarty Jr. ? Any help appreciated.



Black 2004. 5 LWB, SRW, Laramie pkg. , camper shell, Smarty Jr.

 

[Mishkaya]

I hope this is in the right place. I have an 04. 5 that will probably need battery replacement in the near future. My question is, is there a standard disconnect and hook up proceedure? Do I replace one battery and hook it up, then do the other battery, or just disconnect both at the same time and replace them. How about positive and negative, which comes off first, and how will changing batteries affect my Smarty Jr. ? Any help appreciated.



Black 2004. 5 LWB, SRW, Laramie pkg. , camper shell, Smarty Jr.

You should first disconnect both negative cables, then positive cables, remove both batteries. Installation is reverse. Some would advise to reset the ECM to stock software first, but I have never done so and have not had an issue yet. Good luck!

 

[wbrown02]

You can do it as the above post replies or you can do it one battery at a time and not loose your radio stations or presets in other electronic devices... Just be careful and disconnect negative side first and don't let the positive cable touch anything or it will short..... I have done this with no problems... . Just pay close attention to what you are doing... ...

 

[BGlidewell]

... Just pay close attention to what you are doing... ...

Amen!



I plan on doing this today. My method will be to use special care with my tools and place each positive terminal in a plastic cup secured with electrical tape while I haul out and in the batteries.



you can insulate a wrench pretty well with electrical tape, but if you're not careful you can leave a shinny spot/s that could create a short. Or like me, just be real careful watching both hands as you work.



Once on a job working at a telephone office, we had a guy short his 1/2" wrench on a string of 2v batteries. He never saw the wrench again and was blinded for a while by the flash but that was 30,000 amps. :-laf