Frequently asked questions about disconnecting a car battery safely at home. Answers below apply to most passenger vehicles with a standard 12-volt lead-acid battery in the engine bay.
Official answer: disconnect the negative (-) battery terminal first, then the positive (+) terminal. Never remove the positive clamp before the negative clamp.
This order prevents accidental short circuits: if your wrench touches grounded metal while loosening the positive clamp, current cannot flow because the negative path is already open.
Wait at least five minutes so capacitors in the audio and security modules discharge before you disconnect cables.
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