How To Fit The Most Common Car Parts

These three common car parts are simple to fit once you know how.

Battery

How to tell when it needs replacing:

• Car doesn’t start or struggles to start.
• Car struggles to work lights, indicators, radio, or air-con when the engine is off.
• Battery warning light is lit up on the dashboard.

How to fit a new car battery:

1. Park your car on a flat surface and make sure the handbrake is on securely.
2. Put on protective gloves and eyewear as battery acid is highly corrosive.
3. Locate your car battery (your car’s user manual will help you do this) and identify the positive and negative connections. Negative is usually coloured black, whilst positive is red.
4. Next, remove the battery’s negative terminal. The negative terminal should always be removed first as removing the positive one first can damage the car’s electrics.
5. Now remove the positive terminal and any screws or parts that are securing the battery in place.
6. Remove the old battery, remembering to keep it in an upright position to avoid spilling acid.
7. Now insert the new battery, taking care to put it in the right way around and connect the positive terminal first.
8. Finally, connect the negative terminal and tighten any screws or nuts to secure your new battery in place.

Headlights

How to tell when they need replacing:

• Light stops working.

How to fit new bulbs:

1. Read your car’s user manual before beginning.
2. Locate your bulb holder and remove the power connector. The connector may be a plastic catch, a metal clip or a screw cap.
3. Now pull the bulb out by its metal base (it might need a slight wiggle to get it loose).
4. Compare your old and new bulbs and make sure they’re the same.
5. Insert the new bulb, being careful not to get car oil from your hands on the bulb.
6. Pop the power connector back on and test your lights to make sure the bulb is working.

Windscreen wipers

How to tell when they need replacing:

• Windows still look smeary after use.
• Rubber is starting to come away.

How to fit new wipers:

1. Activate wipers and then turn off the engine when they are in an upright position.
2. Pull wiper arms so that they are standing up in the air.
3. Unclip the wipers by twisting them away from the windscreen.
4. Clip your new windscreen wipers in place and lay them flat.

Browse our range of affordable car parts and accessories online. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need any further help or advice finding the right parts or fitting them.