Just wondering the procedure for proper battery removal for my '06 Ram. Never removed a battery and with todays technology in vehicles I don't want to mess anything up with the truck. Any helpful hints will be appreciated.

 

Remove one terminal, then the other. Some people will tell you to remove the negative one first, but if hits metal it will still complete a circuit. Removing the positive first takes out any chance of accidentally completing a circuit. If you need to completely deenergize the system, once the battery is disconnected you can turn on the lights, hit the brake pedal, etc, anything that would normally use electricity and drain it from the system. This is especially important if you intend to do any steering wheel/column or dash work, as the airbag capacitor HAS to be drained or it will pop in your face.

 

If the negative terminal contacts metal after it's removed from the battery, nothing will happen. The negative cable IS the ground, but only when it's connected to the negative of the battery, there is no other. Definitely wait two or more minutes to let the airbag caps discharge.

 

Take it to auto parts store and have them do it for free. They have a power save box that prevents the radio memory from dumping. Real helpful if you have a vehicle like the my wife's CTS where the entire cars personal settings are run through the radio.