Title: Module 5: Battery Maintenance & Replacement - Video Script
Course: ASE A6 Battery Service

Video Overview

Detail | Value
Title | Battery Maintenance & Replacement — Inspection, Cleaning, and Service
Target Length | 10-12 minutes
Format | Hands-on demo with 3D battery + real service tools
Props | 3D battery (assembled), battery terminal brush, baking soda, spray bottle, anti-corrosion spray, felt washers, squeeze bottle, DVOM, torque wrench, battery carrier strap

Shot List & Script

Opening (0:00 - 0:30)

SHOT: 3D battery on workbench with cleaning tools and a DVOM laid out nearby

NARRATION:

"A corroded terminal. A missing hold-down. A cable with hidden resistance. Any one of these can leave a customer stranded — and they're all preventable with basic maintenance. In this module, we'll cover everything the ASE expects you to know about battery inspection, cleaning, filling, cable service, and replacement. Let's start with what to look for."

Scene 1: Visual Inspection (0:30 - 2:30)

SHOT: Pick up 3D battery, rotate slowly to show all sides

NARRATION:

"Every battery service starts with a visual inspection. You're looking for physical damage, contamination, and signs of failure."

SHOT: Point to the 3D battery case, trace the edges and seams

"Start with the case. Look for cracks, especially at the corners and along the base. Impact damage, freeze damage, or an over-tightened hold-down can all crack a case. If it's cracked, the battery is done — replace it."

SHOT: Press lightly on the sides of the case

"Check for bulging. If the sides are swelling outward, the battery has been overcharged, overheated, or the electrolyte may have frozen. Either way — replace."

SHOT: Point to the top of the 3D battery around the posts

"Look at the top around the terminals. White powder is lead sulfate — it means acid vapor is reaching the surface. Blue or green powder means acid is reacting with the copper in the cable clamps. Both indicate you need to clean and seal the connections."

SHOT: Run finger across the top surface

"Check if the top is wet or damp. Electrolyte on the surface creates a conductive path between the terminals — a slow parasitic drain. Clean it with baking soda solution."

SHOT: Point to the base of the case, then to the tpu-feet

"Finally, check the base. The TPU feet on our 3D model represent the vibration isolators built into real battery trays. On a vehicle, check the tray itself — corroded trays from acid exposure can rust through and lose their ability to support the battery."

Scene 2: Terminal Cleaning (2:30 - 5:00)

SHOT: Close-up of positive-post and negative-post on 3D battery

NARRATION:

"Now let's clean the terminals. Even a thin layer of corrosion creates resistance. On a cold morning, that resistance can be the difference between the engine starting and the customer calling a tow truck."

SHOT: Hold up the battery terminal brush — show both ends

"This is a battery terminal brush. One end has an internal cone that cleans the inside of the cable clamp. The other end has an external ring that cleans the battery post itself. You need both surfaces clean for a low-resistance connection."

SHOT: Mix baking soda solution in a cup

"Step one — mix your cleaning solution. About one tablespoon of baking soda per cup of warm water. This neutralizes the acid causing the corrosion."

SHOT: Apply solution to terminals with a brush — simulate fizzing

"Apply the solution to the terminals and cable ends. See that fizzing? That's the baking soda reacting with the acid. Keep applying until the fizzing stops — that means the acid is fully neutralized."

SHOT: Demonstrate brushing motion on the 3D battery post

"Now scrub with the wire brush. Work the internal cone inside the cable clamp until the metal is shiny. Then use the external ring on the post. You want bright, clean metal on both surfaces."

SHOT: Wipe down with a towel

"Rinse with clean water, dry everything thoroughly, and inspect. Both surfaces should be shiny bare metal."

SHOT: Hold up anti-corrosion spray and felt washers

"Last step — protect the connection. You can use anti-corrosion spray, dielectric grease on the contact surfaces, or these felt washers that go under the clamps. They're treated with a corrosion inhibitor. Apply protection after you reconnect — not before. You want metal-to-metal contact for the electrical connection."

SHOT: Close-up of positive vs negative post size difference

"One more thing to notice — the positive post is slightly larger than the negative. That's by design. It prevents you from accidentally putting the cables on the wrong terminals."

Scene 3: Electrolyte Level Check (5:00 - 6:30)

SHOT: Remove top from 3D battery to show cells

NARRATION:

"Electrolyte service only applies to flooded batteries — the kind with removable vent caps. AGM and gel batteries are sealed. You can't check or add to them."

SHOT: Point to the Cell 4 label (Flooded/AGM)

"The Cell 4 label on our model explains the difference. Flooded batteries lose water during charging because electrolysis splits water into hydrogen and oxygen gas. That gas vents out, and the level drops over time."

SHOT: Point into a cell opening

"To check the level, remove the vent caps and look into each cell. The electrolyte should reach the bottom of the split ring — also called the fill ring — that's visible inside the opening. That's about a quarter inch above the tops of the plates."

SHOT: Hold up squeeze bottle labeled 'Distilled Water'

"If the level is low, add distilled water only. Never tap water — the minerals in tap water contaminate the plates. Never acid — the acid doesn't evaporate, only the water does. Adding acid would make the electrolyte too concentrated and damage the plates."

SHOT: Demonstrate filling motion

"Fill to the bottom of the fill ring. Not higher. Overfilling causes overflow during charging, and that overflowing acid corrodes everything it touches — the tray, the hold-down, even the wiring harness."

Scene 4: Hold-Down Inspection (6:30 - 7:30)

SHOT: Point to the hold-down-screw assembly on the 3D battery (thumb wheels + M4 bolts)

NARRATION:

"The hold-down is easy to overlook, and it's one of the most important pieces."

"A missing hold-down lets the battery bounce around while driving. That vibration cracks the case, breaks the internal plate welds, and loosens the cable connections. I've seen batteries that tested fine on the bench but failed in the vehicle because they were vibrating themselves apart."

SHOT: Demonstrate tightening the thumb wheels on the 3D model

"On our 3D model, the thumb wheels thread onto M4 bolts to secure the top to the case — just like the J-bolts or clamps on a real vehicle. Check two things: first, is the hold-down present? You'd be surprised how often a battery is returned from a previous service without one. Second, is it properly torqued?"

SHOT: Hold up a torque wrench

"Typical specification is 3 to 5 foot-pounds for a top-clamp style. Over-tightening is just as bad as loose — it can crush or crack the case."

Scene 5: Cable and Clamp Service (7:30 - 9:00)

SHOT: DVOM on bench, battery cable in hand

NARRATION:

"You can't always see a bad cable. Corrosion can wick under the insulation for inches without any visible sign. The only reliable test is a voltage drop test."

SHOT: Set up DVOM leads across a cable

"Set your DVOM to DC volts. Place one probe on the battery post and the other on the far end of the cable — the starter terminal for the positive cable, the engine block for the negative. Have someone crank the engine."

SHOT: Point to DVOM reading

"Read the voltage while cranking. The maximum acceptable drop on the positive cable is 0.5 volts. On the negative cable, 0.3 volts. At any single connection point, no more than 0.1 volts."

"If you're seeing higher numbers, start isolating. Test from the battery post to the cable clamp. Then from the clamp to the cable end. Then from the cable end to its termination point. Wherever you find the drop, that's your problem."

SHOT: Show a cable with visible damage (or describe)

"Replace the cable if the terminal is deeply corroded, the cable is swollen or stiff from acid wicking, the insulation is cracked or melted, or the voltage drop stays high even after cleaning. And always match or exceed the original wire gauge — undersized aftermarket cables are a common source of problems."

Scene 6: Battery Replacement Order (9:00 - 10:30)

SHOT: 3D battery with cables connected to both posts

NARRATION:

"Battery replacement is straightforward, but the order matters."

SHOT: Point to negative post

"Removal — negative cable first. Why? Once the negative is off, the chassis ground is disconnected. If your wrench slips while removing the positive cable and touches the fender — nothing happens. The circuit is broken."

SHOT: Simulate removing negative cable from 3D model

"If you removed the positive first — wrong order — and your wrench touched the fender, you'd complete a circuit through the wrench. That's a direct short. Sparks, heat, and potentially an explosion from hydrogen gas."

SHOT: Simulate removing positive cable

"So — negative off first, then positive. Remove the hold-down. Lift the battery out."

SHOT: Place battery back, simulate installation

"Installation is the reverse — positive first, then negative. Positive first means if your wrench contacts the frame while connecting the negative, you're just completing the normal ground path."

SHOT: Hold up an OBD-II scan tool

"One more step that's becoming increasingly common — battery registration. Many modern vehicles, especially European brands, need you to tell the computer that a new battery has been installed. You do this with a scan tool connected to the OBD-II port. If you skip this step, the vehicle may overcharge or undercharge the new battery because it's still running the charging strategy for the old one."

Closing (10:30 - 11:30)

SHOT: 3D battery fully assembled with tools around it

NARRATION:

"Let's recap. Start every battery service with a visual inspection — cracks, bulging, corrosion, leaks. Clean terminals with baking soda and a wire brush, then protect them. Check and fill electrolyte on flooded batteries — distilled water only. Verify the hold-down is present and properly torqued. Test cables with a voltage drop test."

"For replacement — negative off first, positive on first. And check whether the vehicle needs battery registration with a scan tool."

"In Module 6, we'll cover failure diagnosis — what goes wrong inside the battery and how to figure out why it failed."

B-Roll Shots Needed

Shot | Description
B1 | Close-up of corroded real battery terminals (white/green buildup)
B2 | Battery terminal brush cleaning a post — shiny metal revealed
B3 | Baking soda solution fizzing on corroded terminal
B4 | Anti-corrosion spray being applied to clean terminal
B5 | Cell 4 Flooded/AGM label close-up on 3D battery electrolyte
B6 | Squeeze bottle adding distilled water to cell opening
B7 | Hold-down thumb wheels and M4 bolts on 3D battery close-up
B8 | DVOM showing voltage drop reading during cranking
B9 | Real vehicle battery tray with corrosion visible
B10 | Scan tool connected to OBD-II port showing battery registration screen
B11 | Positive-post and negative-post side by side showing size difference

Equipment

- 3D battery (fully assembled with hold-down screws, posts, top, case, tpu-feet)
- Battery terminal brush (combo style)
- Baking soda + mixing cup + brush
- Spray bottle with water
- Anti-corrosion spray
- Felt anti-corrosion washers
- Squeeze bottle (labeled "Distilled Water")
- Digital multimeter (DVOM)
- Small torque wrench (inch-pound / foot-pound)
- OBD-II scan tool (or image of registration screen)
- Battery carrier strap
- Whiteboard + markers
- Lavalier microphone