Removing Corrosion
Removingcorrosionfrom car battery terminals will not only help increase your battery service life, but also prevent it from leaving you stranded, possibly away from home. This maintenance task is a simple cleaning procedure you can do at home using a few simple tools. However, batteries contain sulfuric acid, which can lead to serious health issues if not handled with care. Use these simple tips to safely and successfully remove corrosion from your car battery terminals.
How to safely remove corrosion from your car battery terminals:
1. Use a good pair of safety goggles and rubber globes.
Safety gogglesand rubber gloves will keep acid particles from landing on your eyes and hurting your skin as you clean your battery terminals.
2. Use a six-point wrench and cable puller.
A hex or six-point wrench will grab the bolt's head snugly and prevent you from rounding it off, a common problem on terminal bolts. Also, if the terminal is hard to pull off after you've loosened the bolt, a battery cable puller will help you disconnect the terminal clamps without damage to the battery post.
3. Use baking soda and a soft brush.
A solution of one tbsp of baking soda mixed in eight ounces of warm water is excellent to remove corrosion. Apply the solution to the battery posts and terminals using the soft brush. Let the solution work for a couple of minutes and then rinse it off with clean water. Wipe the battery posts and terminals with a clean paper towel.
4. Use a battery post cleaner brush.
Along with a solution of baking soda, this special brush makes it easy to get rid of hard to remove corrosion. The battery post cleaner brush comes with a male brush to use on the battery terminals, and a female brush to use on the battery posts.
5. Use felt washers and petroleum jelly
Specially treated felt washers are readily available at most auto parts stores. These washers come in red and green colors to use on the positive and negative battery posts, respectively, before reinstalling the battery terminals. After installing the terminals, you can apply a light coat of petroleum jelly to the battery posts and terminals. Treated felt washers and petroleum jelly work together to inhibit acid fumes from corroding battery posts and terminals.
Corrosion acts likeresistanceagainst electric current, making it hard for you to start the engine and for the alternator to properly recharge the battery. You already know how to safely remove corrosion from your car battery terminals. Now, you can do this simple task as needed. Properly maintaining your car battery will prevent it from discharging, help you discover potential battery problems on time, and, best of all, improve your battery and alternator operation.
