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Corroded battery terminal

S

stratking

Member
Hey all, the other day I decided to check under the hood of my '03 Mazda B3000. I noticed that one of the terminals on my battery is completely covered in corrosion. It's not even possible to see the terminal because of the white powdery residue covering it. I'd like to get this fixed before I get stranded somewhere with a dead battery. Any tips on what I should do to fix this and what I need to do to make sure I don't get battery acid everywhere?
 
Just use a wire brush? Once you can get to the nut/screw, take it off and brush it clean. I don't know how you'd get acid everywhere unless you go out of your way to pry open the thing.
 
Yeah, not really worried of battery acid spilling out, but with my luck, it's always best to err on the side of caution. So does mean that the battery itself should be replaced? It's been going strong for 70,000 miles. Might be about time to replace it.
 
clean it using baking soda and water and a brush with the amount of corrosion you are describing it would be worth carefully inspecting the cable/connector and if the bolt is badly corroded a new connector or cable is a good idea. you should also remove the connector and clean the post and the inside of rhe connector ab the oxide that builds up on the lead is a darn good insulator. when done seal the connection using a commercial batt terminal sealer and it will last longer.
 
The white powder is lead sulfate caused by the reaction of leaking acid fumes and the battery posts and terminals. Air and moisture help the reaction. The most likely source of the leak is the seal between the post and the battery case.
Follow Mad Amos's instructions for cleaning the posts. Use hot water if you do not have baking soda. Rinse the posts again with fresh water. Lead sulfate is toxic, do not ingest or inhale it.
Coat the posts and terminals with a sealer or dielectric grease, available in most auto stores. Haynes repair manuals suggest using petroleum jelly (vasoline). I prefer the silicon based dielectric grease. It lasts longer.

There are also chemically treated battery terminal washers that claim to help stop corrosion. I have not used these so I can not comment on whether they work or not.

If the leak is large it will break down even the dielectric grease and it's time for a new battery.
 
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