Crazy corroded battery terminal

[Cogman]

My car wouldn't start this morning, I popped the hood and low and behold my battery terminal was severely corroded (see attached picture) what is my next step here? I can get it jump started, but should I take the car into the dealer and get the battery and terminals replaced or something? I'm afraid if I go anywhere I might not be able to start it again.

 

[steppinthrax]

My car wouldn't start this morning, I popped the hood and low and behold my battery terminal was severely corroded (see attached picture) what is my next step here? I can get it jump started, but should I take the car into the dealer and get the battery and terminals replaced or something? I'm afraid if I go anywhere I might not be able to start it again.

Holly shit!!!

You will def need a new terminal and possibly a new battery.

 

[cabri]

Clean off the corrosion first.

A baking soda/water paste.

It looks like you will have to replace the terminal. Ensure that you have a clean wire when you put on the new terminal.

Get the batter tested.

Either on the old battery, if it checks out , on the new battery, put on the corrosion washer ($50 each).

You do not need to go to a dealer; any battery place can swap out the battery and provide you with the terminal.
You need to clean up the mess though before putting on a new battery.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Auto parts stores sell a lot of corrosion cleanup/prevention products. A wire brush is the most effective at scrubbing it off. There are terminal cleaners that are basically like a donut with a wirebrush inside that is overpriced for what it is.

There's a spray protectant they sell after you get it all cleaned up. It basically will coat the wire and all your parts to keep air from getting to it. Without air, corrosion is a lot slower to occur. If your cable is damaged too badly to put a new terminal on, you may need to replace it or splice a few inches on with something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Terminal-Batte.../dp/B001DUCMAM

Just be prepared to pay double or triple if you buy locally.

 

[Triumph]

Clean off the corrosion first.

A baking soda/water paste.

It looks like you will have to replace the terminal. Ensure that you have a clean wire when you put on the new terminal.

Get the batter tested.

Either on the old battery, if it checks out , on the new battery, put on the corrosion washer ($50 each).

You do not need to go to a dealer; any battery place can swap out the battery and provide you with the terminal.
You need to clean up the mess though before putting on a new battery.

I've never been very good at my pH scales/acids/bases, but I've had good luck cleaning battery acid with vinegar, and I know baking soda is a good neutralizer for vinegar, so I dunno which one is the right one to use. But either is probably better than some caustic chemical you buy at the store.

 

[steppinthrax]

I use the washers and a small can of battery terminal protector. I don't have any corrosion. I was also told that Vaseline is supposed to work?

 

[slag]

Never understood why some cars are just magnets for corrosion on the terminals and others I've owned have none at all whatsoever.

 

[Meghan54]

Clean off the corrosion first.

A baking soda/water paste.

Yep. Clean that crap off with baking soda/water. See what you've got left.

 

[tortillasoup]

I've never been very good at my pH scales/acids/bases, but I've had good luck cleaning battery acid with vinegar, and I know baking soda is a good neutralizer for vinegar, so I dunno which one is the right one to use. But either is probably better than some caustic chemical you buy at the store.

You can't be this retarded... Vinegar is an ACID, you know that baking soda neutralizes vinegar and you know of the term BATTERY ACID, therefore baking soda should obviously neutralize it.

 

[Cogman]

Took it in to the dealer, replaced they said the battery was shot so I had it replaced. Thanks for the help. It was entertaining watching the mechanics look at the battery and start laughing at the amount of corrosion.

 

[LTC8K6]

Try to open the hood and glance under there at least once every 5 years... :biggrin:

 

[Cogman]

Try to open the hood and glance under there at least once every 5 years... :biggrin:

Will do. At least it wasn't crazy expensive this time.

 

[Triumph]

You can't be this retarded... Vinegar is an ACID, you know that baking soda neutralizes vinegar and you know of the term BATTERY ACID, therefore baking soda should obviously neutralize it.

You can't be this much of a douchebag.

 

[tortillasoup]

You can't be this much of a douchebag.

If you've gone this far in life and you don't understand the difference between an acid and a base and how one neutralizes the other, you're probably lazy or an idiot but either way are beyond hope.

 

[Raizinman]

Delete

 

[GoSharks]

If you've gone this far in life and you don't understand the difference between an acid and a base and how one neutralizes the other, you're probably lazy or an idiot but either way are beyond hope.

Somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed... :whiste:

 

[Triumph]

If you've gone this far in life and you don't understand the difference between an acid and a base and how one neutralizes the other, you're probably lazy or an idiot but either way are beyond hope.

 

[MadScientist]

Yep. Clean that crap off with baking soda/water. See what you've got left.

:thumbsup:

Good explanation of what causes the corrosion, how to treat it, and how to prevent it. http://benignblog.com/2013/05/why-battery-terminals-corrode-causes-composition-cleaning-prevention.html

I use Dow Corning silicone grease to coat my battery terminals but petroleum jelly (Vaseline) or a commercial battery terminal spray will also work.

 

[WackyDan]

Auto parts stores sell a lot of corrosion cleanup/prevention products. A wire brush is the most effective at scrubbing it off. There are terminal cleaners that are basically like a donut with a wirebrush inside that is overpriced for what it is.

There's a spray protectant they sell after you get it all cleaned up. It basically will coat the wire and all your parts to keep air from getting to it. Without air, corrosion is a lot slower to occur. If your cable is damaged too badly to put a new terminal on, you may need to replace it or splice a few inches on with something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Terminal-Batte.../dp/B001DUCMAM

Just be prepared to pay double or triple if you buy locally.

I've been using a spray for years... The only time it doesn't work as well is on my bike batteries.

Every oil change or every other I give the terminals a quick spray and never had any issues on my cars. On the bike, I had some corrosion after 5 years, but I feel the spray kept the worse of it from happening sooner. Highly recommended. - And I've been using that same can of spray for 12 years.

 

[DrPizza]

The stuff you see on top of the battery, the corrosion, is a salt. I don't think baking soda is necessary with water to wash it away. If you have a can of pepsi or coke, just pour it over & watch the salt dissolve away. (Soda is slightly acidic) Just about any polar solvent will help break it up and wash it away, even plain water. So, yes, vinegar will also wash it off. If I'm not mistaken, it's either lead sulfate, else copper sulfate (these are salts).

MODERATOR NOTE: PLEASE STOP WITH THE NAME CALLING AND PERSONAL ATTACKS -ADMIN DRPIZZA

 

[bryanl]

Why were the terminals and cable ends not coated with grease?

 

[tortillasoup]

The stuff you see on top of the battery, the corrosion, is a salt. I don't think baking soda is necessary with water to wash it away. If you have a can of pepsi or coke, just pour it over & watch the salt dissolve away. (Soda is slightly acidic) Just about any polar solvent will help break it up and wash it away, even plain water. So, yes, vinegar will also wash it off. If I'm not mistaken, it's either lead sulfate, else copper sulfate (these are salts).

MODERATOR NOTE: PLEASE STOP WITH THE NAME CALLING AND PERSONAL ATTACKS -ADMIN DRPIZZA

If you put a mixture of baking soda and water on top of the battery terminals, it will likely fizzle because it's battery acid that has caused the corrosion and continues to corrode. There is literally battery acid that has emanated from between the plastic casing and the terminals (not sealed at all!) and gets on top of the battery. Using baking soda neutralizes this battery acid that has been deposited. I'm no chemist so I don't know what exact reactions are occurring and the residual products are but I do know that due to the way batteries work, especially open cell ones, they'll have a tendency to deposit battery acid in, on and around the battery.

 

[Revolution 11]

I can confirm tortillasoup's suggestion on baking soda and water. Plain water does not do as good of a job as the combo mix. In every battery I had that suffered from this corrosion, it is not just a salt but also dried or crystallized battery acid. If you put plain water on the solids, the result is acidic solution, definitely not a non-corrosive material you can touch with bare hands.

The best way to clean this is to use a wire brush to remove as much of the gross deposits as you can. Then douse the terminal in baking soda and moisten until it is a thick paste. Once the bubbling stops, you know that it is neutralized. Rinse with clean water until there is no acid or baking soda residue.

 

[desy]

Wow
throwing pop or vinegar 'acid' on another acid may wash it away but does nothing to neutralize the acid, high school chemistry, throwing a base 'baking soda' on an a acid will neutralize it and make it safe for you to work on.
But seriously dude, let your posts get to that shape? well you made the mechanics day anyway.
Its one of the reasons I like to do my own oil changes and minor maintenance, keeps me knowing what condition the vehicle I trust my life to is at.

 

[KillerBee]

wtf ...as if that's battery acid

Wow
throwing pop or vinegar 'acid' on another acid may wash it away but does nothing to neutralize the acid, high school chemistry, throwing a base 'baking soda' on an a acid will neutralize it and make it safe for you to work on.
But seriously dude, let your posts get to that shape? well you made the mechanics day anyway.
Its one of the reasons I like to do my own oil changes and minor maintenance, keeps me knowing what condition the vehicle I trust my life to is at.

hmm - what exactly is the difference between using baking soda vs. a can of coke on the terminals if they both get them clean
and coat with some petroleum jelly afterwards