How To Clean Battery Posts

Your vehicle car battery care must never be compromised. Batteries that are not cared for eventually succumb to corrosion and create a bad connection. Once corrosion sets it, well, you're not going anywhere. If your battery posts are not properly cared for, the rest of the day can easily become one of your more stressful ones. A small amount of corrosion residue is enough to prevent any automobile from starting up. Regular maintenance is required.

Corrosion can build up quickly there and the more it accumulates the harder it is for your car to make a connection. The battery posts present the ideal place for this residue to build up. The conditions surrounding your battery post make it the perfect place for corrosion to breed and grow.

There are many products available to clean your battery post and they can all be found at your local auto parts retail shop. Some hardware stores will also carry the items you need. Most of the products work the same way. It's simply a matter of which product you prefer. The goal is to get your battery posts clean - no matter which product you decide to go with.

STEP 1:

The first thing you will need to do is disconnect your cables from the battery posts. This seems obvious, but it is the first step in order to have the posts clearly exposed. To do this you will need one to two wrenches depending on how your car battery is set up under your hood.

Take a moment to look at your terminal. It should contain a nut on one side and either a large square or another nut on the other side. If it happens to be a large square on that other side, one wrench will do just fine. If instead, you have another nut on that side then you will need to use two wrenches. You do have some choices with the tools you choose to go with for this part of the job. You can use an open-end wrench, a crescent wrench or just some pliers. Just make sure the tools fits on the nut. It may not be perfect but it should be close enough to get the job done. Professionals, of course, will always have the perfect tools for the job. If you are willing to spring for it, that would make the process even quicker.

STEP 2:

Wire Brushes Remove the negative cable first. Then, place one of your wrenches (pliers) on the outside nut. If there is a second nut on the other side, use your other wrench for that one. Again if you only have one nut on the one side and a large square on the other, one wrench will do. Turn your outside nut counter-clockwise until you've unscrewed the nut out to a length of at least 1/16 of an inch on the bolt. After that , a slight turn should remove it. If you cannot remove it, review the Nut Removal Problems section just below.

STEP 3:

Now you're ready to clean the corrosion from your battery.

Your local auto parts store will provide you with many choices of corrosion removal products and they all, generally, have the same quality.

With your battery terminals off, dispense some of the solution on the battery posts and terminals. Pay particular attention to applying the fluid on the inside. You can brush away the corrosion build up if you have a small firm brush. The action will cause the product to foam and you should let it for several minutes. After a few minutes, rinse the foam off with some clean water.

Next, install anti-corrosion discs, which can also be found at your local auto parts store. Once you've done that, re-connect the terminals, starting with the positive terminal first and you're done.

Nut Removal Problems

If the battery terminal feels tight, use a flat head screwdriver and carefully pry the terminal open. Do this by inserting the screwdriver in the gap just above the bolt. You do not want to pry the terminal upward off the battery post. If you do that, you'll only create serious problems for yourself.

If you still have trouble loosening it use some pliers and put a bit more twisting power into it. That should loosen it up. Now, you should be able to see the battery and terminals clearly.

Some Notes On Battery Post Cleaning

As far as the corrosion removal products go, they mostly consist of baking soda and water. You don't need to be chemist to make your own.

Brushing corrosion vigorously may at times cause residue to fly about. It is advisable to wear eye protection or a dust mask when doing this.

While the terminals are off the battery posts, brush all parts of the post. You want to pay particular attention to cleaning the inside of the terminals until all of the corrosion is gone. A brush about the size of a toothbrush should do the trick. A small strong brush will make reaching the inside area easier. A wire brush for general cleaning is always going to get you great results. If you go with a wire brush, get one with medium stiffness. The bristles should still be able to bend back and forth easily.

Anti-Corrosion Discs

Anti-corrosion discs help to keep your battery clean by providing a barrier against any corrosion. However, they are not an absolute protection against corrosion though they have been proven to be quite effective. Anti-corrosion discs will definitely help and are worth getting. They reduce the severity of corrosion.

After cleaning posts, and with battery terminals already removed, simply apply the discs. Place the red disc on the positive post and the install the green disc on the negative post. Re-connect battery terminals, positive terminal first and then the negative. Now you're done.

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