How to Clean Battery Corrosion

Corrosion can build up on your battery over time. Learning how to safely remove this corrosion can prevent battery issues.
Watch as mechanic, weekend racer, and #AutoZonePartner Tiffany takes you through the tips and steps on how to clean battery corrosion.
What You'll Need:
- Raven Powder Free Nitrile Disposable Gloves
- Monkey Grip Clear Safety Glasses
- Rags
- Baking Soda
- Water & Bowl
- Duralast Socket Wrench
- Rags
- Toothbrush
- Battery Terminal Cleaner Brush
Website: www.autozone.com
Twitter: / autozone
Instagram: / autozone
Facebook: / autozone
Make sure vehicle is properly secured before performing any automotive work. Wear safety gear as recommended. These videos are intended as an instructional guide for repair. You may encounter slightly different situations with any individual vehicle. Always capture and dispose of or recycle toxic chemicals properly.

[@leoszwiec3006]

good job. you showed the right way, the safe way. I use a little brush and spread some grease on top and around the terminal. have a nice day

[@jerixtalactac923]

Hi, can i use spray grease like WD-40 silicone spray? Thanks

[@christophercarrillo4231]

grease like petroleum ? to the terminals and battery?

[@Pamianu]

​@@christophercarrillo4231 Crisco grease

[@noc4265]

@@christophercarrillo4231dialectic grease is the right product

[@edweber6136]

Thanks for taking the time to make this video Tiffany! I don't know anything about the mechanics of cars and had a little corrosion built up so I went on KZbin and yours was the first and only video I watched! And because you explained it in laymen's terms, I was able to go out to my car and do exactly what you said, minus the gloves, and after repeating the baking soda and water application a few times, I got the majority of it off! Tomorrow, I'll remove the cables from the terminals, negative (black) first, give them a good cleaning, then spray them, then reverse the process with negative (red) first.Thanks again!

[@okkesurjana7397]

Thank you! Simple, brief, economical, safe.

[@JamesJones-dx9zt]

Thx for the covering the POS w a rag, genius. And I like the remer wire brush. Love the KZbin University can learn how to any here and good little extra tips. Thanks for this!

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

Id suggest use piping hot water 💧 if available. I cleaned my Interstate car battery: July 2021 with baking soda, hot water. The terminals cleaned up fast! Some say to spray red protective coating which is fine.

[@sailorlucile5001]

An old mechanic told me to glue a penny about an inch and a half away from the terminal after cleaning the corrosion. The corrosion will start to grow on the penny and not the terminal. Just clean the penny off or put a new one on.

[@peterrudy9207]

Maybe when pennies use to be almost made of copper? Also came across a book in the 1990s , auto maintenace . It mentioned if the battery had a crack in it . And you used a combination of baking soda , water , etc ? And it got into the crack , the battery would blow up !!! Since that time , I have used a brass bristled brush which is no/ light scratching . And hot water with dawn dish soap . When there is no more visiable corrosion , I thoroughly rinse the battery with cold water , let dry or dry it with a disposable towel before reinstalling . As I take it completely out of the vehicle . And clean out the battery tray . Use some heavy duty rubber gloves for potection and grip .

[@sailorlucile5001]

@@peterrudy9207 still are

[@omgthatsnene]

This was really good and she did a great job explaining. I need to clean mine and now i feel safe and brave enough to do this on my own. I do have one question, can i add anything to keep it moist like a lube or spray afterwards. And is it safe to use the car after you do this .. or do i need to wait a bit to drive or something? But thanks again for this video

[@juanchargoya]

I’m guessing that as long as your connections are completely dry, you can carry on

[@mjremy2605]

@@juanchargoya Don't guess. Either you know or you don't.

[@johnnylego807]

@@mjremy2605would 100% silicone lubricant work to cover the terminals to prevent corrosion? I’ve heard of some using Vaseline. Trying to find a solution without having to buy more things as that’s all I’ve doing of late 😂

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

I waited around 12-14hr, let the car battery, engine dry. I ran the engine, car 10min. Smooth start, no issues.

[@Lancelot0311]

Thanks for the instruction Ma’am

[@ngahjacob1706]

Thanks. Your video has answered my many douts that I had. Thanks once more for practical demonstration.

[@cesium419]

Wait so should I replace the battery if I see corrosion or clean it first? I love these videos as a woman. I don't have a lot of male friends so I try doing simple tasks with my car, the rest I let the mechanics do. 😊

[@frankmontez6853]

Do the easy cheap things yourself and see if that fixes your problem. If it doesn’t work still then .. why do you think your battery needs replacing? I would use some dielectric grease after cleaning it

[@cesium419]

@@frankmontez6853 thanks

[@cesium419]

@@MikeDonaldson-eh2ru Thank you

[@alienishere002]

Explained perfectly! Thank you!

[@peterepoet2535]

Thank you for showing the how and why. 👏🤗

[@johnnylego807]

Really awesome video! One of the best yet on the subject!

[@charlesdowell4505]

Where’s the corrosion?

[@fahadrafi3335]

😂 well said

[@LFCEli]

Watching this now and I'm saying the same thing.... This is hilarious because AutoZone thought they had something going. Thanks for the vid

[@E-ComJourney]

It’s called a tutorial. You all thought ya’ll ate with these comments too 😂

[@JoeBlow-ub1us]

There’s some on the positive clamp

[@betod3113]

Wow that just happed to me glad i cleaned them exactly like this video and my truck turned on.. 😊😊

[@nighthawkj30A4]

I usually replace the battery cables and battery if corrosion is severe. Alittle acid venting at the top i use a bit of water and baking soda to clean it off.

[@MakedonijaTexas]

Great video. Thank you, you are amazing

[@user-bk3vi1eg9k]

Good video; however, I have a problem with just the accessory terminal on the positive side being heavily corroded. You did not clean that, but I suppose I can apply the same procedures.

[@static_Tricolor_camry]

I always wondered how to clean off the corrosion, it eats away the battery terminals.

[@skippyshake]

Is it advisable or necessary to use something like copper grease or conuctive silicone grease to protect the terminals/connections?

[@David-so9qx]

I use dielectric grease, around the posts, which helps keep them clean and prevent corrosion

[@mjremy2605]

@@David-so9qx Dielectric grease works well to prevent corrosion, but anti-corrosive spray works better in my opinion. It gets in places your fingers can't get the grease to. Dielectric grease can be used in between electrical connections, but only those utilizing low-current. Battery terminals are high current. White Lithium Grease would be my choice.

[@musicglenn]

how bout petroleum jelly? that is recommended by some

[@mjremy2605]

Very nice to see women doing car maintenance and DIY videos. Keep up the great work. This was explained well and clearly. Thank you for NO MUSIC, what joy!! fyi - Don't mention cookies. The minute you do, you bring women back to domestic duty. We are stereotyped enough, don't contribute in any way to that stereotype. I am also female. I would also wire scrub the posts with some 00 steel wool or a battery terminal brush cleaner. Then add a felt washer (red for positive) on the post, slide it down, grease up the post to delay future corrosion, and reinstall the terminal lugs.

[@amielowery5786]

I think it is amazing for a woman to emphasize that she can do it all. She is a mechanic, weekend car racer AND bakes cookies. 👏👏

[@gabbypetty7291]

@@amielowery5786I absolutely agree!

[@mkilu476]

Thank you this was helpful.

[@seanschulze5418]

Thank you - very helpful!

[@chiliboom6140]

I’d say as well, don’t let the wrench touch not only the opposite terminal, but any other metal, once your wrench is on either terminal. It will ground and create sparks or start welding.

[@ravinderavnoor]

You showed it the best way . Thanks

[@kennethrichmond6206]

Thanks. How do you clean the crimped part of the cable, when there is corrosion in there?

[@mjremy2605]

Scrub it with baking soda, rinse off, dry, coat with grease.

[@melvinlee9263]

IT WORKS! THANK YOU!

[@LYDFitness]

Every electrician and mechanic in my family has always taught me that pos the neg when removing and then the opposite when installing.

[@monicajacquez950]

Why is this?

[@bobbyhandley5581]

Doubtful, very doubtful... you disconnect the negative first. Then the positive. And connect positive first. Reason for this is if your taking the pos off while the negative is still attached and you hit any metal with your wrench you'll see sparks!!! If you do this with the negative wire n wrench while the pos is attached still... nothing happens cause its already attached to the frame... im pretty sure thats what every electrician and mechanic has told you and why... ya might be dyslexic 😅

[@Shon9tilR]

I cleaned the corrosion off, jumped it, car started right. Then an hr later, the battery died again.

[@RescueResponceTeam]

Mine were a little rough after a year I cleaned my terminals with some soda and an old brush I threw away I used Sam's Choice Diet Cola. Regular Coke-a-Cola works best.

[@malipeddivanaja8077]

Nicely explained

[@mtguz23]

This is what KZbin is good for.

[@57waterlily]

Great job! 👍

[@IanStockwell-if7sl]

Hey Kim will I plan will I think about more than where I go

[@octavioquintana1153]

Thanks!

[@mypinkrabbit]

Good job, TY👍

[@elizaresendiz4888]

What size tool did you use? I can’t find the correct one to fit

[@gtit7004]

Never use the part of the tool that has the wire brush part that goes over the posts. It will wear down the post quickly. You'll end up wearing down so much material that it will be difficult to close the gap on the cable that fastens onto the post. Use a rag to clean dirty posts.

[@miketobin2324]

Bravo!

[@fburt100]

Is there a reason one side would have corrosion, but not the other?

[@EquanSimmonds]

Perfect, job complete...thanks

[@Bystander92]

What is the ratio of baking soda to water?

[@ethans6.0]

0:37

[@Bystander92]

@@ethans6.0 thank you. I was in a rage fueled repair and could only hear every fourth word.

[@shawnbalch6046]

Lay off the meth

[@katee54]

if the corrosion crusty crud is like a lot and can't get the bolt loosen, can I put the soda mixture straight on the bolt still connected?

[@RancorRips]

No. Do not do that.

[@CULT_OF_TRAGEDY]

NOT THE COOKIES

[@KityKati]

use coca cola then rinse. make sure your battery has enough water too)

[@frankmontez6853]

How can I remove a rusted out terminal ? It’s rusted out too tight. Yeah I’ve used penetrating oil . Still very hard to remove. Thinking of cutting it off at cable or using impact wrench..

[@frankmontez6853]

@@MikeDonaldson-eh2ru yeah after letting it soak overnight with rust penetrating oil I used the impact wrench and it came off instantly

[@purplepie2257]

The way she pronounced negative was crazy Ik yall here it

[@GetREALwithEileen]

Jiffy lube charges 25$ to clean it off. I just learned for free thanks!

[@clvrswine]

*$25, not 25$.

[@eliasfrancisco7766]

I know this lady. its bugging me. I don't know from where. any one know her name

[@RescueResponceTeam]

Cookie Monster

[@polize911]

She is so beautiful. ❤

[@BackToYa]

Good information but fire your camera person. They must watch a lot of reality tv shows. The zoom, wiggle, focus in-out is terrible. I'm trying to see what you're doing!

[@warren_duke]

Cookies?

[@Mr_BUSINESS_24_7]

Coke-Cola. ...Pour it on the terminals ..... DONE

[@landofwolves_]

Make sure the vehicle is turned off before you even remove those cables.

[@jemieldavid1309]

What a woman

[@paulabennett824]

Indeed

[@striderszn8264]

Not suppose to be taking advise from a female mechanic but ill try

[@pblack89]

Least someone showed her cuz nowadays these guys don't know how to change a tire it's sad same way these women can't do hair ijs

[@shoutouttomypeoples538]

Niggative? She straddling the line ain't she?

[@NiggletFarm]

Yeah you mad bro?

[@NiggletFarm]

Your peepz are 🗑️

[@tabby4990]

Your making it more complicated then it has to be. Just boil hot water and pour a cup hot water over the cable no need to disconnect. I put a bit of baking soda a too. It fizzles like soda and dissolves immediately!

[@leom65]

This actually isn't complicated at all. If you're gonna clean it up, might as well do it thoroughly to avoid having to do it again soon. She explained well and this is pretty much a safe and easy explanation.

[@mjremy2605]

You are absolutely wrong and what you said is dangerous. Hot water on a battery? You want it to explode on you? You must remove the terminal lugs and not put anything on the battery. If it gets inside, it will damage the battery. You also don't want that liquid over the car internals. What she did was exactly right. Never use hot water! Always disconnect or what you did is useless. You also have to wire brush both ends.

[@ryanhamilton9709]

This was a commercial? Why didnt autozone use 1 of there products? Great way to advertise ur busniess to promote baking soda? Advertising Agent needs fired ! Put me in charge and ill have sales increase by 50%less year!

[@GGVanilla]

One company decides to help us average people not waste money on things we don't need and you have a problem with that? I'm more likely to go to Auto zone knowing they're not going to rip me off or sell me things I don't need and actually care about their customer. 👍

[@NiggletFarm]

Make sure to have safety goggles and gloves and put your hair back in a ponytail. Give me a break this is man’s work.

[@xXWOAT13Xx]

who hurt you

[@sarahseo6740]

Lol fragile masculinity gets so easily triggered 😂

[@originalmanddap]

Weird cause I just watched a woman do it. Probably better than you could

[@carryeveryday910]

@@originalmanddapNot at all to be honest lol this is literally the easiest thing a person can do.

[@beverlymoore7280]

For those who do not have a man on standby but doesn't want to wait. I teach my son how to do things so he can be dependable and help someone else.

[@ricardonarvaez1628]

Beautiful hair just keep it away from the fun blades love.

[@christophercarrillo4231]

radiator?