How to clean battery terminals

[@Joe-Mamasixtyninefourtwenty]

I clean mine off with baking soda mixed into water and a little elbow grease with a wire brush. When completed with that i then coat the pos and neg terminals and cables AFTER they are connected with silicone grease. The reason for the silicone is because it is inert and protects the terminals and cables from the corrosion. In addition to the above mentioned, i also included using felt terminal washers. I havent had any corrosion since.

[@edsyphan3425]

I have a small gizmo that has a 9 volt battery at one end and a lighter plug at the other. It will keep the radio and clock setting intact for you.

[@chongyi2000]

Just what wanted. Thank you very much!!!! FYI 10years ago, a shop charges me $20 for it.

[@billsimpson604]

I don't know if this is true, but even before the existence of the internet, people said you could clean off that corrosion with Coca Cola. I never tried that because I never wanted to get sugar all over there, and have to hose it all off. I do know that a coating of grease will prevent it from corroding. Those little oil soaked felt washers under the connectors will also prevent the terminals from corroding. If the felts are all dried out, just put a couple of drops of oil on them. It will coat the metal in a few days. DIY people might want to cover their fenders, so none of those chemicals accidentally get on the paint.

[@LAactor]

Mac's is well known in the auto field but I used some Noco from Walmart and it worked good too. Big cleaner can only. But they have big and small for the protection grease. They sell it with the felt oil coated rings to prevent that powder corrosion from happening. Suppose people would get that as opposed to wanting a big one and they know one can just buy any grease even white lithium or dielectric to protect the cleaned terminals.

[@Pallidus_Rider]

Tip: spray into a jar or other small container, then brush it on. 🤓

[@emehlhar]

I clean off my battery terminals every 6 months on my 88 Corolla. I find those terminal felts help too. Interesting that Toyota still uses a nearly identical hold down brace on that 2014 as mine. Good idea to clean any corrosion off so it doesn't get damaged.

[@paulroggemann1017]

MAYBE spray the cleaner into a cup, then use a brush to apply to the terminals

[@paulodisano502]

Great video, Peter. Thank you my friend. Cheers.🇨🇦🇺🇸👍

[@samh6761]

It looks like an artifact dredged up from the Titanic

[@jimlipko999]

Love your videos and love the subtle humor! I change my own oil so I take the oil container after adding to car and drip a few drops of oil on each terminal. I learned that from my dad and never had an issue with corrosion.

[@TheSprinterVan]

Sir really enjoy your videos. Two questions please Number 1 what causes that extreme corrosion? I have never seen anything that bad before. Number 2 Is there a benefit using that spray cleaner over the old-fashioned way baking soda and water, other than convenience? Thanks again for all the Toyota videos

[@LAactor]

Battery is becoming junk. Outgassing fumes from the battery sulfating.

[@LAactor]

You can use whatever you want to clean. Whatever works. I prefer hot water. But I have a can of the cleaner if I want to be thorough. It neutralizes all remnants to a ph level no longer acidic.

[@KendrasEdge757]

Great job Peter! You can also just pour some hot water with a cup on the terminal and it takes everything off instantly. Then blow it off with the air nozzle and spray with the protectant. Much quicker and easier and not as messy with chemicals.

[@LAactor]

Yes I told him about this before I the last battery video he did. Not sure if he saw it. I know he has some coffee or hot water pot there so it would be easy.

[@KendrasEdge757]

@@LAactor yeah he definitely does I’m sure. I keep a can of CRC battery protectant spray on hand and spray my terminals and bolts near/on the battery as soon as I put a new battery in and once it dries out and needs reapplied. Once a battery starts leaking this bad it’s past time to replace it. They all leak; but when they make corrosion that you can see or you can see the acid on the plastic caps, it’s best to just replace the battery then before your left on the side of the road or in a parking lot somewhere stuck. Based on my experience of course.

[@stephenzies8867]

When I Worked For Volkswagen And Audi / Porsche Dealers For 33 Years We Used The Anti Corrosion Car Battery Terminal Felt Washers. They Work And I Still Use Them On My Vehicles. It Prevents The Acid From Coming Up The Terminals Around The Plastic Battery Housing. Once You Use Them You Will NEVER Have This Problem Again. The Best Way To Get The Corrosion Off Is With Water A Brush And Baking Soda. You Don't Need Any Fancy Spray.

[@agostinodibella9939]

I would put a memory saver on to save the settings and be careful with the positive side while cleaning the battery posts and inside the terminals. Aren’t they the most important parts to clean?

[@tundramanq]

Looks like AAA batteries don't have the best post vapor seals. When I see battery corrosion, I mix up some baking soda and water first to brush on with an acid brush to neutralize the acid until it quits bubbling. Then rinse with water. This prevents damage to your clothes, vacuum and engine compartment from acid burns when cleaning the terminal connectors.

[@LAactor]

Ever try the hot water trick I told you about before?

[@richardepstein3494]

What condition causes the battery terminals to corrode?

[@nickv4073]

Its not the car. Its the gases leaking out of the battery through the terminal posts.

[@tundras4ever552]

If it’s really bad I’ll just suggest new terminals , super easy and cheap to replace.

[@rightlanehog3151]

Petr, A little spray of any number of rustproofing products stops the corrosion from forming in the first place. 😁

[@annettesurfer]

I’m surprised an auxiliary 12v battery wasn’t clipped to the cables so the terminal could’ve been removed for cleaning without losing the radio station and clock memory. Removing the battery would’ve made cleaning easier but at the very least I would’ve removed the hold-down so the cleaner could remove anything that could cause an unwanted conductive path, especially around those vent caps, but then I’m so old that I’ll still not set batteries directly on a concrete floor. I see a few comments about using rings under the terminals but I’ve found they often don’t allow the terminals to seat completely and perhaps not tighten perfectly. Every terminal protection spray I’ve ever used seems to only come in red, which doesn’t seem quite right to “paint” a ground red, but it is what it is. Thank goodness you didn’t take the terminals off and coat ‘em with dielectric grease. It seems people have no idea it prevents electrical conduction. Sealing with it or silicone makes sense but some KZbin "mechanics" coat between male and female terminals while advising their viewers to do the same. I’ve been shadow-banned just for trying to set the record straight. Oh well.

[@LAactor]

Lot of batteries have outgassing fumes around the posts. Crazy hot even a little amount does this.

[@patrickcsizmadi2276]

What about the ground??

[@mattleeshot]

Nice Info Thanks U

[@LAactor]

Maybe in the future you can spray it into the cap and use an acid brush to apply or something so you don't have to clean more.

[@Tacoexplorer]

Usually if that happens you need to replace the battery anyway. Even if the battery voltages are good there is a vapor leak and it will continue to happen until a new battery is replaced.

[@michaelt1349]

After cleaning, I've used Vaseline to prevent corrosion each fall since about 1976. Corrosion has never returned once. I wipe off the old Vaseline and apply new Vaseline once each year in the fall.

[@bwest-yq3uc]

check the water.

[@nickv4073]

Di-electric grease on the terminals works much better and is much cheaper.

[@neilfrasersmith]

You don't have to do any of this. Just pour boiling water over it. It will just dissolve and wash away in 15 seconds. Easy and costs nothing.

[@berryreading4809]

That certainly works, but neutralizing then adding a penetrative dielectric coating is definitely a step above using the electric kettle... Just as far as fixing corroded battery terminals without actually disconnecting anything... Especially handy on certain generators/excavators/other equipment that don't have the best battery accessibility, but often the WORST corrosion from sitting outside in the weather 👍

[@aaronau1654]

Why does my terminal gets the same again when I clean the battery terminal?

[@KendrasEdge757]

Need to spray them with the protectant after cleaning them.

[@LAactor]

Because it's your battery. And did you even grease the terminals to prevent it after you clean it?

[@davinp]

Corrosion is bad for the battery. I had very little on my 6-year-old battery in my 2018 Corolla. The sticker shows this battery is 4 years old. I just replaced my car battery after the car didn't start one evening

[@tjmark67]

I use dialect Greece.

[@kz400-]

Hot water do the trick

[@gogogeedus]

Boil the jug is my first thought.

[@royalmac1011]

I use coca cola

[@georgekraus9357]

When there are signs of corrosion around battery terminals don't you think it is time to get a new battery? Why bother keeping the terminal clean when one day the battery might go dead?

[@aliendroneservices6621]

Just carry a portable jump box. Every car should have one, anyway.

[@CubNole]

Because even brand new batteries leak sometimes. I clean mine in my fleet a year or so after they were installed and they’ll continue to last about 6 years

[@ivanm.4777]

Too much talk and a poor result.