Impurities on the battery contacts can shorten battery life and can also cause current loss. Keeping your battery contacts clean will not only prolong its life but also save you money.
Cleaning Lead Acid Battery Contacts
- Open access to the battery and assess its condition. You do not need to remove the battery completely to view or clean the battery. For comfortable access, open the car hood and locate the battery. Check her general condition. If it shows cracks, you should replace it. If everything seems to be in order, then continue with the next steps.
- Assess the degree of contact corrosion. Remove the plastic or rubber caps from the top of the battery and set aside. Check battery cables and clamps for wear or corrosion. Corrosion is a white powdery coating around one or both battery contacts. If the corrosion damage is extensive, then the terminals and cables should be completely replaced in order to avoid possible future troubles. However, if the terminals and cables look good and are only slightly dirty, clean them according to the instructions below.
- Disconnect the car battery. Before you begin, you must disconnect the battery. To do this, you will need a wrench to loosen the terminal sleeve. Disconnect the "negative" terminal marked with the - symbol first.
The order is very important! Only after disconnecting the negative terminal can the positive terminal marked with + be disconnected.
Removing the clip can be difficult, especially if they are heavily rusted. You may need pliers to turn them off. If you must use any metal tool, use only tweezers, but be careful not to touch the car frame (or other metal) while working.
- Prepare the purifier. Mix 2-3 teaspoons of baking soda with a teaspoon (about) of water. Mix to a paste.
- Apply the mixture to the contacts. Lubricate with soda paste battery contacts. Be careful - while baking soda is pretty safe on its own, be careful not to get it on other parts of your car. After applying the soda mixture, you will see the result of a reaction with corrosion (begins to foam).
The paste can be applied with an old toothbrush, a damp cloth, or even a gloved hand.
- Remove deposits. If a lot of oxides have formed on the battery contacts, then they should be scraped off mechanically. An old dull knife is perfect for this. Once you have removed the largest deposits, use a wire brush to remove the rest.
- There are special "battery contact cleaning" brushes available at most parts stores.
- When cleaning, it is advisable to use vinyl gloves (those for washing dishes). This way you avoid contact with potentially volatile substances.
- Clean the contacts on the battery. When the soda stops foaming and the battery no longer has a layer of oxides left to scrape off, you need to “wash” the contacts. Use only very small amounts of water.
Be careful not to get the baking soda inside the battery as the baking soda can neutralize the acid and shorten the life of the battery.
- Dry the contacts. Wipe the contacts dry with a clean, dry cloth.
- To prevent re-corrosion. Apply some water-repellent lubricant, such as Vaseline, to the contacts. This will help slow down the corrosion process.
- Reinstall the terminals. First connect the positive terminal, then only then the negative terminal. Tighten them as needed with a wrench. Replace the plastic or rubber terminal covers.
- Ready!
Cleaning Alkaline Battery Contacts
Warnings:
- The battery should be considered a hazardous device. When extracted, it releases hydrogen gas, so they can be explosive. Therefore, do not clean near open flames and avoid sparks.
- Corrosion around battery contacts can cause chemical burns, so be careful. Use gloves and eye protection.
- Batteries contain strong acids or alkalis, both of which can burn skin and eyes. Never try to open the battery.
Unfortunately, sometimes motorists encounter difficulties when starting the engine. Not always the “problem” is connected precisely with engine malfunctions. Much more often this is due to oxidation of the battery terminals. They can be cleaned independently and at the same time quickly enough.
The first thing to do when the engine is running is to turn it off. This way you will eliminate the possibility of an accidental wiring short circuit. Then you need to understand how the battery terminals are located:
- They can be on the sides of the battery. In this case, to remove them, you need a key for 8.
- The terminals can be located at the top of the battery, then a 13 or 10 key is needed.
The next step is to loosen the nut on the negative and positive wiring terminals. After that, you need to remove the terminals from the battery terminals. It is advisable to check the battery for electrolyte leakage and cracks. If defects are found, the battery must be completely replaced. Similarly, you need to do with the wires and the terminals themselves. During operation, they may wear out.
Then we take a special spray or cleaner for the battery terminals, it can be purchased in virtually any auto store in Moscow. It is advisable to choose products that have a special acid indicator. They are the most convenient to use. We apply this substance to the terminals and, if necessary, carefully clean it using improvised items, for example, a toothbrush or fine sandpaper. It remains only to wash off the remnants of the solution or spray with clean water, and then wipe the treated area dry. For reliability, experts recommend lubricating with technical petroleum jelly or a protective compound all exposed metal parts of the terminals. After that, we connect the terminals to the battery terminals.
Hello to all readers! The rechargeable battery is a demanding device for operating conditions. And besides, it is able to occasionally present surprises. One of them is the appearance white plaque on contacts. Many motorists do not know why the battery terminals are oxidized and what to do to avoid this. Let's deal with this. And at the same time we will find out how to lubricate the battery terminals and how to wash it properly.
Why is oxidation bad?
Most inexpensive serviced batteries suffer from one unpleasant disease - their terminals can oxidize. A white mushy cap forms on the contacts, which makes it difficult for the battery to contact the car's electrical network. What's bad about it? As you know, the battery is charged by the generator. If the contact is oxidized, there will be a constant undercharging and at one fine moment, the car simply will not start.
In addition, with oxidized terminals, even a charged battery may not be able to cope with the needs of the car. And low voltage generally has a detrimental effect on any electrical appliances. Those. contact, by definition, should be good.
Causes of plaque
So, if the negative or positive terminal is oxidized on the battery, you need to figure out the reasons. We will deal with the consequences later. Moreover, you can fight them indefinitely. Or rather, until the moment when the battery fails.
Oxidation of battery terminals causes:
- Electrolyte leakage on the contacts.
- Contact of electrolyte vapors on the terminals.
- Car electrical problems.
By the way, the easiest way to check the cause of oxidation is to sprinkle the battery terminals with soda. Or wipe them with a damp cloth soaked in its solution. What will it give? In simple terms, baking soda quenches sulfuric acid. Therefore, if there is an electrolyte on the surface of the battery, a reaction will take place. Usually it is expressed by a slight hiss.
Elimination of leaks
The weak point of any battery is its current outputs. Most often, cracks through which the electrolyte seeps appear in these places. The reasons are simple:
- mechanical damage- the conclusions are tritely loosened during connection to the car network. Black Tyumen especially suffer from this - the negative battery terminal loosens on them very quickly;
- low quality battery case.
So, if the battery terminals are oxidized - what to do? First, you need to clean the terminals themselves. To do this, it is best to use medium or fine sandpaper. If the plaque is strong, the bulk is easiest to brush off with a metal brush. Cleaned surfaces should be smooth and shiny.
Now you need to eliminate the causes of oxidation. If there are frank cracks near the contacts, it is best to repair them with epoxy glue. And then put the gasket on.
How to make it:
- the easiest method is to use felt. To do this, a piece of material is taken, a round hole is cut in it for the leads from the battery, after which it is saturated with machine oil. The hole is made in such a way that the gasket is worn tightly;
- felt washers - the same, only ready-made. In the same way, they are impregnated with oil and placed under the terminals.
By the way, do not forget to check the electrolyte level. It will most likely need to be raised.
How to properly lubricate
In order for the contacts on the battery to stop oxidizing, they need to be applied with a protective lubricant. By the way, many motorists do not know how to lubricate the battery terminals so that they do not oxidize, so they smear them with anything.
You can use several methods:
- 1710 battery terminal grease - special composition, to protect electrical contacts;
- process with a gyroplane - special aerosols for protection against oxidation;
- lubricate with lithol - it's better not to. First, dirt sticks to it. And secondly, in the open air, lithol dries quickly and loses its properties.
I will say right away - any lubricant is a dielectric, so it should not be allowed to get between the contacts. The terminals must be put on, tightened, and then applied ms 1710, gyroplane or other means.
How to properly tighten the terminals
One of the reasons why the terminals on the battery are oxidized is their loosening during the connection or disconnection of the battery. To avoid this, you need to remember a few rules:
- when tightening, you need to use two keys;
- bolts must not be overtightened.
Checking if the terminal is tightened is very simple - if you can’t remove it by hand, then everything is in order.
By the way, if a long parking is foreseen, the negative terminal is removed from the battery. This will protect it from self-discharge. If the car will stand for more than a month, the positive battery terminal will also be removed.
If electrolyte vapors are released
There are 3 reasons why the battery may boil:
- There is a constant recharge.
- Banks are closed in the AKB.
- High ambient temperature.
Let's sort it out in order. First, you need to check what voltage the generator is supplying to the battery. Normal values range from 12.9-14 volts. If more than 14.3 is supplied, then the generator relay-regulator is faulty. As a result, the electrolyte boils from increased voltage. In this case, you need to urgently repair the electrician on the car.
Boiling can be caused by a non-working battery cell. It's simple arithmetic here. For example, 14 V is supplied to the battery. each bank has 2.3 V. When one bank is not working, 2.8 V will be supplied to the rest. And this is a lot. In this case, either restoring the battery or buying a new one will help.
Thus, if the electrolyte is boiling, thinking about how to lubricate the battery terminals is not an option. More drastic measures will be needed.
How to properly wash the battery
If the terminals are oxidized - most likely, either a battery leak or an excessive release of electrolyte vapor takes place. In addition to the fact that oxide appears on the contacts, the battery is covered with a coating of electrolyte and dirt.
And this leads to significant loss of battery capacity. On the case, there may be a leak of 7-8 volts. This is easy to check with a tester. You just need to close the positive terminal and the battery case.
What you need for washing:
- water;
- soda;
- a bucket with a rag;
- basin.
- plugs should be tight twisted;
- gas outlets and plugs should be washed with a well wrung out cloth- do not allow the solution to enter the cans;
- near the current leads, there may be cracks- next to them, also wash carefully;
- sulfuric acid will drain from the battery- so it is better to put it in the basin.
We have decided on elementary safety precautions, now we can proceed to cleaning. Yes, if during the washing process, you have a question - is it possible to turn the battery over, the answer is no. If this is done, the electrolyte will pour out of the cans.
The best and cheapest detergent is a 10% soda solution in warm water. You can pour it on the eye - special accuracy is not needed here. As already mentioned above, it is best to put the battery in the basin. You can pour a little solution into it - 1-2 cm, no more.
The top cover is washed gently - with a well-wrung cloth. If a solution gets inside the battery, the electrolyte will become unusable, because. the quenching reaction starts. After washing, the battery should be wiped with a dry cloth.
You can also wash the plugs. To do this, they need to be in solution for several minutes, and then rinsed with clean water so that there is no soda left. Screw into place, they need to be dry.
Thus, we found out why the positive and negative terminals are oxidized, and how to deal with it. It is important to understand that it is necessary to eliminate the causes, not the consequences. Otherwise, the battery will fail.
That's all. I hope you learned something new and useful for yourself.
In most cases, oxidation at the battery terminals is a kind of “bell” that very soon the car owner will have to shell out a certain amount of money to buy a new battery. If the required amount is not yet available, at first, you can get by with a simple removal of oxidation.
Removal of oxidation on terminals
In order to remove a white coating of oxidation, you can use an ordinary metal brush (with metal, stainless bristles) or sandpaper. It should be remembered that the lead that makes up the battery terminal is a rather fragile material, so you need to clean the contacts carefully so as not to damage them.
Some motorists clean problematic terminals with a cloth soaked in gasoline. This method is very effective, but requires extreme caution when working with a flammable liquid.
To prevent oxidation from forming again
Even on very carefully cleaned battery terminals, a white coating of oxidation can form again, so you should try not to give it such an opportunity. Based on the fact that the main reason for the formation of plaque is the effect of the electrolyte on the lead base of the contacts (this is facilitated by battery failure), it is necessary to isolate the contacts.
You can effectively protect battery contacts from the harmful effects of electrolyte using the old, "old-fashioned" method. To do this, cut out two washers with a diameter of about 25-30 mm from ordinary felt and soak them in machine oil. Then you need to put one washer on the battery terminal and install the terminal of the car's on-board network. The second washer should be fixed over the side contact of the car.
Solid oil or technical petroleum jelly can be used as battery terminal insulation. If finances allow, you can purchase for this purpose a special spray to protect batteries or a popular product called "Lubricant-Protection of Battery Terminals from Corrosion". Popularly for the name this tool the word "electrofat" is used.
Other causes of plaque formation on the terminals
Battery failure is not the only cause of the problem, although it is the most common. White plaque can also form as a result of a malfunction of the car's electrical network, which may appear due to its insufficiently reliable contact with the battery terminals.
Also, oxidation can form due to clogged ventilation holes. battery or a loose battery mount.
If the engine is the heart of the car, then the battery is the battery that gives charge to this very heart. And terminal oxidation can interfere with this process. The appearance of a loose white coating on the terminals occurs as a result of a chemical reaction of the lead from which they are made with acid vapors that are released from the battery. This process is also called electrochemical corrosion.
Signs of battery terminal oxidation
One of the most obvious signs of terminal oxidation is not bright, dim light from headlights, turn signals, parking lights, brake lights when the battery is well charged. Also, it is worth considering the possible oxidation of the terminals if, when trying to start the car engine, the starter does not “grab” the first time, or it cranks the crankshaft very hard, as if the battery is very discharged, although the car owner is sure of the opposite.
Why battery terminals are oxidized: the main reasons
- Electrolyte penetration into the contact. This is due to loose rods, an ajar or incompletely screwed battery plug. Solution: check the tightness of the plug.
- Physical deterioration of the battery. In this case, to fix the problem, you need to purchase new battery replacing the old one.
- Remember that used batteries cannot be thrown away just like that, they must be handed over to a special organization.
- Incorrect electrolyte density. To avoid this cause, it is necessary to service the battery in time and use ready-made electrolyte, and not dilute the acid yourself.
- Damage to the battery case, seal failure, as a result - electrolyte leakage, or short circuit of one of the battery sections. If there are stains on the battery near the input terminals, then first of all it is necessary to restore the tightness.
On batteries, the case of which is made of Bakelite, the used mastic should be removed from the terminal and filled with fresh one.
When the battery case is made of plastic, one of the following methods will work: apply heated resin to the area around the terminal or treat the area with hot glue using a heat gun.
Another method that can be applied after applying mastic or resin is to use felt. To do this, it is necessary to cut out two rings from the specified material, about five millimeters thick, the inner hole of which should be equal to the diameter of the base of the battery terminal, and the outer hole should exceed it by a couple of centimeters. Gaskets wet engine oil, are placed on the output terminals of the battery, and wire lugs are attached on top.
By the way, for these purposes, you can use not only felt, but also felt.
- Another reason for the formation of plaque on the terminals can be insufficient contact between the end of the wire and the battery terminal - particles of water and electrolyte vapor penetrate from the environment, and when an electric charge passes through them, the anode is destroyed.
Do not forget that it is necessary to tightly fit the battery terminal with a tip, but it is strictly forbidden to tap it with anything - this can cause recesses around the terminals. Attach the tip tightly, but without applying excessive force. To do this, it is better to use two wrenches, one to hold the bolt, and the other to tighten the nut. After fixing, a layer of lubricant can be applied to the contact assembly.
- The next reason is the clogging of the ventilation holes of the battery cans. This leads to an increase in electrolyte pressure inside the battery, and as a result, its leakage through non-standard holes.
How to clean battery terminals
From a school chemistry course, it is known that an alkaline medium is needed to dilute an acidic environment. And this means that oxidation (acidic environment) can be eliminated with baking soda (alkaline environment) or a solution based on it. You can also use Coca-Cola carbonated drink (this is not a joke at all, but a proven fact).
It is necessary to pull out the battery, then immerse the terminals in a soda solution. At the time when you remove the acid with soda, you can observe a boiling reaction, with the release of a small amount of heat.
If the "crust" of white plaque is thick, then first you need to remove it by scraping it off with a knife, a piece of fine sandpaper, a metal brush, or other sharp object. It is necessary to thoroughly clean the place where the electrode and the terminal come into contact, paying special attention to the inner surface of the terminal. Only you need to act very carefully, no matter what damage the insulating sheath of the wire. It is also advisable to wear rubberized gloves - this will protect your hands from exposure to aggressive substances. It's best to place the battery on a rubber mat before scraping off the build-up - this will protect your floor from debris.
Before installing the battery in place, perform a thorough inspection of the case, check the level, as well as the density of the electrolyte.
It happens that car owners are advised to use gasoline as an oxide solvent. To do this, soak a rag with gasoline and wipe the terminals and electrodes until the white coating is completely removed. Remember that gasoline is a flammable liquid. Be careful: in addition to dissolving the oxide, gasoline is able to dissolve the plastic and rubber parts of the car.
Before fixing the tip, it is necessary to lubricate the terminal area and the area inside the tip with a thin layer of technical vaseline, grease, or special silicone grease, purchased at a car dealership. By the way, the last option does not attract dirt, unlike the previous two.
Outcome
White plaque on the battery terminals is not a cosmetic defect, the oxidation of the terminals affects the quality characteristics of the battery, and also significantly reduces its uninterrupted operation. No need to delay the solution of the problem of oxidation of the terminals, as this can lead to the failure of the entire electrical system car. If the battery does not work correctly, an additional load on the generator is created, and this is fraught with its breakdown. To avoid disastrous consequences, and if you are not ready for a constant replacement of the battery, carry out the methods described above to combat the oxidation of the terminals regularly, for the purpose of prevention. And then your battery will thank you for a long and trouble-free service life.