You’ve popped your car’s hood and can’t believe how dirty the battery terminals are. There’s corrosion all over them. Getz Automotive advises that you can clean them yourself, but if they corrode again quickly, there’s something wrong with your vehicle’s battery. Some things to take into account are the age of your battery – three to four years is considered old – and whether you see other noticeable signs of damage such as a cracked battery case or bubbling on the case. If you do, replace your battery instead. If everything looks okay, here’s how to clean your battery terminals.
Supplies You’ll Need
First, gather your supplies. You likely have everything you need already in your home. If not, head to the store quickly to pick up what you don’t have. To clean your battery terminals, you’ll need
- Baking soda
- Distilled water
- Lint-free cloth
- Mixing container
- Old toothbrush
- Petroleum jelly
- Rubber gloves
- Spray bottle
Make sure the cloth, mixing container, and spray bottle are all clean. It’s also important to use a lint-free cloth. If you don’t have one, grab some paper towels.
How to Clean Your Battery Terminals
Take the mixing container and pour one cup of distilled water in it. Add one tablespoon of baking soda to the water and stir it until the solution runs clear. Set aside.
Put on your rubber gloves and disconnect the battery cables from the battery. Disconnect the negative cable before you disconnect the positive cable.
Take the old toothbrush and brush away as much of the dried corrosion as you can. Once you’ve done this, dip your toothbrush into the cleaning solution and scrub away the rest of the corrosion.
Keep scrubbing until you’ve cleaned the terminals completely. It may take a lot of cleaning solution to get them clean if they are corroded badly.
Once the battery terminals are clean, pour distilled water into the spray bottle and spray rinse your battery terminals to remove all of the corrosion and cleaning solution. Make sure that the terminals are completely rinsed of the solution.
Take your lint-free cloth or paper towels and dry the battery terminals and the battery completely. Make sure the terminals are completely dry before you move on to the next step.
Remove your rubber gloves and dab a little petroleum jelly out of the jar. Coat the battery terminals with the petroleum jelly to create a thin barrier.
Connect the positive battery cable first. Once you’ve reconnected the positive battery cable you can reconnect the negative battery cable.
If your battery corrodes again quickly, call Getz Automotive in Fuquay-Varina, NC. This is a sign that you need to replace your car’s battery.