How to Remove Corrosion From Car Battery

Have you recently inspected your vehicle’s battery and noticed corrosion? Don’t fret – the service experts at Don Franklin Auto can help! The Don Franklin Auto service team created a handy guide about what causes car battery corrosion, how to identify it, clean it, and ways to prevent it in the future. Learn more from your trusted service team at Don Franklin Auto near Elizabethtown, KY.

What Does Corrosion Look Like?

Many Louisville, KY drivers suspect corrosion on a battery before actually seeing it because they are experiencing a weaker battery, trouble starting the car, or low voltage codes displayed on the dashboard. If any of these symptoms show up, it’s time to check for corrosion, and here is how you do that:

• When your vehicle has completely cooled and not used for at least 30 minutes, pop the hood and inspect the battery terminals and metal.
• If the terminal is full of a white (or sometimes a combo of green/blue/teal), powdery material, you’re dealing with corrosion.
• While inspecting the car battery, make note of any rust on the metal parts of your terminals and cables.

What Causes Car Battery Corrosion?

Time causes car battery corrosion. Your battery is continually heating and cooling as you drive it around the Russel Springs, KY area, which means your car is releasing hydrogen gases through the ventilation. These gases are continually let-off over time and mix with the surrounding material to create a substance at the connection point. That substance is the corrosion you see on the battery, and it occurs at the terminal because that’s where the electric connection is.

How to Clean Car Battery Corrosion

If you want to know how to remove corrosion from a car battery, you have two options. You can use a solution sold at an auto parts store made specifically for car batteries, or you can make a solution using household products. No matter what, be sure to wear gloves, goggles, and a respirator to when handling any kind of solution, or as you work around battery acid, electric currents, and rust.

• Using a professional battery cleaner: You can find a battery cleaning solution or other electrical contact cleaning spray from your local Lexington auto store. Spray on the affected surface of the battery, then brush with a wire brush until the corrosion is gone.
• DIY battery cleaning solution: Remove the connectors from the terminal. Pour baking soda on the corrosion to neutralize the acids. Then, add some water to cause a reaction, and dry with a paper towel. Once dried, brush the affected area with a scrub sponge.

Once you have removed the corrosion from the car’s battery terminals, prevent future corrosion using rust inhibitor spray, a spray battery protector, or an anti-corrosion gel.

Schedule Your Battery Service at Don Franklin Auto!

In addition to applying a special gel or spray to prevent corrosion, following a regular battery maintenance schedule helps protect the terminal’s condition. If your vehicle needs an inspection or you would like a Don Franklin Auto service technician to help remove the corrosion, you can contact our service center today!