Clean battery terminals help the battery transfer voltage. If your battery terminals are corroded, there may be something wrong with your car’s battery. Usually, what corrodes the battery terminals is leaking battery acid, so if your battery is four years old or older, you should probably replace it rather than clean the terminals. Otherwise, Willoughby Hills Auto Repair lists the steps to clean your battery terminals below.
Gather What You Need
This isn’t a very long DIY project, so schedule just a little bit of time out of your day. The first thing you should do is gather your supplies. You will need
- Baking soda
- Distilled water
- Lint-free cloth
- Old toothbrush
- Petroleum jelly
- Rubber gloves
- Spray bottle
Make certain that the baking soda and distilled water are pure and that the lint-free cloth and spray bottle are both clean.
Mix Your Cleaning Solution
Take one cup of distilled water and pour it into a container. Add one tablespoon of baking soda to the distilled water and mix thoroughly until the water is clear. This is the cleaning solution that you are going to use to clean the corrosion off the battery terminals. Make sure to put the solution into a container that is easy to dip the old toothbrush in and out of.
Scrub Away the Corrosion
Put on your rubber gloves and, with your vehicle turned off and the parking brake set, disconnect the battery cables. It is important to disconnect the negative battery cable before you disconnect the positive one. Once you have disconnected the cables in this order, dip the toothbrush in the cleaning solution and scrub away all of the corrosion on the battery terminals. You may need to use some elbow grease.
Protect the Terminals
Once the battery terminals are clean, pour distilled water into the clean spray bottle and rinse the battery off completely. Make sure there is no cleaning solution or grime left on the terminals or the battery. Take the lint-free cloth and dry everything off completely. Make certain that the terminals are completely dry before you protect them with petroleum jelly. Take a small amount of the jelly and rub it around each terminal.
Reconnect the Battery Cables
After you’ve applied the petroleum jelly to protect the terminals, reconnect the battery cables by connecting the positive cable first and then the negative one. Again, it’s important that you reconnect the cables in this specific order.
Willoughby Hills Auto Repair is the best service shop in Willoughby Hills, OH. If your battery is getting corroded all the time, bring your vehicle into our shop for a battery inspection.