It’s easy to clean your vehicle’s battery terminals yourself. Remember that corrosion is usually a sign of a problem with the battery or a precursor to a dead battery. Inspect your car, truck, or SUV’s battery regularly to look for corrosion, as well as bubbling, cracking, or other signs of wear and tear. If you see a bit of corrosion on the battery terminals, here’s a DIY solution from University Auto Repair that will only take about 30 minutes out of your day.
Suit Up
With your vehicle parked in a well-vented and lighted area, shut down, and the parking brake engaged, put on some rubber gloves and goggles to be safe. Cleaning your battery terminals is not a dangerous job, but you don’t want to get battery acid on your hands or in your eyes. You may also want to wear a long-sleeved shirt to protect your arms. Wear old clothes that can be ruined.
Disconnect the Battery Cables
Pop the hood and disconnect the battery cables. There is an order in which this should be done, so make sure you know the difference between the positive and negative terminals. Generally, the negative connection has “NEG” on it or is capped with a black cap. Disconnect the battery cable from the negative battery terminal first; then, disconnect the positive cable.
Combine Baking Soda and Distilled Water
Take 1 cup of distilled water and pop it in the microwave until it is lukewarm. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to the water. Mix the solution until the baking soda is dissolved completely. Grab an old toothbrush. Pour half of the baking-soda-water mixture over the battery terminals. Let it sit for a few minutes and then scrub the corrosion off with the old toothbrush.
Rinse and Protect the Terminals
Once you’ve scrubbed all of the corrosion off the terminals, use the rest of the baking soda and water to rinse them. If this didn’t rinse all of the residue off completely, pour a little distilled water over the battery terminals. Dry them off with a clean, soft, lint-free cloth, and then rub a little petroleum jelly on the negative and positive terminals to protect them.
Reconnect the Cables
Finally, reconnect the battery cables in the opposite direction that you disconnected them. Reconnect the positive cable first and then the negative battery cable. Tighten the cables so they’re secure and pat yourself on the back. You’ve just cleaned your battery terminals. Keep an eye on the terminals to see how long it takes for them to corrode again.
If it didn’t take any time at all, call University Auto Repair’s shop in Flagstaff, AZ. We’ll test your battery to see if it’s time for a new one.
