Battery Corrosion

[ddrueckh]

Just checked my 6 volt batteries and noticed a lot of corrosion around the neg post. What would cause this? Thanks.

[Skaling]

Are your connections loose?

[klassic]

I had this too just around the neg.

[NVGun40]

Corrosion is caused from the release of hydrogen gas from the battery. Most likely the vent caps. There are products on the market which will protect against corrosion. Make sure you thoroughly clean your posts and cable ends. Using one of the market cleaning products or the old baking soda and water, also use a wire brush and clean all around the posts and cable terminals. Then apply the protectant. Do this before you start getting corrosion inside the battery cable (even sealed terminal ends can end up with corrosion).

[Mustang65]

It is going on 4 years now that I added (2) 6 volt Trojan deep cycle batteries and SOLAR. When I installed the batteries I sprayed all their terminals/cables with BATTERY TERMINAL PROTECTION SPRAY (I used the red colored one by EPM from O'reilly Auto parts store). I sprayed the cable wire ends when I installed and crimped the lugs. I also use the spray on all outside wire connections (ground, SOLAR connectors...). I also used shrink wrap on all the connectors cable ends which adds a little more protection from the elements. This is what they look like now, going on 4 years later. They have also survived the Florida humidity of 80+% for 6 months each year. I clean the tops of the battery cases a few times a year with paper towels and a cleaning solution DW uses that she mixed up...works great..

So, you can look at the picture below and see that it probably does work, at least I think so.

Remove all your terminals/lugs, clean the terminals/lugs with a wire brush and or a battery terminal cleaning brush. Load the area with baking soda and water to do a final cleaning with an old tooth brush.. rinse them with water (make sure none of the water gets into the battery(s)) spray the terminals/lugs (protection spray), reinstall them (tighten them to specs) and spray them again (protection spray). You didn't kill the battery did you/

A picture is worth a thousand words, see below.

Don

[SmokerBill]

Don, I use the same spray and had the same experience as you. Over 3 years with the new Trojans and not a speck of corrosion. I pull my batteries completely out of the boxes when I clean them, usually once a year. At that time, I double check and clean all the terminal ends. When the batteries are clean and dry and back in the box, I lightly coat the terminal ends with a bit of dielectric grease before I connect them back to the batteries. Then I spray all of the lugs/connectors with the red spray.

I don't think there's anything magic about the red spray, though. I think you can use plain old Vaseline, or even bearing grease to coat the terminals. They just need to be protected from contact with the corrosive battery gas.

[Mnwelsh]

When I cleaned up my batteries I numbered all the posts and cables to make sure I hooked it all back up the same way.

[Mnwelsh]

Can't send more than one photo

[ddrueckh]

Thanks. I cleaned everything up with baking soda, a wire brush and water. Put it all back together and sprayed with the red stuff from O'riely. Will see if that keeps it at bay. Thanks again for all the quick replies. Happy camping!