Maintaining clean battery connections is crucial to insuring the reliability of your automobile. There is nothing more annoying then turning the key and hearing the Click, Click of a dead battery. Not only will corroded battery terminals prevent your starting the engine, they will also prevent the alternator from charging your battery while driving.
The process to properly clean and maintain your battery terminals is quite simple. There are, however, some serious safety precautions you must take in consideration when you do this rather routine maintenance. The dirt and material collected on your battery terminals contains Sulfuric Acid, at the very least it will burn holes in your clothing. It can rapidly irritate skin, and can easily cause permanent blindness if you get it in your eyes. Always wear safety glasses, preferably rubber gloves, and clothing that you don't mind ruining. Always have a source of running clean water close at hand to flush an acid spill of even a small amount. A garden hose would be ideal. Take no chances, Sulfuric Acid is bad stuff. A glass of water just isn't enough to flush it away. That covers the chemical danger, now the Fire and Explosion danger. Never, Never, disconnect the Positive Terminal first. It should always be the last disconnected, and the first installed. I restate, the Positive Terminal is the LAST to be disconnected, and the FIRST to be attached. This is very important to prevent an explosion. Batteries are designed to be vented to atmosphere, even today's semi-sealed lead acid batteries will allow some gases to escape. With the smallest of sparks, this plastic box of acid and heavy metal will, and does explode. Causing blindness and burns enough to permanently ruin your life. Avoiding this dangerous possibility is as simple as disconnecting the NEGATIVE terminal First. If during the process of removing the negative terminal your wrench slips and makes contact with the car body, or any other metal object, there will be no spark. On the other hand, if you attempt to remove the positive terminal first, and bump against any metal item while the wrench in in contact with the positive terminal, you will indeed create a sizable spark. You may even instantly weld the wrench to whatever you have inadvertently bumped against. The potential for both fire and explosion is extreme. Do not mix this up. Once you have safely disconnected the battery, cleaning is straight forward and simple. A mixture of Baking Soda and water, made into a loose paste, should be brushed over the battery clamps. Not the actual terminals of the battery, just the cable clamps. If baking soda gets into the battery it will neutralize the acid and the battery will be junk. The battery should be cleaned with a stiff bristle brush, not a steel wire brush. Once the baking soda has done it's job, and the battery has been brushed, wash the area thoroughly with the garden hose. There is no such thing as too much water. Water will neutralize any acid that has managed to spread around the area. If you have placed your acid stained hand on the painted finish, a good flushing of water will prevent any discoloration of the paint. Battery acid, if left undiluted will bubble paint in a hurry. The next step is to use a battery cleaning tool, the best are the equivalent of a male and female wire brush that you place inside the batter clamp, or over the battery terminal and twist them. This action will give you a clean surface for the electrical connections when you reconnect the battery. Use of a canned spray cleaning agent is not recommended. They don't do a good job of cleaning, and may leave a film that will interfere with the electrical connection. Once you have reconnected the battery, remember Install the Positive Terminal First, and secured all connections, a light coating of grease or Vaseline will prevent corrosion from reoccurring. There is a spray coating available at auto parts stores that will accomplish this task as well. Battery maintenance is mandatory , if you want to avoid being stranded. It's not difficult, but it can be messy. Take proper precautions and wear proper protective gear and you should be able to go a number of years between cleanings.
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