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Old 02-27-2020, 02:17 PM   #1
hazelhoff
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Default Battery connector corroding

Please can anyone explain why my Model A battery keeps corroding on the plus connector ?
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Old 02-27-2020, 03:23 PM   #2
Patrick L.
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Default Re: Battery connector corroding

Take it off and wire brush the cable end as well as the terminal, attach, then hit it with some spray paint.

I'd recommend removing the frame ground and doing the same.
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Old 02-27-2020, 03:39 PM   #3
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Default Re: Battery connector corroding

There are several different kinds of battery post spray/protectant on the market. Might try one. Can't hurt, might help.
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Old 02-27-2020, 04:51 PM   #4
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Default Re: Battery connector corroding

There are two types of "gook" you can put on it. Using both maximizes your post to clamp contact AND insulates the surface against trickle.

I use Noalox conductive grease on the post/inside of the clamp. This is a product which became popular in the 1980s when many new houses were wired with aluminum wire. Aluminum DOES corrode and the oxidation is thin, but an effective insulator/resistance to current flow. Copper contacts against aluminum yield a "hot-spot" which burned down MANY houses until the wiring manufacturers came up with a conduction solution. The solution was to use an air excluding "conductive grease" of which NoAlox became the primary name among electricians.

On battery terminals, the grease part prevents the thin film of lead oxide from forming and the graphite within the product provides a non-interruptible current path.

Then - when the clamp is in place and snugged up, spray it externally with the yellow spray frequently advertised to eliminate "trickle current" which is the source of the blue/white powder. CRC Battery Terminal Protector is what I have now although CRC sells a gel that can be used, small felt circles infused with the stuff too.

I have been known to wash a battery particularly the top with soap and distilled water (which can come from the dehumidifier) to reduce the trickle.

Doubtless there are other names for battery products to prevent corrosion but you want to separate the conduction issue from the trickle current issue since technically as issues they are at odds with one another - and one product alone is unlikely to solve both.

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Old 02-27-2020, 05:05 PM   #5
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Default Re: Battery connector corroding

When I connect any battery (in a car) I use a little dielectric grease. Never a problem after that.
As to your original question, this site explains it well.
https://mechanicbase.com/electric/ba...nal-corrosion/
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Old 02-27-2020, 05:16 PM   #6
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Use clear water or distilled. You can buy distilled at Target etc. for $1.00 gallon plus you have it for other uses such as servicing the battery. Baking soda with water is a excellent clean up method.
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Old 02-27-2020, 05:29 PM   #7
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Default Re: Battery connector corroding

I always install anti-corrosions washer on the posts. Paint posts with di-electric grease before installation. I install anti-corrosion pad under the battery also the protect the battery box.

Dare I even mention this. (You put WHAT in your battery?) I have not had a problem with battery corrosion (or had to add water) since I started using 'Battery Oil' as suggest by a Ford Barn member years ago.

Last edited by Y-Blockhead; 02-27-2020 at 08:46 PM.
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Old 02-27-2020, 06:47 PM   #8
Kurt in NJ
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Default Re: Battery connector corroding

Possibly The seal between the post and case of the battery is not preventing acid from coming through ---- a guy that used to work with me always beat the terminal on with hammer---- it took a while to figure the excessive terminal corrosion and battery failure some cars were having--- the records showed they were all cars he did something that required terminal removal

Overfilling the cells also can cause acid on top of battery--- only fill fully charged battery, on dead batteries only fill to cover plates till it is charged
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Old 02-27-2020, 07:10 PM   #9
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Default Re: Battery connector corroding

I also use a little dielectric grease on the ground to the frame.
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Old 02-27-2020, 08:06 PM   #10
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Default Re: Battery connector corroding

Clean everything up good with a little ammonia. it will neutralize the acid. Make sure your connections are shiny clean and tight. Then put a little of what ever you use, grease, etc.,. on outside to seal it and prevent oxidation.
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Old 02-27-2020, 09:23 PM   #11
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Default Re: Battery connector corroding

Joe K, you seem to be very knowledgeable about electrolytic activity, corrosion, conductivity & resistivity and I was wondering wouldn't filling the battery cells too high also add to the post corrosion problem?
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Old 02-27-2020, 11:24 PM   #12
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Default Re: Battery connector corroding

It can also be caused by your generator output being too high. If you are having to add water fairly often, you are boiling the cells dry. That makes the battery emit hydrogen gas and water which will corrode anything nearby.
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Old 02-28-2020, 12:39 AM   #13
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Default Re: Battery connector corroding

Quote:
Originally Posted by hazelhoff View Post
Please can anyone explain why my Model A battery keeps corroding on the plus connector ?
The plus signs are trying to escape the battery without doing any work and are finding the outside world very negative.
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Old 02-28-2020, 07:01 AM   #14
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Default Re: Battery connector corroding

My car was needing battery post cleaning constantly. My cable from battery to starter was way too small. It had a fat insulator that fooled me. Somewhere you may be getting necked down or restricted by corrosion. Clean up grounds and inspect cables and clamps.
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Old 02-28-2020, 07:41 AM   #15
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Default Re: Battery connector corroding

Quote:
Originally Posted by updraught View Post
the plus signs are trying to escape the battery without doing any work and are finding the outside world very negative.



lol
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Old 02-28-2020, 07:46 AM   #16
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Default Re: Battery connector corroding

Corrosion X is fantastic. Used it my boats for years proven in saltwater enviroment.
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Old 02-28-2020, 12:01 PM   #17
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Default Re: Battery connector corroding

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Originally Posted by updraught View Post
The plus signs are trying to escape the battery without doing any work and are finding the outside world very negative.
We really need a "like" button. Post of the day.


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Old 02-28-2020, 12:23 PM   #18
katy
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Default Re: Battery connector corroding

After battery post and terminal cleanup I coat it w/silicone grease, works good to prevent corrosion. Been doing it that way for about 50 years or so and so far so good.
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Old 02-28-2020, 05:48 PM   #19
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Default Re: Battery connector corroding

My father would clean up the battery connections, tighten them down, and ten take a dab of grease from his grease gun and apply it - not sure if that is good, but I do not remember seeing any corrosion on his battery terminals/battery clamps.


Seem to remember in the 60s 70s there were pads you could put down between the cable clamps and the battery posts. Do not know if they worked, or if still available.
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Old 02-29-2020, 10:27 PM   #20
Joe K
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Default Re: Battery connector corroding

Quote:
Originally Posted by CT Jack View Post
Joe K, you seem to be very knowledgeable about electrolytic activity, corrosion, conductivity & resistivity and I was wondering wouldn't filling the battery cells too high also add to the post corrosion problem?
Anything above the plates is electrolytic inert. No purpose to battery charging, capacity or discharge.

That said, batteries (particularly in the Model A regulated or unregulated) can "hydrolyze" the water in them (over charging causes the water to disassociate and create hydrogen and oxygen which is why battery caps have "breather holes" - to let the pressure out) with a consequent lowering of electrolyte level.

So you either want to carry your level low and check level frequently lest it go below the plates (this is not fatal to a battery but it does cut into its capacity) or keep a modest surplus and check less frequently.

How much surplus is a good question. How often do you check?

As to level being high causing corrosion - corrosion is caused by the electrolyte being "thrown" as a mist by those hydrogen/oxygen bubbles on overcharging. Don't overcharge - no bubbles - or very few anyway.

A greater space above the water line gives the mist some "residence time" to drift back down and recombine with the water level - a "liberation zone" certainly. So to answer the question - keeping the level down SHOULD reduce the mist which escapes from those vent holes. And yes, a high level will tend to move mist outside the battery case causing corrosion.

Many battery vendors now include "recombining" caps with some sort of chemical to grab and re-associate the hydrogen and oxygen and limit discharge to outside. This is a spin-off of the AGM/Gel technology which attempts to limit how much gas/mist a battery creates. These technically should help with corrosion. I think these caps can be bought separately - although I have never used them.

I hope this helps. I'm not a fan of AGM/Gel batteries. Its nice to actually see and appreciate and be able to test with a hydrometer what exactly is going on in your battery - which "Maintenance Free" batteries true to their name are designed to prevent.

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