Battery posts corrosion wtf

[AuroraGirl]

What causes the + terminal to turn black?

arcing, natural corrosion of the atmosphere to the post, dirt
I would take a post cleaner to it , clean the cable end. If it has a lot of wear, replace it. Copper ones are great. Brass I should say.
If its not worn, try carefully "opening" the battery connection by using a flathead screwdriver by the bolt that secures it, spread it a tad bit. Then place on lead post, tap it down so it kinda makes interference fit then tighten.

 

[Grumpy]

In addition to the age of a battery, one of the most common causes of battery terminal and cable corrosion is the slight draw of the electronics in a vehicle. Older vehicles equipped with the old-school radios which had an on/off switch were absolutely off, while pretty much everything today is built with what is commonly referred to as "soft touch" on/off as well as a separate circuit for radio memory.

The more little circuits that require low amperage draw for maintaining memory, gps location, soft touch, etc., the timing for maintenance will increase accordingly. Most modern heavy equipment will have four large 850CCA batteries and require servicing every six months or less - and this is because they have and Engine ECM, Turbocharger Controller, DPF, ABS, Dash Controller, Cab and HVAC Controller, GPS and Data Logger (with some also equipped with interface so the Home Office/Shop is able to perform diagnostics while the unit is on the road)..... and Agricultural has even more riff-raff.

As well, modern wiring and cables are manufactured with severely lowered standards. Not only is the quality of the copper strand marginally passable, the coating is porous and permits ingress of moisture along the entire length of the wire or cable.
If you want a quality wire, you now have to request for what is called "Low Oxygen Copper Wire." This is a term not heard of until twenty years ago - and even now, most parts people give you the deer in the headlights look when asked, then when or if they locate such, they are terrified to inform you of the price (about three to five times the "normal" stuff.)

Case in point: how much corrosion of the electrical did you see on vehicles up to the 1980s? Quality in manufacturing is a term with absolutely no meaning these days.

 

[Finkaire]

Hot water over the posts will clean the corrosion. Battery expert told me batteries last 40 months. I buy Delco

 

[Snoots]

Battery expert is FOS.

 

[RecklessWOT]

I've had good luck in the past, my batteries usually last me 7 years almost always, though I've gone as far as 9 yrs (maybe more). Unfortunately, when a battery starts leaking at the posts and causing corrosion, well too late it's already leaking (I've seen that as soon as 2 years covered under warranty thankfully). You can keep cleaning it once a month or so before it gets too bad and the battery itself will still probably last a couple more years even. But that battery acid getting all over the place will DEFINITELY ruin your terminals and cables (it works its way under the sheathing) and if you let it flake off and spill over for too long it will rot out your battery tray and any other metal it comes in contact with. Wanna be cheap, well you can keep up with the cleaning and stretch that battery out another couple years and as long as you don't let the acid chill anywhere too long it won't harm much. But for the extra hassle, you might as well just replace it now instead of later. Even though it costs a bit, I can assure you batteries will be even more expensive in a couple years. I'm actually currently dealing with this on a friend's GTP (who I am kinda his personal mechanic because I really want him to sell me the car when he's done with it lol).

And as someone said, no hot water won't do anything. What you gotta do is mix equal parts baking soda and water and pour that over the powdery stuff to neutralize it (you can also just sprinkle baking soda over it and slowly drizzle water to take care of the bulk of it), then once it's "cleaned off" make another round of the baking soda and water goo and smear/scrub it around all affected surfaces, then wash it off real good with normal soap like you're washing a car and it will be gone. The terminals and cables (and battery obviously) are already screwed so you'll want to replace those ASAP. But as long as you make sure the acidic powder doesn't fester anywhere too long there shouldn't be any long term damage. But yeah if you just let chill, you're asking for all sorts of stuff to rot

 

[idahovette]

Small box of Arm and Hammer is still a staple in my shop

 

[Grit dog]

Hot water over the posts will clean the corrosion. Battery SALESMAN told me batteries last 40 months

Fixed it for you!

 

[Grit dog]

This is the truth, the change in weather is what takes them out.

From a guy in Phx to a guy in SE Texas, I don't think the "change in weather" is taking out your batteries. In fact, it's the opposite in both of your climates. Extreme summer heat kills your batteries far quicker than anyone in the frozen north and even more so than those in temperate climates.

 

[Grit dog]

Small box of Arm and Hammer is still a staple in my shop

Coca Cola works well too.

 

[RecklessWOT]

Coca Cola works well too.

It works okay, definitely better than nothing, but not a first choice. Not only does it make a sticky mess, you have to let it sit a long time and scrub it around. The baking soda thing is instant. If it's the only thing you have on hand in a pinch, yeas use the cola. But otherwise, baking soda is the real solution

 

[Radiohead]

Be careful you aren't forcing any of the baking soda solution into the battery through the vents or caps. It doesn't happen often, but can if you are careless.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Be careful you aren't forcing any of the baking soda solution into the battery through the vents or caps. It doesn't happen often, but can if you are careless.

Good point. Never thought of that. But the baking soda and water definitely cleans well.

 

[RecklessWOT]

Be careful you aren't forcing any of the baking soda solution into the battery through the vents or caps. It doesn't happen often, but can if you are careless.

yes very true that can dilute the battery if you're not careful good point. But nowadays it's more and more common to have sealed batteries, and honestly if your battery is near the end of its life and is spewing acid around I'd rather save the sheet metal and worry about the battery second because it's going to need to be replaced soon either way

 

[1STLS1]

From a guy in Phx to a guy in SE Texas, I don't think the "change in weather" is taking out your batteries. In fact, it's the opposite in both of your climates. Extreme summer heat kills your batteries far quicker than anyone in the frozen north and even more so than those in temperate climates.

I was a rental construction equipment and fork lift road service technician for over 20 years in Cleveland OH, Austin TX, Houston TX and Phoenix AZ. Troubleshooting a "no start" was often a several times a day situation while maintaining various companies warehouse fleets and working at larger construction projects. I never ran a spread sheet or actually verified the data but over time knew the first hot days of summer and the first week of when the weather changed towards fall, I sold more far more batteries than other times in the year. I could understand the the heat knocking them out but never had a reason for once the weather changed back that we had the same run on service calls. Phoenix is by far the worst but saw the same trends in OH on a smaller scale.

 

[Turbo4whl]

What causes the + terminal to turn black?

This usually happens when the terminal looses it's seal to the plastic case. The fumes from the chemical reaction in the battery now can leak out past the post.

As stated, nothing is made as well as before.