How to Clean Car Battery Corrosion

If you inspect your car battery and discover it has some corrosion, there’s no need to worry. Corrosion is very easy to clean and doesn’t cause significant damage unless it’s left unchecked for a long period of time. As always, the Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Duluth service center is here to help you with DIY home car maintenance! Learn how to clean car battery corrosion in our complete guide below.

How to Identify Corrosion on a Car Battery

What exactly should you look for when you do a visual inspection of your battery? Here’s how to identify car battery corrosion:

• Allow your vehicle to cool down completely for at least 30 minutes before you open the hood.
• Take a look at the battery; if you see a powdery substance on it that’s white, possibly with hints of green, blue, and teal, it’s battery corrosion.
• While inspecting your battery, look around for any rust on the metal parts like the terminals and cables.

If you’ve been experiencing battery issues in Lawrenceville, like difficulty starting your car, weak battery power, or low voltage, you should follow the steps above to check for corrosion. If you don’t see any corrosion, you’ll need to schedule service for further investigation of the issue.

What Causes Car Battery Corrosion?

What is the cause of car battery corrosion? Preventing corrosion is difficult because it’s only natural for corrosion to occur over time. Your car battery is always heating and cooling as you drive around Suwanee, which requires ventilation that releases hydrogen gases. Over time, the gases being released mix with the surrounding material, creating corrosion at the connection point. This is why you typically find corrosion at the terminal—where the electric connection happens in a car battery.

How to Clean a Car Battery of Corrosion—the Safe Way

Before you head out to your Johns Creek garage and start scrubbing away at your battery, you need to know exactly how to clean car battery corrosion so you don’t get harmed by chemicals. You will need to get a special battery cleaning solution from an auto parts store or create your own using household products. Before you start cleaning the corrosion, put on goggles, gloves, and a respirator to protect yourself while working in proximity to battery acid, electric currents, and rust.

How to use a professional battery cleaner:

• Grab a battery cleaning solution or electrical contact cleaning spray from your preferred auto store. Spray a generous amount of the solution to the area of the battery with the corrosion, and then use a wire brush to scrub at the corrosion until it’s gone.

How to Create DIY battery cleaning solution:

• Remove the connectors from the terminal. Pour baking soda on the corrosion; this neutralizes the acids. Add a little bit of water to start a reaction. Dry the area with a paper towel, then brush away the corrosion with a scrub sponge.

Hoping to prevent future corrosion? Applying a rust inhibitor spray, spray-on battery protectant, or anti-corrosion gel helps slow down the corrosion.

Schedule Battery Service at Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Duluth!

Prefer to get professional help with cleaning corrosion off your car battery? Schedule a visit with our service department in Duluth! We offer ongoing service specials and coupons to help you save. With any questions before visiting us, please contact us at your convenience.