Battery terminals, the electrical ports where the charger is connected, have evolved in design in recent years. This makes cleaning a little intimidating for some, especially for those who have minimal technical knowledge about automotive. So, how do you clean car battery terminals exactly?
Cars commonly feature three terminal types, all of which essentially follow the same cleaning setup and precautionary measures. At this point, you will be following the same instructions in this article, regardless if you are using a JIS type, an SAE post, or a side post. Readers from Europe might be more familiar with the L-shaped post, but the procedures are basically the same.
Cleaning only takes a few minutes, and you can do that by following these five easy steps. They might be simple, but these steps have been proven safe and effective for all types of cars as tested by pros with years of experience in the automotive industry.
What You Need:
- a pair of rubber gloves (dish gloves will do)
- a cup of clean water
- additional water for rinsing
- small brush (old toothbrush will do)
- clean cloth
- baking soda (which is the main cleaning agent)
Using petroleum jelly or metal lubricant is optional, although it is highly recommended to prevent corrosion. Nonetheless, you can use either as lubricant for any car model as an additional precautionary measure.
Be sure to gather all necessary materials before starting as leaving the terminals exposed halfway through cleaning is prone to accidents, especially if you have kids around.
How To Clean Car Battery Terminals? | Easy Steps
You may watch this YouTube video for a clearer demonstration of the cleaning process using the same solution:
Tips:
The aforementioned procedures are applicable for maintenance in your own garage. However, emergency cleaning might be needed if you are on the road or somewhere far from any service provider. In such case, you can use any regular carbonated drink or soda instead of baking soda as cleaning agent.
All you have to do is to follow the same detaching procedures for the cables, gradually pour the soda on the car battery terminal. Leave it there for two to five minutes. Dry and proceed to reattaching the parts again. You still have to do the regular cleaning once home, though, as this is only meant to be a temporary solution.
Warning:
Cleaning is never a replacement for repairing and replacing car batteries. There are times when the only thing you can do is to replace the entire battery with a new one. As such, be particular with leakages, deformities in the battery case, cracks in any plastic or metal surface, and swelling, as these signs show that replacement is already inevitable.
Be particular with the detachment and attachment of battery cables as well, as most damages from cleaning come from incorrect sequencing. Not doing so may be dangerous to yourself and to your car.
Final Word
To summarize, cleaning your car battery terminal with ordinary household products suffices for maintenance. There is really no need for professional services on this matter, as more serious battery problems can no longer be fixed with mere cleaning anyway.
A baking soda-water-petroleum jelly combo truly does wonders in your car battery maintenance. However, it is also important to know when to clean and when to replace car batteries as some corrosion may come with physical damages and leakages that can no longer be fixed.
What you have to do now is check if your car battery terminal needs some cleaning and stash the materials in your car for emergency use. Moreover, do not hesitate to ask for professional help should you find other more complex concerns with your car’s electrical system, battery and engine.