How to Remove Corrosion from Car Battery

As with any car component, your car battery will eventually wear out and need to be replaced. However, your battery can also build up corrosion over time that can start to cause problems with your vehicle on the Stephenville roads. The good news is that corrosion doesn’t require a full replacement, and the battery will still work perfectly well after you remove it. However, you do have to take action to clean it and prevent it from building up further corrosion in the future. The service team at Bayer Auto Group has everything you need to know about car battery corrosion, including what causes it and how to remove it, in the guide below.

What Does Corrosion Look Like?

Battery corrosion presents in a few different ways. Even before doing a visual check, you might notice that your car has weaker power, has difficulty starting up, or displays a low voltage code on the dashboard. If you notice any of these signs, take the following steps:

• Wait for your vehicle to be fully cool and unused for at least 30 minutes. Then, pop the hood so you can inspect the battery terminals.
• If you see that the battery terminals are covered in a white, green, blue, or teal powdery material, then it’s covered in corrosion.
• Take the opportunity to look for any rust growing on the metal parts of your battery terminals and cables. 

What Causes Car Battery Corrosion?

As stated above, almost every component of your car will start to wear out with time, and corrosion is no different. The battery is constantly heating and cooling throughout your drives around Brownwood and beyond. This releases hydrogen gas through ventilation, which mixes with the battery’s surrounding materials and starts to cause corrosion to grow on the battery’s surface. Corrosion occurs at the terminal because that’s where the electric connection is.

Can I Clean My Battery?

The short answer is yes! There are two ways you can remove corrosion from the comfort of your garage, depending on what level of DIY you’re comfortable with. Whatever method you end up choosing, be sure you have gloves, goggles, and respirator on hand. Battery acid, electric currents, and rust can be extremely dangerous so you’ll want to make sure you’re properly protected. Here are the two methods you can use:

• Professional battery cleaner: Most auto stores will sell you a standard battery cleaning solution or electrical contact cleaning spray. Liberally apply this spray to the affected surface of the battery and use a wire brush to remove all the corrosion. 
• DIY battery cleaning solution: If you want to make a DIY cleaning solution, you can do so with baking soda and water. Be sure to remove the connectors from the terminal, pour baking soda on the corrosion to neutralize the acids, and add water to catalyze a reaction. Dry the battery with a paper towel and brush the affected surface clean with a scrub sponge.

Preventing further corrosion on your battery is relatively straightforward — just use a rust inhibitor spray, a spray battery protector, or an anti-corrosion gel.

Schedule Service at Bayer Auto Group!

If you don’t want to DIY a battery corrosion removal and would rather have an experienced technician fix the problem, Bayer Auto Group is here to help. You can schedule a service appointment right from our website and we’ll take it from there. You’ll be back on the roads of Abilene before you know it! Feel free to contact our office or stop by our dealership with any questions, or for more information about the services we offer.