How do i get rid of powdery buildup on my car battery terminal?

Question

I get greenish powdery buildup on the negative terminal of my car battery... it will start building up every few days... why does this happen & how to i get rid of it?

Answer 1

Its corosion. You can get a post cleaning tool at autoparts store for about 5 bucks. Clean the post and put vaseline on them. Should work for ya. Good luck

Answer 2

Your car battery has acid in it. As gases escape from the vents these gases come in contact with the cooper base metal in the terminals and cause oxidation/corrosion! DO NOT CLEAN THE BATTERY WITH BAKEING SOAD & WATTER!!! Rember if the gasses can get out, the this substance can get in. Then it will neutralize the acids in the battery & kill it.
1 remove the battery from the car (Neg off first & on last)
2 clean with water only and use wire brush on post's
3 now use bakeing soda & water to clean terminal ends (inspect for cracks or areas eatten thin by corrosion) replace if either is present.
4 reinstall and reassemble all parts( rember neg. on last)
5 oxidation/corrosion can not take place if oxygen is not present- so coat all metal items with a light coat of grease or other oil based substance. Auto parts stores sell battery treatment in small one time applications , or just go to a local shop & have them do it all for you at a small charge
.....and then no more green/blue fuzzy stuff that makes your nose tingle.

Answer 3

first off do you have anything connected to it like an amplifier cause that will cause it if not i would say with the amount you are talking it would be a leak in the battery nevertheless you can use coca-cola or take some baking soda like 4-5 tablespoons full and mix it real good with a full glass of warm water and pour it over it and it will get rid of it.. then you need to lube up the terminals with some oil or grease ( its really thick greasy stuff they sell at all auto part shops) to keep it from happening again ...

Answer 4

With a battery terminal brush they are cheap couple bucks then you buy battery terminal claener and protectant this helps to keep this from happening again total fix maybe 10 bucks!

Answer 5

use can of coke to clean and do not use vaseoline as it will disapate use electroletic grease it is very cheap and purchase two round felt discs called battery savers and make sure all connections are tight as that could be your problem and if charging system was infact overcharging your battery would get hot and swell up "bulging sides"and battery would be leaking acid through filler caps "wet on top" . anytime you have a copper,lead metalic metal exposed to electric current or static electricity you get greenish corrosion "statue of liberty color" so use electroletic grease to stop it and battery savers and tighten terminals... good luck

Answer 6

go buy a battery terminal cleaner. This is a wire brush and it will clean that stuff off. Becareful not to get the powder in your eyes or on your skin....it can contain battery acid.

Answer 7

It sound like you are over charging the battery, have the charging system checked. The build-up on the battery can be washed with baking soda and water to neutralize it and then rinsed off with water, Good Luck and GOD Bless

Answer 8

Clean the terminal and the connector with some fine sandpaper, then connect the battery up again, and smear some petroleum jelly on the affected area.

Answer 9

Put baking soda on it and a little water. It will neutralize the acid. You will see it fizz. When it stops fizzing, add a little more baking soda and water until it stops. Whatever you do, don't mess with it with bare hands. Good Luck.

Answer 10

a simple can of coke is your best solution. but the source of corosion can be a sign of an over active charging system. you may want to get that checked out.