How to Clean Car Battery Corrosion

If you’ve been having issues with your car battery, corrosion is a very likely culprit. Although you can always schedule service and have us take care of the issue in-house, we’d also be happy to help you learn how to clean car battery corrosion at home! Read on to learn how to remove corrosion from car battery and find out what causes car battery corrosion in the first place. 

The Appearance of Corrosion 

Have you noticed a drastic change in how your vehicle starts? Perhaps you’ve been dealing with weaker power output or low voltage codes on your dash display. Any of these problems can indicate advanced battery corrosion, so you’ll want to take a look under the hood at the next available opportunity. 

Wait at least 30 minutes after you stop the vehicle, and make sure the engine is cool before you pop it open. Take a look at the battery metal and terminals, where corrosion will form. If you see a white powdery material with hints of green/blue tones, you have corrosion. You’ll now need to figure out how to remove corrosion from the car battery.

How to Remove Car Battery Corrosion 

Now that you know what corrosion looks like, you can learn how to clean car battery corrosion! Our service center near Fort Lee recommends specific car battery solutions from auto part stores like our own, however you can also create a usable solution at home. Make sure to have goggles, safely gloves, and a respirator, and remove all metal and jewelry from your person. Always exercise caution when working with your car battery.

How to remove car battery corrosion with professional cleaner: 

• Remove the cables from the terminal and hold them to the side. Spray the solution directly onto the surface of the battery, and then use a wire brush to remove the corrosion. 

How to remove car battery corrosion with DIY cleaning solution: 

• Remove each connect from the terminal, and then neutralize the acids with baking soda. Pour some water to start a reaction. Dab a paper towel then brush the corrosion with a scrub sponge.

What Causes Car Battery Corrosion?

So, what causes car battery corrosion? You may think it just appeared one day, but really it appeared over a length of time. Since the car battery is being turned on and off, there is a constant release of hydrogen gas through ventilation. Once these gases mix with the material near the terminals, this chalky, acidic substance can and will form. The electric connection at the terminal is what causes car battery corrosion. 

Learn Car Battery Care at Land Rover Paramus!

Contact us for more DIY service tips and tricks that you can try at home in Jersey City or Ridgewood! Hoping to save on a new battery, or installation? Don’t miss out on our Land Rover service and parts specials.