Corrosion on car battery

Corrosion on car battery would bring more complicated electric problematic if we let they occurs. Battery corrosion is a major problem for every car were using "lead-acid" battery. Battery corrosion looks like crusty, powder substances with white greeny colors that forms around the battery terminal.

Much of the corrosion is due to bimetal contact between copper and lead alloys plus due to the natural chemical processes inside the battery. Remember, the battery posts terminals are connected to each cells inside the battery case. All of them are flooded by acid with liquid form, gel form, or another formats that's construct the battery types.

Meanwhile, the posts terminals "somehow" are getting sweating an acid by the chemical processes and probably the posts terminals have pores leakage.

With an electric charge and discharge that flowing through the posts terminals, the posts terminals begin to spread the acid in and out to the battery cable terminal, and then the chemical processes happened outside the battery, mainly on the battery terminals.

As the thin layered acid contacted with hot air from the engine, it creates crusty powder substances with greenish colors that formed around the battery terminals. Soon, as the powder covered both battery terminals then we call it as corrosion.

What happens if we let corrosion continues on the battery terminals ?

Here are some examples that could happen when we let the corrosion continues on the battery terminals.

1. Corroded battery terminals can cause a car not to start

This happen because the corrosion material are insulated the contact between posts terminals battery and battery terminal cables. As a result, all the electric energy from the battery cannot flow through the motor starter and the motor starter cannot working as well to crank the car engine.

2. Make the battery going weak faster

As the corroded terminals are preventing the electric energy flow in or out of the battery, then the charging system (were charge an electric to the battery) isn't working as well. So the electric energy inside the battery will drain faster without any electric charge come in. This conditions makes the battery going weak faster and shorter the battery lifespan.

3. Lose connectivity

Some car accessories such as extended headlamp modification or an audio modification, puts another terminals on the battery posts. The corrosion can damage the terminals so then they lose connectivity. As a result, the extended car accessories will be off because there are no electric power.

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How to preventing the corrosion on car battery?

Corrosion on car batteries is difficult to avoid even if you used a "Free-Maintenance" battery. When it is get corrosion, the only way to prevent is to clean battery corrosion regularly and put a little petroleum jelly on each of the battery posts before terminals installment.