Batteries have a pivotal role to play in cars, toys, and electronics. They help all the electronic devices run. So, it is essential to keep a health check on these batteries from time to time. There are many reasons why their lifespan is reduced. One of those reasons is battery corrosion. You might have observed corroded battery terminals while lifting the hood of your car. It may happen due to wear and tear, and batteries are normal to corrode. But this doesn’t mean you should overlook this problem.
Corroded battery terminals cause the battery’s life to reduce to a large extent. Moreover, this can lead to more electrical issues in toys, cars, and electronics. The reason is that corrosion causes resistance in the flow of current. So, it hits the electrical systems within your cars directly.
Let’s take a look at the factors that cause this issue. You’ll also learn how to clean car, toy, and electronics battery corrosion.
What is Battery Corrosion?
Batteries contain sulfuric acid in them. As you use them, sulfuric acid tends to release hydrogen gas. This gas is dangerous and may cause breathing problems. It mixes with air, which also has moisture in it. As a result of a chemical reaction, it causes corrosion. It’s not challenging to spot corrosion. You can even detect it with its color. It is either a greenish, white, or blue powder and surrounds the battery terminals. Its texture is granular in most cases.
You might have given your kids a used toy or device as a gift on a special occasion. While doing so, you come across several corroded items. These include battery compartments as well. But if you know how to clean battery corrosion on toys, you can buy that for less.
Corrosion is the cause of several problems in industries. But it is an even bigger issue for household toys and electronic items. So, you must know how to clean battery corrosion off car batteries or toys.
Reasons for Battery Corrosion in Cars, Toys and Electronics
One of the reasons for battery corrosion is the release of hydrogen gas. Besides that, there are some other reasons given below:
Overheating of Batteries
Overcharging the battery in your vehicle or toys can cause it to heat up. This results in the expansion of the liquid present inside the battery. It allows the corrosive liquid to come outside through the vents. As a result, corrosion occurs.
Leakage
Most vehicles have refillable batteries, which you must add distilled water to. So, if you add more than the required quantity, the acid mix may be released. And it will come onto the outside of the battery. From there, it’ll come into contact with battery terminals and corrode them. It may also happen if your battery’s casing is in damaged condition. It doesn’t happen with toys or other electronic items.
Age
The lifespan of car batteries ranges from three to five years. While for electronic items, this lifespan may vary. So, the battery starts to deteriorate over time and its performance declines. As a result, they become more susceptible to corrosion.
Besides these, the location of vents in batteries is also crucial. These vents allow the escape of excess sulfuric gas. So, based on their location, you can get an idea of whether that gas touches the battery terminals. If it does, you should expect corrosion after some time.
How to Clean Battery Corrosion for Cars?
A corroded battery ensures that your car will not run at its peak. So, you must know how to clean corrosion off a car battery. Also, it would help if you did it in the safest way possible. The reason is that the same corrosion can affect you also. People mix baking soda and water at home to clean corrosion from battery terminals. But you also have to look at the mixing of water and electricity in this case.
A 12V shock may not hurt you much. But it can discharge sensitive electronic devices in your car. That is why it isn’t the safest method.
Here is the step-by-step guide about cleaning battery corrosion for cars.
Safety First!
Corrosion is mainly a powder wrapped around the battery terminals. It is acidic and may affect your skin and eyes. So, you must have eye protection along with heavy-duty gloves while cleaning. Also, some powder may come in contact with your skin. If it happens, you must wash it in the first place. Or else the itchiness can irritate.
Disconnect the Battery
Start by removing cables in the correct order from the vehicle battery’s terminals. It helps to avoid any damage to any of the sensitive components of the car. And it would help if you didn’t touch both terminals at once. Remove the grounded terminal’s clamp first. It is connected to the car’s body via a wire. Disconnecting it will protect against any accident to your electrical system. After that, disconnect the “underground terminal.”
The corrosion present on the clamp will tell if it’s easy or hard to remove. You may use vice grips to make them lose. But they may or may not work well, depending on the hardness of the deposits. One of the things to take care of is not to put too much pressure on the clamps. They are soft and may break easily. Instead, try to wiggle them and see if they become loose. If this is the case, securely remove them.
Before disconnecting the battery, use a memory saver to save stored data. Otherwise, you may end up losing data related to the electrical system.
Examine the Cables
Once disconnected, the next step is to inspect the clamps and cables. It is to see if there are any signs of damage or further deposits on them. If you find any, replace them. The reason is that if cables are not in good condition, there is no point of good contact between the terminal and clamp. Corrosion, in normal cases, occurs at the point where the cable enters the clamp. With this, it also makes its way to the clamp. Excessive powdery material inside it indicates that you should replace it. Cleaning is also an option if the amount isn’t that much. Use a screwdriver and tap the clamp. See if some powder falls out of it. It is better not to smell or breathe this crystallized acid.
Inspect the Battery
Inspect the battery casing as well to see any damage. If you find any, replace the battery with a new one. The latest models of batteries are recyclable. So, you can save some amount in those terms also. You may or may not examine the battery while it is in the car. See which way is better and then try to inspect it.
To increase conductivity, keeping a clean connection between terminals and clamps is essential. If the terminals have tiny holes in them, replace them as well. Pitting doesn’t look as bad as corrosion with the naked eye. But you never know how deep it is. So, replacing either the clamps or the entire battery is a good option.
Neutralize the Sulfuric Acid
You have two options to neutralize the corrosion. The first one is to use a battery terminal cleaner. It is a “spray-on” solution that changes color when it reacts with that powdery residue. The other option is to use baking soda with warm water. Both combine to form a neutralizing solution for cleaning battery corrosion.
Remember, you can’t pour the entire solution on the battery. Instead, mix the solution, dig a rap, and wipe the corrosion. This is because pouring the entire solution will neutralize the sulfuric acid inside as well. Also, you can’t use a mixture of baking soda and water to clean the terminals. Cleaning battery corrosion on cars needs special treatments.
Cleaning with Brush
Use a soft paintbrush and apply the solution to corrosion using it. Allow the acid to neutralize with it as much as possible. For this purpose, you may use a stiffer brush, like an old toothbrush. Scrub the solution using it on the terminals. Don’t try to splash it if the acid is still active.
Pay heed to the inside of the clamps and clean them with care. Also, clean the cables in the same way. You may dip the terminal ends into the solution to clean them. Using such brushes helps you understand how to clean corrosion off battery terminals in cars. But make sure which one suits the most. Sometimes, a more rigid brush may cause damage. Under such circumstances, try to do it with a clean paintbrush.
Dry and Polish
It’s time to dry whatever you’ve cleaned with solution. You can use a microfiber cloth for this purpose. Dry the terminals, casing, and posts of the battery. To remove any dust or debris, use a brush. If you find it hard, use water to rinse it away. Try to avoid connection even with diluted sulfuric acid. The reason is that it can cause burns, which may affect you later.
You may use petroleum jelly for the battery to avoid any further corrosion. It will also work as a lubricating agent. And it can help reconnect the clamps with ease. Don’t use lube oil or any other agent. That will cause more harm than good.
Reconnect the Battery
Return the battery if you removed it, and reinstall the clamps. Attach the positive terminal of the battery with a cable. After that, connect the negative terminal. Also, use a spanner to tighten them.
How to Clean Battery Corrosion for Toys and Electronics?
Battery corrosion is quite common in toys and electronics. It can damage the battery and even the device. Here’s how you can do it:
Safety: The Top Priority
It is important to have eye protection along with heavy-duty gloves while cleaning. The reason is that corrosive powder can affect your skin badly after contact. Make a paste of baking soda and water to clean corrosion off toys and electronics. Ensure that this mixture also doesn’t come in contact with your skin.
Power Source Removal
Before cleaning the battery corrosion for toys and electronics, isolating all the power sources is important. It will prevent you from any shock and will ensure safety as well. You may remove the batteries as well if needed. But that’s not the case with most toys.
Remove the Corrosion
You can gently shake the toy or electronic item to remove the loose corrosion powder. It will help clean battery corrosion off toys to some extent. After that, you can dip a cloth inside the solution and rub it on the target. You may also use a brush to scrub the areas affected badly. Clean the contacts afterward with alcohol. Make sure that you have removed all the corrosive powder. It is the best way to understand how to clean battery corrosion on electronics.
Dry and Polish
After all the steps mentioned above, you can dry whatever you’ve cleaned with solution. Use a microfiber cloth to do it. Dry the terminals, casing, and posts of the battery. If you find any dust or debris, use a brush to remove it. If it’s hard, use water to rinse it away. Try to avoid connection even with diluted sulfuric acid. It may affect you later.
So, cleaning battery corrosion off toys and electronics is easy. You don’t necessarily need to remove the battery. All you need is to take care of the toys or electronic items. And ensure your safety as well. It’ll make things easy for you.
How to Prevent Battery Corrosion?
You now know how to clean corrosion from battery terminals of toys, cars, and electronics. It’s not that difficult; you only have to manage things correctly. Though corrosion occurs in normal circumstances, you may prevent it, too. For that, the first step is to start applying grease on terminals. It will prevent corrosion on battery terminals in the future. Moreover, if you stop undercharging or overcharging the battery, you can avoid that. The reason is that both these actions lead to corrosion.
If corrosion occurs on a negative terminal, you’ve undercharged the battery. It happens when you take short drives only. But your system is drawing more power. Similar is the case with overcharging, which leads to overheating. So, it is essential to take into account the cause of corrosion. That’s the only way to avoid it next time.
It is essential to clean your battery terminals now and then. The reason is that debris may accumulate on the casing over time. If it enters inside the battery, it may also cause issues. So, cleaning is not only for corrosion; it also removes dust, which can affect its performance. Even a tiny piece of cloth can help clean it. So, make sure you keep a check on it.
Conclusion
Battery corrosion is a significant issue that most of us face daily. This may happen to the toys kids use at home. Or it can happen to the batteries used for solar systems. Almost all electronic items also use batteries, which corrode. So, you have to identify what is causing this problem. Also, you should see what remedial measures you can take to avoid it.
One of the methods to clean the battery corrosion on toys and cars is using various solutions. You can either use baking soda or something like that with warm water. You also have the option to use water only if you only want to rinse it. But before that, you must know what kind of powdered residue is present. And there is a proper way of removing the battery and cleaning it. You can’t just go and remove the battery without thinking twice. The sulfuric acid inside it may come out of vent holes and cause damage. Instead, you may contact a professional to clean the battery corrosion.
So, consider all the above-mentioned factors and see which method is most suitable.