Cleaning your battery cable connectors is relatively easy. If the connectors are corroded, the terminals are also likely corroded. You can clean both using baking soda and distilled water. This being said, corrosion on the battery cables and terminals is a sign that the battery is leaking the sulfuric acid that is found inside of it. As such, you need a new battery installed in your automobile.
Prep for Cleaning
Make sure you have plenty of light for the cleaning task. If you need to, park your vehicle outside in the driveway so you can take advantage of the sunlight. Set the parking brake to make certain that your vehicle doesn’t roll. If you need to, place bricks behind the tires. Pop the hood.
Next, take a small amount of baking soda and mix it in a cup with distilled water. Use distilled water only. Do not use tap water. You can mix the soda and water with an old toothbrush that you can use to clean the terminals and the cables. Set the mixture aside.
Put on a pair of rubber gloves to protect your hands. Remove the positive battery cable first, and then remove the negative battery cable. If you have enough slack, lay the cables outside of the engine so you aren’t cleaning them over the engine. If not, plan to clean them over the battery.
Clean the Cables
Saturate the old toothbrush with plenty of baking soda and water and scrub each cable until both are clean. If you have corroded battery terminals, scrub the battery terminals next until they are clean. Take distilled water and put it in a spray bottle. Rinse the cables and terminals with the distilled water.
Take a clean, lint-free cloth and dry the cables and the terminals. Make sure everything is completely dry before you move on to the next step. The next step is to apply a small amount of petroleum jelly to the battery terminals to protect them from future corrosion. This being said, if your battery is too old, it may continue to leak.
Reconnect the cables by connecting the negative cable first and then the positive cable. Close the hood and start your car to make sure it is running. If it is, drive to our shop so we can inspect your battery to make sure it isn’t leaking. If it is leaking, we will replace it with a new battery right away.
