Yes, you can clean the battery terminals on your European automobile. Kinetech Motor Werkes advises that this is an easy DIY job that shouldn’t take too much time out of your afternoon. The only thing to keep in mind, however, is that corroded battery terminals are generally a sign of a problem with the battery. The battery could be leaking or overcharging. Once you get the cables cleaned, stop by our shop so we can test your battery to make sure it is still okay.
Grab Supplies
Let’s talk about the supplies you’ll need to clean your battery terminals first. Most of these supplies you probably already have. Look around your house for
- A clean mixing container
- A clean, lint-free cloth
- An empty, clean squirt bottle
- An old toothbrush
- Baking soda
- Distilled water
- Petroleum jelly
- Rubber gloves
Gather your supplies and put them in one place. Head to the store to grab anything you don’t have. As you can see, this is a relatively easy and inexpensive way to clean your battery terminals.
Mix it Up
Your battery terminal cleaning solution will be a mixture of baking soda and distilled water. To be exact, pour 1 cup of the distilled water into the mixing container and add 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Grab your old toothbrush and mix the solution until all of the baking soda dissolves. Leave the toothbrush head in the mixture to saturate the bristles with the cleaning solution.
Glove it Up
Put on your rubber gloves and with your vehicle parked and obviously turned off, pop the hood and remove the battery cables. It is always important to disconnect the negative cable first. Once you’ve done this, you can disconnect the positive cable. Never do this and any other order.
Scrub Away
Take your saturated toothbrush and began to scrub away the corrosion on the battery terminals. Depending on how badly your battery terminals are corroded, you may really need to scrub at them. Keep scrubbing until the terminals are completely clean. If you need to, scrub away corrosion on the battery cables, as well.
Rinse and Protect
Take your clean spray bottle and pour distilled water into it. Use this to rinse away all of the corrosion and cleaning solution from the battery terminals and the battery cables. Make sure they are completely clean. Take your lint-free cloth and dry everything up completely. Let the battery and cables set unconnected for a while to make sure they are completely dried.
Finally, dab a little bit of petroleum jelly between your thumb and forefinger and coat the battery terminals with it. Reconnect the cables; you are going to do this in reverse. Connect the positive cable first and then the negative cable.
Don’t forget to call Kinetech Motor Werkes in Indian Trail, NC, for a battery inspection. We’ll find out why your battery terminals were corroded.
