How to Safely Remove Corrosion From Car Battery

If you pop the hood of your car and discover some corrosion on the battery, there’s no need to be alarmed. Corrosion only becomes a serious problem if it’s left to sit for too long, and it’s pretty easy to remove corrosion from a car battery! Keep reading to learn how to clean car battery corrosion, what causes car battery corrosion in the first place, and more with the BMW of Murrieta service professionals!

Identifying Corrosion on a Car Battery

Often, it’s not just a visual check under the hood that alerts Corona drivers to corrosion on their car battery. There might be other signs that pique your intuition that something isn’t right, such as power fluctuations, difficulty starting your car, or low voltage codes illuminating on your dash. If you’ve experienced any of these signs while out in Riverside, you’ll know to check under the hood for battery corrosion. Here’s what to do and what to look for:

• Allow the vehicle to cool completely—at least 30 minutes—before you pop the hood.
• Check for a powdery substance on the battery terminal (it’s usually white, and may contain hints of green, blue, and teal).
• While you’re at it, check for rust on the metal battery components as well, including the terminals and cables.

What Causes Car Battery Corrosion?

Corrosion starts to build up with time. Each day as you drive around Ontario, the battery is heating and cooling, releasing hydrogen gases through ventilation. As the gases are emitted, they mix with surrounding materials and form a substance at the connection point. The substance is corrosion, and the connection point is the car battery terminal where the electric connection occurs.

How to Clean Car Battery Corrosion at Home

If your battery needs maintenance, you’re always welcome to schedule an appointment at BMW of Murrieta! However, many drivers aim to do simple maintenance tasks on their own at home so they can save time and money. Fortunately, it’s fairly easy to learn how to clean car battery corrosion at home. There are car battery cleaning solutions available to purchase at auto parts stores, or, you can create a cleaning solution using household products.

Before moving forward with either method detailed below, put on gloves, goggles, and a respirator to protect yourself from any harsh chemicals, electric currents, and rust as you work.

Use a professional battery cleaner

• Most auto parts stores carry battery cleaning solutions or electrical contact cleaning sprays. Simply spray the solution liberally to the corrosion, then use a wire brush to scrub it away.

DIY battery cleaning solution

• First, you need to remove the connectors from the battery terminal. Then, sprinkle baking soda on the corrosion to neutralize the acids. Next, you need to add a bit of water to create a reaction. Dry up the liquid with a paper towel, then scrub at the affected area with a scrub sponge to remove the corrosion from the car battery.

Once you remove that pesky corrosion, you can help keep it at bay by protecting the battery with a rust inhibitor spray, anti-corrosion gel, or a spray-on battery protector.

Visit Us for Battery Service in Murrieta

If you remove all corrosion from your car battery and it still gives you trouble, it may be time for a new battery entirely. Explore our guides on how often to replace a car battery and how much battery replacement costs for more information before moving forward. Or, contact us to start a conversation with a service advisor!