Key Points:
- Corrosion doesn’t mean a bad battery indeed but lack of maintenance even after corrosion may damage the battery for good.
- Fluid leakage is the main reason for corrosion, while applying coating and gels may reduce the chance of corrosion.
Corrosion on the battery of your vehicle is a common problem to deal with. The development of corrosion on the battery increases with time if you don’t bother to maintain it properly. However, corrosion sometimes leads to a fault of the battery. So, is corrosion a sign of a bad battery?
Well, developing corrosion doesn’t necessarily mean to be a bad battery. But, if you don’t clean the battery even after corrosion for a long time, it may go completely bad. Corrosion may develop for several reasons including overcharging, leaking battery fluids, venting gases, and not being properly cleaned up in the first place.
This article will discuss battery corrosion and how to get rid of it in detail. So, let’s start with it without any ado.
What Causes the Battery Corrosion?
It is very important to keep the battery clean so that corrosion may not appear on it. However, it is also beneficial to know why the battery is corroded in the first place. Well, there are several reasons behind corrosion appearing on the battery. Here I bring some of them to discuss in detail.
Battery Fluid Leaking
Batteries of all vehicles include a mixture of sulfuric acid and water. The mixture reacts with the lead alloy plates to conduct electricity.
The lead-acid batteries AKA old model batteries have removable caps to check acid and water levels.
If the solution gets low, you need to pour the solution into it. These removable caps have vent holes that may leak acid solution if the battery is overfilled.
When leaked acid touches the battery terminals and other metal parts and isn’t removed for many days, corrosion appears on those parts. If time goes by more, a large amount of powdery corrosion would build up.
Overcharging the Car Battery
Sometimes, warmth is produced at a great amount due to overcharging which may also lead to fluid leakage. The hot atmosphere allows the fluid to expand and come out through the battery vents. This also causes corrosion.
Venting Gases
The AGM batteries are not refillable as the lead-acid batteries but they still have small vents through which sulfuric acid gases can escape. These gases come in contact with the battery terminals and metal parts causing corrosion.
However, this also depends on how much gases flow through the vents regularly.
Old Battery
Typically, if your car battery is more than five to seven years, the battery is on the verge of its lifetime. It doesn’t support you as before, fails frequently, and loses its ability to hold the charge for long.
When the battery comes to this stage, chances are, corrosion will appear near the metal parts of the body.
It may not have other causes of corrosion but due to the age and usage of the battery, it is corroded. It is probably time to replace your car battery if you are experiencing this.
How to Get Rid of Corrosion?
Well, the main cause of all to have corrosion on the battery is not taking proper care of it regularly. If you stay a little bit careful about charging and filling up the battery compositions, corrosion may be delayed.
To clean the battery, you need to disconnect the battery cable first. Then use a brush or dry cloth to clean the terminals so that no residue leaves behind. If there’s corrosion already, make sure to remove them all.
You can also use a coating to provide an additional layer of protection. There are different corrosions-protecting gels, dielectric grease, and petroleum jelly available to coat the metal parts.
Anti-corrosion washers are also being used to protect against corrosion. The washers are chemically tested to reduce the chances of occurrence of corrosion.
It is highly recommended to disconnect and remove the battery from the vehicle completely and spray and clean it properly with a rust protective solution.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
u003cstrongu003eCan A Bad Alternator Cause Battery Corrosion?u003c/strongu003e
It will not necessarily cause corrosion to occur. However, acid burn rapidly in a relatively bad battery, there’s a chance of accumulation of corroded deposits.
u003cstrongu003eDoes Corrosion Drain The Car Battery?u003c/strongu003e
No, corrosion will not have a direct connection with draining out the battery but it has impacts on the performance of the battery.
u003cstrongu003eIs Corrosion On A Battery Dangerous?u003c/strongu003e
Corrosion isn’t dangerous itself for you but it has devastative impacts on the vehicle. Corrosion on the battery indicates a high probability of leaking from the battery which means a damaged battery.
Final Thoughts
So, this was the article regarding is corrosion a sign of a bad battery or not. Corrosion occurs mainly due to the lack of maintenance of the battery. So, take care of it before something bad happens.
I hope you liked the informative article. If you have any queries, feel free to ask them in the comment section below. I will be happy to respond.
Thank you.
Related Posts:
