Battery terminal is toasted

[LibertyOrDeath]

As soon as possible go out to the Jeep and check under the red plastic cover on your positive battery terminal. In the picture below you will see the damage caused by the corrosion of said terminal. Almost left me stranded if not for my ingenuity, a pocket knife (which was damaged by starting the Jeep with it as the contact between the broken terminal and the battery post.), and an Al's Auto Supply spark plug gapper. Oh and a new terminal runs about 99 cents and so do the cloth corrosion prevention rings. Sorry about the crappy cell phone pics.

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[Ry' N Jen]

I had a similar thing happen with the factory battery. not less than a month or so (give or take a few days)
The + terminal had melted/drooped some 4.5 mm.
I decided to replace the battery with an Optima Red top.
Dressed the battery clamp with some baking soda solution to prevent further corrosion.

 

[J-Thompson]

I coat mine with Nickel based antiseize
it is conductive but will prevent corrosion

 

[offroadohio]

typical batter/terminal corrosion, nothing spectacular

 

[Dave]

Midnight.....thanks for the heads up to lift the red cover and check. Looks like you had a lot of "ugly" hiding under there.

Dave

 

[offrovering]

clean terminals with baking soda and water, use wire brush, scrub them and get the corrosion off. once you have everything cleaned up, coat terminals and cables with vaseline, don't use anything but pure vaseline, 100% petrolium jelly. it will conduct but keep from building corrosion, youll be surprised how clean they stay

 

[jeepkj02]

Did the terminal actually crack?? If it did, then you will have to cut it off and crimp in a new one. I had to do that to my negative terminal.

To keep the corrosion away, I use dielectric grease, or petroleum jelly to keep it from corroding again. Check it periodically.

 

[Mangate]

The corrosion usually occurs when the battery has just about had it. Be ready to buy a new one!!

 

[jeepkj02]

Try checking the water level in the battery. If it is low refill with distilled water.

 

[LibertyOrDeath]

Try checking the water level in the battery. If it is low refill with distilled water.

It is a maintenance free battery.

 

[tommudd]

thats one of those things you need to check and clean every oil change,
its not a real problem
its only neglect

 

[offrovering]

Try checking the water level in the battery. If it is low refill with distilled water.

I would never open a battery after what just happened to me. changed the battery out on ours when it went totally dead. everything was fine, loaded in the back to take home and dispense of, started to leak, took it out of the trunk, splashed...in face, eyes, clothes (blarg)

don't F with a battery - sulfuric acid is brutal

 

[LibertyOrDeath]

thats one of those things you need to check and clean every oil change,
its not a real problem
its only neglect

I didn't even think that would be an issue on a 2006. Now with the new terminal there will be no red cover to hide it anyway.

 

[Marlon_JB2]

WOW!!! That's one of the worst cases of battery corrosion I've ever seen! I'm surprised your Jeep was still starting on a daily basis, not to mention your amplifier!

I'm kind of a maintenance maniac. The WK better be OK. But let me go check the KJ...

 

[Corwyyn]

I didn't even think that would be an issue on a 2006. Now with the new terminal there will be no red cover to hide it anyway.

Interestingly I had to change the positive terminal on my mother's '05 a couple of months ago but the terminals on my '03 look pretty much brand-spanking new. Luckily the terminal swap was simple - go to the parts store for some terminals (paid $3 or so for a pair), unbolt the old one and bolt on the new one. Took about a half-hour with the drive to the store.

 

[Marlon_JB2]

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Looks like there's a little bit building up on the negative terminal. Bah, I just changed this battery in October. I'll get that cleaned up in a bit, and put some Petroleum Jelly on it.

Anyone know exactly WHY this happens?

 

[LibertyOrDeath]

Interestingly I had to change the positive terminal on my mother's '05 a couple of months ago but the terminals on my '03 look pretty much brand-spanking new. Luckily the terminal swap was simple - go to the parts store for some terminals (paid $3 or so for a pair), unbolt the old one and bolt on the new one. Took about a half-hour with the drive to the store.

So you probably spent more on gas to get there and pack than you did on parts.

 

[LibertyOrDeath]

WOW!!! That's one of the worst cases of battery corrosion I've ever seen! I'm surprised your Jeep was still starting on a daily basis, not to mention your amplifier!

I'm kind of a maintenance maniac. The WK better be OK. But let me go check the KJ...

Well the reason I discovered it was because it didn't start on a daily basis yesterday. Fortunately I was in the middle of a wicked rain storm and my cell phone had a good charge.

 

[Maximum Carnage]

clean terminals with baking soda and water, use wire brush, scrub them and get the corrosion off. once you have everything cleaned up, coat terminals and cables with vaseline, don't use anything but pure vaseline, 100% petrolium jelly. it will conduct but keep from building corrosion, youll be surprised how clean they stay

That is exactly what I do.

MidnightLiberty, that is one heck of a corrosion "problem".

 

[jnaut]

Dumb question, do all "maintenance free' batteries say "maintenance free" on them? I absent mindedly bought a new battery some time ago, then began to wonder after the fact if it's maint. free. It has removable covers and you can see the water inside, but the batter itself doesn't say "maintenance free" anywhere on it.