[Tamarind]

Hi Guys,

Yesterday i forgot to switch off my head lights when juggling with a tire deflation issue

Today when i try to start the car the would not even give the cranking sound because obviously the battery is dead

When i was inspecting the battery i found some blue powder formed at the connector as shown below







So i was wondering

1. whether this got formed due to some other reasons or due to the battery drain.
2. If its due to some other reason - how to avoid this in the future ?
3. Will such formation reduce the battery life ?

[SunnyBoi]

Originally Posted by Tamarind

1. whether this got formed due to some other reasons or due to the battery drain.
2. If its due to some other reason - how to avoid this in the future ?
3. Will such formation reduce the battery life ?

1. This is oxidised copper from the battery terminals/clamp.

2. This is normal - this can be avoided by using a good battery terminal protector or grease/vaseline on the clamp/terminal.

3. Such a formation will cause improper contact between the clamp and the battery terminal. One of my friends thought he had a dead battery when his car didnt crank, turns out there was too much of such a formation on his negative clamp and it completely insulated the contact. Removing the clamp and cleaning off the debris solved the problem.

[Tamarind]

Originally Posted by SunnyBoi

2. This is normal - this can be avoided by using a good battery terminal protector or grease/vaseline on the clamp/terminal.

You mean to say

1. That i can remove the rubber cover and then wipe off the powder and
2. Then remove the clamp and wipe off the residue if present inside and
3. Then clamp it again and then on top of the connection put grease/Vaseline and then put the rubber casing again ?

My car is 99% parked in the garage safe from rain and sun. What is the source/ What causes such oxidation ?

Is this a common phenomenon ?

[Sudipto-S-Team]

Clean that with luke warm water. Cover the area with petroleum jelly. Push the car and get it started. Drive for some time. It should be fine.

There is an easier way - call up Batmobile service. 18001035454. They will do all of this for free.

PS: Don't panic about the blue deposit. You can start the car and get it cleaned a little later too.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by Tamarind

You mean to say ........

All your questions, answered here (with pics):

http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Car-Battery-Terminals

[SunnyBoi]

Originally Posted by Tamarind

You mean to say

1. That i can remove the rubber cover and then wipe off the powder and
2. Then remove the clamp and wipe off the residue if present inside and
3. Then clamp it again and then on top of the connection put grease/Vaseline and then put the rubber casing again ?

My car is 99% parked in the garage safe from rain and sun. What is the source/ What causes such oxidation ?

Is this a common phenomenon ?

1. Disconnect the negative clamp.

2. Disconnect the positive clamp.

3. Clean the clamp and battery terminals using a mild acid such as vinegar and an old toothbrush then rinse with clean water. It will remove all the deposits. Clean the rubber covers with vinegar and water as well.

4. Once done, connect the positive battery terminal.

5. Connect the negative terminal.

6. Apply a thin later of vaseline on the battery terminals+clamp. This will prevent air contact with the terminals and further oxidation.

7. Replace the rubber cover.

This is a very common occurence and nothing to be too worried about. Whenever you give the car for service, it is supposed to be cleaned, perhaps next time specify explicitly for the battery terminals to be cleaned as well. The copper in the clamp/battery terminals oxidise with surrounding air, this process gets accelerated due to the high current flowing through the terminals/clamp.