Some weird electrical stuff going on
Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 17,826
Likes: 3,110
From: Jersey Shore
A wire brush is a good start. Then depending if I need to solder or crimp on a new lug to a corroded wire. It may not do much for the iron oxide of the bolt and nut. But I've used this to clean connectors too.
After cleaning it going to be checking all the cables.
- Disconnect the wires to be cleaned.
- Get 3 cups, one for each solution. They can be paper cups, plastic, glass, whatever.
- 1 tablespoon of table salt in one of the cups. Fill it up with vinegar (any type), and stir the both together.
- 1 tablespoon of baking soda in the other cup, fill it up the rest of the way with water and stir well. Add more baking soda to make it cloudy. The amount is not important, as long as it is alkaline to cancel the acid of the vinegar solution.
- Put the stripped end of the wire in the vinegar solution and stir the solution with the wire.
- After about 2 minutes the wire should look shiny and new in the vinegar solution. The acid and salt in the solution is etching away the oxides, exposing the bare metal. Make sure the metal is uniformly shiny. Leave it in longer if it is not perfectly clean throughout.
- Once the wire is satisfactorily clean, remove the wire from the vinegar, and plunge it into the baking soda solution to neutralize the acid's corrosive properties. If the wire was exposed to the air, without neutralizing the acid first would quickly corrode again. The baking soda keeps it clean and shiny. Swish the wire around in the baking soda water for about 10 seconds. Shiny new wire ready for soldering or reconnecting.
- The third cup, filled with water to rinse the baking soda solution.
After cleaning it going to be checking all the cables.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 27,307
Likes: 549
From: Spanaway
I second or third the cleaning up the terminals as the first thing to do. It's free so may as well do it first.
You may find that after cleaning things up that things settle down. That terminal really needs to be remade
or replaced that is on the passenger side battery positive post. The voltage drop test can tell you if there is
any hidden corrosion under the insulation jacket that you can't see.
Jack your lead on this.
You may find that after cleaning things up that things settle down. That terminal really needs to be remade
or replaced that is on the passenger side battery positive post. The voltage drop test can tell you if there is
any hidden corrosion under the insulation jacket that you can't see.
Jack your lead on this.
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