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So does hydrogen or electrolyte leak out thru a loose cap? What if all caps are on tight?
Mowed two lawns tonight, so I started the truck 3 times with no problem. So the corroded cable was the problem.
From what I remember, as a battery charges from either you generator, battery charger, or a jump start, Hydrogen and Oxygen gases are released by the battery through the vent caps. So its a normal process of a lead acid battery being charged I think.
But I was really curious why though battery cables do get corroded. Looking at an old Chiltons I found this interesting piece of information:
"Corroded battery posts and connections result from chemical reaction of dissimilar metals to battery electrolyte. Excessive corrosion at a battery post is usually an indication of a failure of the seal
between the post and battery cover. To repair, clean post and cable clamp, seal post to battery cover with rubber cement or other plastic material, then coat post with petroleum jelly, install and tighten and tighten clamp"
Wow. I never knew all of this! So Abe you may have a leaky positive terminal seal on top of your battery. If that is the case, I wonder if a guy can get the battery replaced under warranty?
But then again it may be fixed with just a little rubber cement.
I am a little slow on the uptake, but thinking even more about this (Yes I know I need a life!). If battery terminals do start to have leaky case seals, perhaps that is what those red and green donuts help with. I always see those things at the part houses, and occasionally have used them. I am just now thinking that they are good insurance against terminal and cable corrosion.
Below is another great product to use for all electrical connections... Spread some on the inside of the clamp, terminal post, and then put it all together with the felt washers. Much better than the red goop in a can. Just wash your battery with soap and water monthly and you will have great results for a very long time...
On the dirty battery top. Yes, it can discharge the battery, especially if it’s grease and oil. These can conduct a small amount of electricity and drain the battery.
BTW. If anyone is looking for good, large, 2/0 battery cables, and you live in the upper midwest, Mills Fleet Farm has them hanging on display pegs in their Auto Electric Dept. All different lenghts ranging from very short to very long ones. They even have the large battery strap ground cables.
So if you're in a pinch, and no one is around to make them. Check with Mills if you are fortunate enough to be close to one in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and the Dakotas.
Glad the new cable got it going Abe!
As far as why the corrosion happens here is what Google came up with:
The most common cause of battery terminal corrosion is hydrogen or electrolyte leakage from the battery. It can also be caused by an alternator slightly overcharging the car battery over a long period of time. Chemical reactions with copper clamps are not rare either.
I always wondered about the Hydrogen part. The gas that the battery discharges as it is charging. If you are worried about overcharging you could test your battery voltage. It should be around 6.3 volts when the engine is off. And around a volt higher when the engine is running at around 1500 RPM.
About a battery discharging if the top is dirty. At first, I didn't think there was anything to that. But I have an old book at home titled Automotive Electrical Systems. Authored by Walter Billiet and Leslie Goings. (A handy reference book to have around..) So I looked it up. In it under Battery Self-Discharge, it states:
"The battery loses some of its charge due to external current leakage. If the battery top is wet, dirty, or acid soaked there will be a slight loss of current between the battery terminal posts and from the ungrounded post and the nearest ground.
So it sounds like that 2nd shop is right.
I guess I am going to start cleaning off my battery top too.
This is one of the reasons they don't recommend storing old batteries in the house or basement,etc, keeping them away from living areas and they need to be stored/installed upright. They seep over time (as you guys know). It's also one of the reasons those Optima batteries are so expensive, I think. "Virtually spillproof" is one of their taglines, and the top cap on those batteries are significantly different than "normal" batteries for a reason.
Grandpa's old trick of a dash of petroleum jelly on the terminals probably helped form a seal from that seepage directly underneath the terminals, whereas those felty pads (which I do use all the time now) soak up the small amount of seepage in that area. Also the reason they need to be replaced regularly.
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