My 2001 2.5L Ranger has been developing a lot of battery gunk lately. Actually, it's probably been a minor problem for a year or two. I've cleaned the battery terminals and it just keeps coming back. Two weeks ago when I changed my oil my dad cleaned them for me. I looked under the hood today and it's got build-up again. Should I replace the battery in anticipation of future problems, or should I not bother?

 

i would, and go with an optima gell cell battery, they dont have sulferic acid in them so there would be no more build up and on top of that they are friggin awsome batteries, i love mine

Matt

 

umm try some dielectric(sp?) grease.
I had the orginal battery in my truck till 3 weeks ago
and its a 96.
I bought a optima and it was too small so i went back and
bought one that fit.

 

I traded in my Pep-Boys battery with one month left on the 7 year warranty. The problem turned out to be the positive cable. I coated the terminals with grease at installation. Never cleaned them again till I put in the new battery.

 

Well D-ranged2.5, if the battery isn't a sealed type & has access to the plates, I would first check the batteries electrolite level & top it off as neeed, with distilled water.

Then I would run this puppy by your favorite autoparts store for a charging system check up, with their portable tester.

It can poperly load test the battery & alternator, to see if both are up to snuff.

You just might have a over charging problem, thats boiling the batteries electrolite & causing the excess corosion build up.

Or the battery may be trying to lay down on you, in any case the tester should tell the story.

So have the system checked before you throw a new battery at it, bacause if the altrtnator's regulator is out of whack, it'll over charge the new battery too.

If everything checks out ok, you might consider using Noco's battery cleaner & corrosion preventve spray.
You can come by it where batteries ar sold, at WalMart, or the like.

The cleaner goes on a yellow color, then turns pink, as it neutralizes any acid or corrosion it contacts.

It's an easy way to tell when you've cleaned it well, as the spray will stop turning pink when it's all cleaned up. It rinses off with water.

I'd then use a set of the treated Red/Green felt battery washers, onthe battery posts, under the battery cable clamps, then over spray that with the above Noco NCP-2 battery corrosion preventative spray.

Te product works surprisingly well.
I use this on my 94 Taurus & 99 Ranger. The Ranger still has it's 6 year old OEM battery, but no corrosion on the battery posts. The Taurus MotorCraft battery is 5 years old & is clean too.

Just some ideas for consideration.

 

battery on my 99 went out in '02! Napa replacement is still going on strong. My sister has an 11(?) yr old cavalier with the original battery. mix up a big glass full of baking soda and water and slowly pour it on the stuff you want off the battery. It's actually kind of fun. It'll bubble up, then wash right off! The green/red washers and grease is a good idea, too.

I wouldn't replace a battery just because of corrosion. If you have a voltage tester, check the voltage at the battery with the engine warmed up and idling. Increase RPM's and recheck. Post the results if you can.

 

dude, u have to buy the $5 adaptor for optima's.... and you cant beat the 2-3 year 100% guarentee free replacement on them

MAtt

 

With respect to battery life - I still have the original Motorcraft battery that came with my then brand new 94 Ranger. That green eye keeps on glowing!