WHY do my battery connections keep corroding?

[TomFromStLouis]

This is the second time in maybe 3 years that I have had to clean my battery connections. Is there something about older cars or LBCs that cause this? I ask only because I have NEVER had this issue in 30 years of various modern car ownership.

This second time I had no corrosion on the terminals I spread the red goo on; it was the cable to the clamp. So maybe that goo stuff helps and I should get it and fill my boot with it???

 

[Frankenhealey]

Are you using a sealed or vented battery?

Cheers,

Ian

 

[Bob_Spidell]

I haven't had this problem in the 26+ years I've owned my BJ8, using both vented and sealed batteries. This is not the fault of the car, LBC or otherwise; this is usually caused by a battery that isn't sealed well around the terminal posts (possibly just a bad battery, or maybe from damage or mishandling). Also, if you overfill any of the cells you can get some leakage around the caps that might cause this (vented battery only, of course).

Get a new, high quality battery, and use the corrosion inhibiting (red and green) pads that go over the terminal posts. Clean everything thoroughly before installing the new battery--use a slurry of baking soda and water to neutralize any residual acid, else you'll continue to have some corrosion (when you dip the cable terminals in the slurry don't be surprised to see some bubbling). If the new battery's vented, be careful not to overfill the cells.

 

[Frankenhealey]

 

[tahoe healey]

Are you over charging?

 

[Andy65]

All Bob says and coat the terminals with dielectric grease.

 

[TimK]

Usually this occurs when a battery will not accept a charge at the rate it is being given. Probably a bad battery. It has nothing to do with an old car. I had the problem on a modern vehicle, not on my Healey.

 

[TomFromStLouis]

Are you over charging?

I try to charge what the market will bear. Oh, you mean the battery. Doubt it.

Thanks Bob and others. I had no idea there were different types of batteries. Mine is, um, one of those choices. The grease I had used seemed to work and apparently I simply neglected to include some on the cable clamps the first time. I will fix that and my problem should be solved.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

The grease I had used seemed to work and apparently I simply neglected to include some on the cable clamps the first time. I will fix that and my problem should be solved.

Not necessarily. You're just putting a bandaid on the problem, which is a leaky battery. A properly constructed battery--sealed around the terminals--will prevent this problem, goop or no.