Your vehicle’s battery is important when it comes to the smooth operation of your car. It is what essentially controls vital tasks such as ignition, AC system, your stereo, and even your headlights. If you are running on a faulty car battery, you are at risk of stalling on the highway. Having your vehicle stall in the middle of the road can be embarrassing and inconveniencing, and in case you don’t have jumper cables, you risk finding yourself stranded in the middle of nowhere.
Your battery may be faulty due to corrosion, which normally happens when your vehicle sits idle for months without use. Corrosion normally forms on the terminals of your vehicle’s battery and around the battery cable ends and escalates when the battery and engine are not running. To significantly improve the life and performance of your battery, you need to check and clean battery corrosion routinely. Battery corrosion will also appear after extensive use of a vehicle battery.
Related: Signs Your Car Battery Needs to be Replaced
Related: Tips For Taking Care of Your Battery in the Winter
Related: Transmission Damage Due to Battery Issues
So, What Causes Battery Corrosion?
There are several reasons why corrosion might appear on your vehicle’s battery terminals; fortunately for you, we have compiled the most common reason to get you up to speed.
Hydrogen Gas Leakage
Your vehicle’s battery works by turning acid into electric current. Therefore, the moment hydrogen gas from your battery leaks and gets into contact with the atmosphere; it reacts with other substances in its surroundings and forms battery corrosion. Depending on the location of the corrosion, you could be able to diagnose the various battery problems. For instance, if corrosion occurs on the negative terminal, it could be a sign that your battery is undercharging, while if it occurs in the positive side terminal, it could mean that your car’s battery is overcharging. In most situations, vehicle batteries suffer from undercharging, which is more reason you’ll likely find corrosion on the negative side terminal.
Electrolyte Leakage
This problem only occurs with lead-acid batteries. Due to its age and extended use, the electrolyte inside the battery will leak and accumulate on the battery terminals. It could also happen if you overfill your vehicle’s battery with battery water.
Corrosion on the Copper Clamps
Copper makes the best battery clamp since it’s a good conductor and doesn’t corrode easily. However, if an electric current passes through the copper terminals, it forms copper sulfate, which often leads to battery corrosion. Copper sulfate is identifiable on the terminals as a bluish precipitate. Copper sulfate, unlike copper, is not a good conductor of electricity, and the moment it forms on your terminals, you will begin experiencing problems cranking your engine.
Overfilling or Overcharging your Car Battery
Overfilling your car battery with battery water will force electrolyte to leak through the battery vents, leading to corrosion at the terminals. Therefore, make sure that you fill in the right amount of battery water as instructed. Overcharging your battery will cause similar symptoms; the electrolyte will get charged overflowing to the terminals, causing corrosion.
What AAMCO Can Do to Help Stop Battery Corrosion
Your battery is an important component of your vehicle. It’s what sends electricity to your starter and helps your engine turn when you switch on the key. A low battery will cause starting problems and even stall mid cruising. The causes of a low battery vary, and sometimes it’s often a case of an old car battery rather than corrosion. If you notice corrosion on your battery terminals, you could use soda to remove the corrosion. However, it is advised that you seek immediate help from a professional mechanic such as one from AAMCO Minnesota. Battery corrosion could be due to a lot of issues, and it could also point towards other issues with your vehicle’s connectivity. Getting a professional mechanic to check it out will go a long way in preventing future problems. Our qualified mechanics will perform and inspection service and advise if your vehicle’s battery needs maintenance or replacement.
AAMCO Minnesota Can Do It All
AAMCO Minnesota is the leading auto car repair service center in Minnesota; we specialize in Battery Service and Maintenance, as well as electrical diagnosis and repair. We also deal in transmission service and repair, suspension system maintenance and service, brake service and repair, radiator and air conditioning system maintenance and service and many more.
Have you been experiencing issues starting your vehicle? Is your battery constantly getting low to the point you need jumpstarting? Your battery could be faulty. Contact us today for more information about our battery service. Did your car stall? Our tow truck is on standby.
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