How to Clean Battery Terminals

A car battery stores electricity to power up your vehicle. If your battery doesn't have adequate "juice," however, it can't perform its job. Corroded terminals are one reason your battery can't hold a charge. Cleaning battery terminals regularly will assure your battery is always fully charged and will always turn on your ignition.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Battery
• Battery cleaning tool
• Wrench
• Rag
• Dielectric grease

1. Lift your car's hood and check the battery. Signs that it needs cleaning are a powdery or unsightly corrosion surrounding the posts.
2. Loosen the fastener with a wrench or activate the quick release. Disconnect the negative and positive battery terminals from the post. To avoid electrical contact, move the terminals a safe distance from the battery.
3. Use the battery cleaner tool to eliminate any corrosion on the posts. Apply pressure and rotate the tool until its steel teeth make contact. Keep turning until the posts are clean.
4. Uncover the opposite end of the cleaning tool and place it into the terminal end. Keep turning the tool until the steel bristles contact the terminal. Repeat until clean.
5. Take a rag and remove any residue from the post and terminal. Cover the post with a dielectric grease. This prevents future corrosion and yields good contact. Perform the same steps for the positive terminal and post.
6. Make sure the terminals are clean and shiny, then reassemble and reinstall both terminals.

Tips & Warnings

• Cleaning tools with two cutting edges and a reamer are preferred because of their durability.
• One battery post is larger in diameter.
• Battery cleaning tools come in different designs.
• In an emergency, pour coca cola on the terminals and let set. Repeat if necessary, then scrape the "crud" off the terminals with a knife or wire brush to make them shiny.
• Tools and metal objects should not come into contact with posts.