It is important to keep your battery free of dirt and grime. If allowed to buildup, the battery can start discharging across the terminals (shorting) and lead to premature failure. Battery maintenance should be done twice a year and should be a relatively quick chore. While it is possible to clean your battery yourself, it is always a good idea to take your vehicle to a qualified mechanic. The cost for such maintenance would be minimal, but if you want to try it yourself, here’s how.
*First, remember that all batteries contain battery acid. That’s right ACID, gloves and goggles please.
*You do not need to disconnect the battery cables in order to clean the terminals, but if you insist on disconnecting them, remember to always remove the negative terminal first. This is extremely important. Failure to follow this rule can result in a voltage spike that can cause fatal damage to your vehicles computer. When reconnecting, the positive should be connected first and then the negative. Remember that disconnecting your battery will result in your loosing your radio presets, if the radio has a lock, you will need to reenter the code before it will work again, the clock will need reset also.
*To clean the terminals, make a mixture of baking soda and water. There is no need to be too uptight about the correct amounts, it should not make a paste, it should be thinner than that. Pour a little bit of the mixture on the acid and let it sit for a while. The baking soda will neutralize the acid. Next hose it off very well, making sure that all the acid is rinsed off the battery and doesn’t lay in the battery tray. If there is still come corrosion there, pour more of the baking soda mixture on again, let it sit, then rinse.
*There is a spray that is available that you can spray on the battery terminals that will help prevent the buildup of battery acid, dirt and grime.
*Some batteries today are “maintenance free” meaning they do not require you to check the water level each year. You should make sure what type of battery you have so you know what maintenance is required. Make sure if you have a battery that is low on water that you remember to add distilled water and to not overfill.
