Why You Should Keep the Battery Clean

Have you ever tried to jump start your car battery and was surprised that it was covered in gunk? Had you been wondering what the glop was, it was battery corrosion, formed by acid condensation. It may be cleaned by a simple chemical solution, since it has been formed by an acid. Something as simple as baking soda could easily clean the battery acid. Cleaning up your battery is not very difficult to carry out but you should take necessary precautions.

First off, you’ll want the tools which you can locate easily at home. The basic tools you need are a pair of safety glasses to protect your eyes, adjustable pliers and a screwdriver with insulated handles, a stiff bristled brush, and the key component, baking soda. Other items you need includes a metal or plastic scraper, box or open-end wrenches, cleaning brushes for the battery terminal, and either a turkey baster or small funnel. It is also necessary to have a container of water,rubber gloves, spray-on household cleaner and some sponges or clean cloths. This all will make sure a safe cleaning of the battery.

Safety Glasses Are a Must

You are going to have to have the safety glasses and rubber gloves to protect yourself from the sulfuric acid that’s contained in the corrosive deposits. Be careful to never get the deposits on the car since it will probably damage the car’s paint job. Depending on how corroded the battery is, the amount of cleaning that is needed may vary. It is possible, to get all of the debris and corrosion off of the battery, that the battery will need to be taken out of the vehicle. For this initial cleaning, you utilize the scraper and the bristle brush to remove as much of the dirt and corrosion as you can.

Basic Cleaning Solution

The next thing to do should be to mix one tablespoon of baking soda along with one pint of water then use it to clean the battery and the cable connections using the turkey baster. After that you can use the bristle brush to loosen and remove the debris from the battery and you want to remove the cables so that cleaning will be easier. Use the pliers or maybe assorted wrenches to loosen the connectivity before pulling them off, starting with the negative first, and then the positive. For other parts of the battery, use the brush to remove the deposits then rinse with the baking soda solution.

You can use the squirt cleaner and sponge to get rid of any additional dirt and grease. Dry everything off using a thoroughly clean cloth and after that reassemble everything the way you took it apart, reconnecting the positive first. At last, be certain that everything is attached and now you have a clean and safe battery.

Sometimes you will discover parts that fail on a vehicle, where fixing it yourself should be an option. It’s very costly to take your car or truck to a mechanic, especially when you must pay what they charge for the part, when you could save so much time and money by doing it yourself.

One of these scenarios can happen, whenever your alternator fails. You would have to determine if it was actually the alternator that failed or if it was the battery or starter. Should you be concerned of making the wrong diagnosis then it is easier to take it to a mechanic, but there should be more options. You will find strategies to determine if the condition is the alternator or not. The easiest though least sensible could be to own machine that checks alternators but they are very expensive. You can easily check to determine if your alternator is, in fact, working properly, by using a way that is practical.

Get a volt meter and connect it to your car power supply. After that start your vehicle and observe the volt meter to see if there is any voltage output, which will allow you to make a determination that is accurate. When you start the automobile, if you notice the voltage on the meter increase then your alternator is okay. If that is the case, it is possible the battery is a problem so inspect for loose cables first. If nothing happens on the voltage meter, then you will have to replace the alternator. The next step will be trying to decide if you want someone else to do it for you, or if you should tackle it yourself. Even when you employ a trusted mechanic, they charge high prices for the components and high labor costs as well.

If you’re confident in undertaking the fix, you can not only save on the part itself, you would not have to pay for labor. Using the repair shop, you have a better chance of the job being done right, along with a guarantee, but is it worth the high price. For most people who are not able to deal with getting dirty, it’s well worth it. Doing the work yourself, you’ll need the right tools, in addition to the car’s manual, but after that, it might be pretty straightforward. Whenever you buy the parts, you can opt for a brand new one or a restored one for less. If you’re not in any hurry, you can get good prices online, as well as quick shipping.

This isn’t the sort of work most people want to do, and that is why mechanics can charge so much. However, if you like DIY projects then getting this done will be fun and will save you money.