Battery Acid Problem

[l0aded]

So I have noticed that my battery forms a lot of acid but after checking today it seems to have escalated to a whole new level. Does anyone know how to prevent this or why this is happening? Also why is the color red now instead of the normal greenish acid formations?

My mods that are drawing from the battery include:
- Escort 9500ix radar detector
- Dashcam
- LED DRL strips (where fog lights are)
- OEM Audio+ Reference
- plug and play HIDs

Could these mods be drawing too much power?

Thanks.

[l0aded]

I cleaned it and greased it to temporarily fix it. Still not sure why it's leaking red lead acid though.

[wheelhaus]

Damn that's a new one for me, I've never had a battery grenade like that, especially red...must be a defect... Might be able to warranty, or go Optima and fuggedaboutit...

Edit, as far as amp draw, I don't think that's an issue or you'd be popping fuses or seeing a dead battery frequently.

[celica73]

The red is anti-corrosion spray, not battery acid. Unfortunately, in your case, it isn't working. I have the same red stuff on my car that is all stock, and it's been like that since brand new.

[l0aded]

Originally Posted by celica73

The red is anti-corrosion spray, not battery acid. Unfortunately, in your case, it isn't working. I have the same red stuff on my car that is all stock, and it's been like that since brand new.

Anti-corrosion spray? Can you explain? It wasn't like this before and I'm assuming they came out of the posts since the posts were covered in them.

[l0aded]

Originally Posted by wheelhaus

Damn that's a new one for me, I've never had a battery grenade like that, especially red...must be a defect... Might be able to warranty, or go Optima and fuggedaboutit...

Edit, as far as amp draw, I don't think that's an issue or you'd be popping fuses or seeing a dead battery frequently.

Do you think the dealers will honor any warranties since I have mods that draw current from the battery?

[extrashaky]

I was also thinking the red stuff is anti-corrosion spray. Do you have the car serviced at the dealer? They probably saw your corrosion and sprayed it on there. It looks like they sprayed it on top of the corrosion without actually cleaning it first, which is just stupid.

The crud on the terminal is not exactly acid. It's corrosion. It's formed when acid fumes from the battery react with the lead in the terminal. The crud is not conductive, so it will cause voltage problems that can grow more crud.

To clean it off, use baking soda and water with a wire brush or old toothbrush. Degreaser doesn't really do the job; you need the baking soda to neutralize the acid in the corrosion to stop the chemical process. Try to get it spotless and rinse it thoroughly, then hit it with a corrosion inhibitor. You can buy that red stuff at auto parts stores. A lot of the Jeep guys coat their terminals in Ox-Gard from Lowe's instead to keep the fumes from reaching the metal.

As for the cause? You might have an electrical problem, or you might just have a shitty battery. Try cleaning and protecting the terminals and see where that gets you.

[N1rve]

The red is battery terminal spray. You're supposed to spray it on the post (under the terminal) and not on the actual terminal.

Usually this happens on the POSITIVE side so I would pop that side off as well and check under there.

If you clean it and it comes back at an alarming rate, check the battery for leaks. On my Corolla (rarely driven), the positive side kept getting corroded at a really fast pace. Every 3 days I would need to clean it again. I bought the spray and sprayed it on (just like in your case).

What I found out was that the seal between the post (positive side) had failed, the post CAME OUT OF THE BATTERY. The corrosion was so bad I had to replace the ENTIRE positive side because it welded the terminal to the post.

[wheelhaus]

Originally Posted by l0aded

Do you think the dealers will honor any warranties since I have mods that draw current from the battery?

It's worth a shot, it's so common for people to install mods like yours that it's certainly not causing it so they would be real ****s to not replace it for you. Did you have the car serviced somewhere where they would have sprayed it for you?

[Sportsguy83]

Originally Posted by wheelhaus

It's worth a shot, it's so common for people to install mods like yours that it's certainly not causing it so they would be real ****s to not replace it for you. Did you have the car serviced somewhere where they would have sprayed it for you?

Which they are 99% of the time...

[steve99]

Originally Posted by N1rve

The red is battery terminal spray. You're supposed to spray it on the post (under the terminal) and not on the actual terminal.

Usually this happens on the POSITIVE side so I would pop that side off as well and check under there.

If you clean it and it comes back at an alarming rate, check the battery for leaks. On my Corolla (rarely driven), the positive side kept getting corroded at a really fast pace. Every 3 days I would need to clean it again. I bought the spray and sprayed it on (just like in your case).

What I found out was that the seal between the post (positive side) had failed, the post CAME OUT OF THE BATTERY. The corrosion was so bad I had to replace the ENTIRE positive side because it welded the terminal to the post.

I reckon your on the money.

Reckon that battery is cracked or leaking near that terminal or the apprentice at the dealer has overfilled the electrolyte and its leaking. Check the levels

[l0aded]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

I was also thinking the red stuff is anti-corrosion spray. Do you have the car serviced at the dealer? They probably saw your corrosion and sprayed it on there. It looks like they sprayed it on top of the corrosion without actually cleaning it first, which is just stupid.

The crud on the terminal is not exactly acid. It's corrosion. It's formed when acid fumes from the battery react with the lead in the terminal. The crud is not conductive, so it will cause voltage problems that can grow more crud.

To clean it off, use baking soda and water with a wire brush or old toothbrush. Degreaser doesn't really do the job; you need the baking soda to neutralize the acid in the corrosion to stop the chemical process. Try to get it spotless and rinse it thoroughly, then hit it with a corrosion inhibitor. You can buy that red stuff at auto parts stores. A lot of the Jeep guys coat their terminals in Ox-Gard from Lowe's instead to keep the fumes from reaching the metal.

As for the cause? You might have an electrical problem, or you might just have a shitty battery. Try cleaning and protecting the terminals and see where that gets you.

Only had my car serviced at dealer so far since it has been free. I have not checked it since my last oil change last month so it is very likely that it is the spray you speak of. The red (positive) terminal is covered with it as well so makes sense. Thanks for helping me make sense of it.

[l0aded]

Originally Posted by N1rve

Usually this happens on the POSITIVE side so I would pop that side off as well and check under there.

You are correct sir, positive terminal is completely coated in red. Thanks for the help.