Battery leaking acid from terminals

[Mav123]

Hello,

I sincerely appreciate that I found this community where members share their experiences and opinions, so another member doesn't need to reinvest a wheel.

I cleaned the top of the battery with baking soda and wiped it with water, but after a while I find new acid is forming around the battery terminals. I am not certain about the age of a battery, one of my family members. It could be 3-5 yrs old, but still reading well.

I was looking into CB104 4 Oz NCP2 Battery Corrosion Preventative or the spray (is it better to seal/glue the area around the battery terminals)?
I am already using B603 NCP2 Battery Corrosion Terminal Protectors, but the acid is forming through the positive side.

Would you please suggest what to do to seal or glue the area around the battery terminals so the acid doesn't leak out or escape?

Thank you

 

[skyactiv]

Don't try sealing it, keep maintaining it. One thing not everyone knows is you should be very careful when installing the battery terminals on the battery post. Put them on square and without force. Tighten them careful and squarely. I've seen people bend the post, bend the plastic, when tightening battery terminals, I've done it myself. Yeah, it goes back to shape and you think, no harm done. If you're lucky. But that can cause micro cracks and cause the issue you're having.

 

[andyd]

Buy a set of the Red and green washers. push vaseline into the washers. Lay down more grease around the terminal/case area. Grease any exposed metal. This will slow down the corrosion

 

[dishdude]

I'd probably would look into replacing if it is indeed 3-5 years old.

 

[CR94]

... Would you please suggest what to do to seal or glue the area around the battery terminals so the acid doesn't leak out or escape?

What brand is the battery? Some are worse about leaking than others.

 

[bullwinkle]

Buy a set of the Red and green washers. push vaseline into the washers. Lay down more grease around the terminal/case area. Grease any exposed metal. This will slow down the corrosion

This is how you deal with Johnson Controls/Clarios leakers-grease infused felt washers under the clamps. Then piles of white lithium all around the clamps. And spray battery protectant all over everything within a foot of the battery. Then it will leak acid all over underneath, strip off all the paint & undercoating anyway… Not a warrantable condition!

 

[Mav123]

Don't try sealing it, keep maintaining it. One thing not everyone knows is you should be very careful when installing the battery terminals on the battery post. Put them on square and without force. Tighten them careful and squarely. I've seen people bend the post, bend the plastic, when tightening battery terminals, I've done it myself. Yeah, it goes back to shape and you think, no harm done. If you're lucky. But that can cause micro cracks and cause the issue you're having.

Yes, definitely good knowledge. I try to install it carefully, but it seems whoever already somehow installed may have caused the issue.

 

[Mav123]

What brand is the battery? Some are worse about leaking than others.

It is a Walmart brand. I know I try to buy from Costco and even at 5 yrs I did not have issues.

 

[Mav123]

Would you guys think CB104 4 Oz NCP2 Battery Corrosion Preventative would help? or the spray is better to seal it?

 

[Mav123]

I'd probably would look into replacing if it is indeed 3-5 years old.

Yes, I try to salvage it, honestly, w/ Battery Minder (vs spending over $100) because it seems to absorb the charge well.

 

[Dave9]

This is how you deal with Johnson Controls/Clarios leakers-grease infused felt washers under the clamps. Then piles of white lithium all around the clamps. And spray battery protectant all over everything within a foot of the battery. Then it will leak acid all over underneath, strip off all the paint & undercoating anyway… Not a warrantable condition!

?? I've been running multiple JC/C over the last couple+ decades and never had this happen.

Even so I agree about grease infused washers but would also check the alternator as a faulty regulator can cause overcharging and excessive outgassing.

 

[Mav123]

?? I've been running multiple JC/C over the last couple+ decades and never had this happen.

Even so I agree about grease infused washers but would also check the alternator as a faulty regulator can cause overcharging and excessive outgassing.

Thank you.

 

[Fla]

Thank you.

Don't EVER let anyone hammer the connector camps onto the battery posts! The plastic case is about all there is holding the battery posts and the battery plates that connect to it and if you hammer on it, it will mostly likely break the plastic battery case. The posts are tapered and a lot of people don't open the battery clamps suffieceintly to allow them to go all of the way down onto the posts, instead they hammer on the clamps to drive them onto the battery posts. They actually sell a plier like tool that's made to expand the battery clamps so that they can be put onto the post easily.

 

[Mav123]

Good point, thank you

Don't EVER let anyone hammer the connector camps onto the battery posts! The plastic case is about all there is holding the battery posts and the battery plates that connect to it and if you hammer on it, it will mostly likely break the plastic battery case. The posts are tapered and a lot of people don't open the battery clamps suffieceintly to allow them to go all of the way down onto the posts, instead they hammer on the clamps to drive them onto the battery posts. They actually sell a plier like tool that's made to expand the battery clamps so that they can be put onto the post easily.

 

[bullwinkle]

?? I've been running multiple JC/C over the last couple+ decades and never had this happen.

Even so I agree about grease infused washers but would also check the alternator as a faulty regulator can cause overcharging and excessive outgassing.

Right-I’ve had JC ones leak that NEVER HAD A CLAMP PUT ON THEM (dual terminal GM style)! And the vehicles that have had issues charged at sub-14 VDC and had ZERO issues with East Penn made batteries after the leaky junk was replaced. The xB one actually leaked from the case, factory retainers installed, & the Corolla‘s Toyota True Start was DEALER installed, corroded the terminal from the bottom. Not worth the acid destruction…

 

[Dave9]

^ I happen to have been working on a vehicle today that has a 5 y/o JC/C battery in it. Still no leakage.

Next to my charger, I have another roughly 5 y/o JC/C battery. No leakage.

Are yours maintenance free? If not, (nor are mine) maybe you're just overfilling it and driving on curves like you stole it and didn't snap the caps back on good.

I still suspect charging problems or intermittent shorted cells, something is off though if leaking from the case, is it possible you clamped it down wrong or too much torque? If someone else installed it, then they, not you, though I always install my own so I know there was no excessive strain. It's amazing what a grunt at a shop can get wrong, especially one in a hurry with an impact wrench.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ No leaks gives me no reason to think that a JC/C is going to leak, in the same vehicles I've had them in. Some were GMs with the crappy threaded side terminals too. If you experience leaks in certain vehicles, do what works for you.

 

[zzyzzx]

Don't EVER let anyone hammer the connector camps onto the battery posts! The plastic case is about all there is holding the battery posts and the battery plates that connect to it and if you hammer on it, it will mostly likely break the plastic battery case. The posts are tapered and a lot of people don't open the battery clamps suffieceintly to allow them to go all of the way down onto the posts, instead they hammer on the clamps to drive them onto the battery posts. They actually sell a plier like tool that's made to expand the battery clamps so that they can be put onto the post easily.

Never heard of anyone doing this. Is this something that shops are doing?

 

[D60]

Never heard of anyone doing this. Is this something that shops are doing?

I'll admit I'm guilty of doing this with a little rubber mallet I have. It's the fastest and easiest way to open up the clamp using the taper of the terminal.

I'd be curious about a "tool that can spread the clamps" so they fully seat on the terminals......

 

[Astro14]

I'll admit I'm guilty of doing this with a little rubber mallet I have. It's the fastest and easiest way to open up the clamp using the taper of the terminal.

I'd be curious about a "tool that can spread the clamps" so they fully seat on the terminals......

I put a big screwdriver in there and twist…

And I am guilty of tapping them down on the posts - but I won’t do that again after reading this…

 

[brianl703]

I'll admit I'm guilty of doing this with a little rubber mallet I have. It's the fastest and easiest way to open up the clamp using the taper of the terminal.

I'd be curious about a "tool that can spread the clamps" so they fully seat on the terminals......

They're called "battery terminal spreader pliers".