best/quickest way to clean corrosion of battery cables?

[79Bandit]

title says it all

[fredjacksonsan]

If they're corroded, they probably have some white acid buildup on them.

To remove, make a wet paste of baking soda and water. Apply carefully or with something you can throw away later. Let it bubble awhile, add a little water, then rinse with more water. Repeat until it doesn't bubble. You might want to consider replacing the cables if they're badly corroded, as this method might not get all the acid that's within the strands of the cable.

[thecackster]

Originally Posted by fredjacksonsan

You might want to consider replacing the cables if they're badly corroded, as this method might not get all the acid that's within the strands of the cable.

What I would say exactly. With my experences the easiest way to do it with out another headache later.

[79Bandit]

wow i have never heard of that way...lol i have been wire brushing the danm thing for the past hour....finally got it cranked again thanks..

[Jet-Lee]

Coca-Cola for about 5 minutes, then a wire terminal cleaner. Ain't had a problem since.

[Mr Wiggl3s]

Ya, they got those nifty wire battery cleaners, ive heard the coca-cola before, and ive heard the baking powder works

[Andydg]

Originally Posted by Jet-Lee

Coca-Cola for about 5 minutes, then a wire terminal cleaner. Ain't had a problem since.

That's always worked very well for me too.

[2.2 Straight six]

sandpaper and wire brush.

[Damien]

any heavily carbonated soda man. Easy way. Heck, I've had people say their car want start and i got a can of coke, poured it on and a connection was bad.

only, they bought the coke, no me.

[fredjacksonsan]

Cola will clean just about anything, I've used it to loosen rusted bolts.

Problem with using it on battery terminals/cables is that it's acidic also, so you're adding acid to acid which in the long run can make the corrosion problem worse. The baking soda neutralizes the acid.

But using Coke(tm) on battery terminals, guess the corrosive properties would help take off any non-metals that were there, which would enhance conductivity.

[speediva]

Ooh, ooh!!! I just watched MythBusters yesterday, and they were doing Coca-Cola myths... they used Coke to try cleaning battery terminals as well as water... and they were about the same in their cleaning properties.

Of all the things Coke was tested to do, it cleaned a chrome bumper (when used in conjunction with aluminum foil) even better than their store-bought chrome polish!!!

Sorry, I am stuck at home sick in this GORGEOUS spring weather and had nothing better to do than post.

[Whumbachumba]

I used Diet Coke, and it cleaned it off really well. We don't have regular coke in this house, and when we do buy regular sodas, it's Dr. Pepper.

[publicenemy137]

I just used a wire brush and some battery terminal cleaner. cleaned it up good. I actually had two cars with this problem at the same time, and my friend just told me about it a week earlier so I found out what it was to fix it.

[Moppie]

Boiling hot water poored over the terminals, then some Petroleum Jelly smeared around them to stop the build up re-occuring.

Works better than anything else, Iv done it doozens of times.

[XeVeNskyLiNE]

They make a spray on chemical just for this kind of thing, I've got a can in my garage.