Battery terminals

[Hen]

I need to clean my battery terminals. Should I use my battery cut off switch and shut it all down before I disconnect anything or just do one at a time?

[HABBERDABBER]

And do it even better. Shut off the system, loosen the clamps to the batteries, with a wire brush clean the posts and terminals with a mixture of baking soda and water. Scrub-a-dub all the electrical contact surfaces. Rinse well with water. Keep the cleaning solution away from the battery caps. Wipe down the exterior surfaces of the battery with a rag and the baking soda solution.

All this is best done with the batteries removed so you can do a very thorough cleaning of all areas and surfaces.

One example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqQ0ZWPrcmw

[SageRpod]

Agree with all of the above. I would also invest in a small tube of dielectric grease and coat the terminals and cable clamps. No need to put a big glob like some mechanics do, just a thin coat will do and it will help keep corrosion at bay.

[Viajante]

I'll admit that I've never bought the logic of using dielectric grease. This grease is an insulator that despite what its name implies does not help the flow of electricity through a connection. Quite the opposite. The user is adding a non conductive barrier between the terminal and the connection, then hoping that the connection gets scraped clean of grease when the connection is made.

In my limited experience it is beneficial to add a dab of grease after a good clean connection has been made to protect against moisture. But not before.

I am aware that many mechanics use dielectric grease and like it. And many mechanics have to spend time cleaning the grease off to get the components to work.

[SageRpod]

Originally Posted by Viajante

I'll admit that I've never bought the logic of using dielectric grease. This grease is an insulator that despite what its name implies does not help the flow of electricity through a connection. Quite the opposite. The user is adding a non conductive barrier between the terminal and the connection, then hoping that the connection gets scraped clean of grease when the connection is made.

In my limited experience it is beneficial to add a dab of grease after a good clean connection has been made to protect against moisture. But not before.

I am aware that many mechanics use dielectric grease and like it. And many mechanics have to spend time cleaning the grease off to get the components to work.

Really depends on how it's used. Like most things, it has its place. Growing with up with vehicles that used points and condensers, DG was common place as it was used to prevent arcing in tight spaces under the distributor cap. For a battery application, hopefully your battery terminal clamps are tight enough to prevent having a thick enough layer to provide insulating properties. If that is not the case, you have other issues . A form of DG with oxidation preventers is used when pigtailing copper wiring to aluminum in home applications. This is also mainly done to prevent arcing within the wiring nut. In all cases, the rule is to use just enough and not too much.

For some, DG is the same thing as blinker fluid.

[Bayner]

Vaseline or various types of grease work just fine as well...

[SageRpod]

Originally Posted by Bayner

Vaseline or various types of grease work just fine as well...

When I went to Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI), everything was by the book; Bendix dielectric grease, Camel tire bead lube, silicone lube for o-rings, DuPont light adhesive for hand grips, etc... Then towards the end of the curriculum, this old dude came in and told us about all of the short cuts; Vaseline for electrical grease, liquid Tide for tie bead lube, KY jelly for o-rings, Aqua Net for putting on hand grips.

[John in Santa Cruz]

I've noted that my newer cars with AGM batteries, the batteries look like new even after 5 years, not a hint of corrosion.

[Ian and Sue]

Originally Posted by Viajante

I'll admit that I've never bought the logic of using dielectric grease. This grease is an insulator that despite what its name implies does not help the flow of electricity through a connection. Quite the opposite. The user is adding a non conductive barrier between the terminal and the connection, then hoping that the connection gets scraped clean of grease when the connection is made.

In my limited experience it is beneficial to add a dab of grease after a good clean connection has been made to protect against moisture. But not before.

I am aware that many mechanics use dielectric grease and like it. And many mechanics have to spend time cleaning the grease off to get the components to work.

Dielectric grease is there to protect the connection from oxidation. In the case of high voltage AC applications it keeps aluminum wires and connections from oxidizing which can cause a bad connection to develop over time and in high voltage situations this can cause heat and fire. On our batteries it does mostly the same thing. If you are making your connections properly the dielectric grease will squeeze out of the way and still allow for a good connection without acting as a conductor as some other greases can. In low voltage DC LED light applications it will help with connections that get damp on occasion to avoid having problems with the bulb glowing from stray voltage. So again if you make a good connection the grease will squeeze out of the way...a bad loose connection and yes you can have problems with or without the dielectric grease!

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by Ian and Sue

Dielectric grease is there to protect the connection from oxidation. In the case of high voltage AC applications it keeps aluminum wires and connections from oxidizing which can cause a bad connection to develop over time and in high voltage situations this can cause heat and fire. On our batteries it does mostly the same thing. If you are making your connections properly the dielectric grease will squeeze out of the way and still allow for a good connection without acting as a conductor as some other greases can. In low voltage DC LED light applications it will help with connections that get damp on occasion to avoid having problems with the bulb glowing from stray voltage. So again if you make a good connection the grease will squeeze out of the way...a bad loose connection and yes you can have problems with or without the dielectric grease!

If I read your explanation correctly this is exactly the explanation I heard decades ago. Think of dielectric as a paint or cover, mainly to keep oxidation at bay.

Enjoy,

Perry

[Hen]

Thanks for your trsponse. The question is will I mess up any electronics by taking one terminal off to clean it or should I cut off the batteries.?

[John in Santa Cruz]

Take the negative terminal off first, then the positive, clean them both, then reconnect the positive then the negative. That should hurt nothing.

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by Viajante

I'll admit that I've never bought the logic of using dielectric grease. This grease is an insulator that despite what its name implies does not help the flow of electricity through a connection. Quite the opposite. The user is adding a non conductive barrier between the terminal and the connection, then hoping that the connection gets scraped clean of grease when the connection is made.

In my limited experience it is beneficial to add a dab of grease after a good clean connection has been made to protect against moisture. But not before.

I am aware that many mechanics use dielectric grease and like it. And many mechanics have to spend time cleaning the grease off to get the components to work.

Well, that's what I've always done: clean the terminals with a terminal brush, screw on tight, and then maybe a little Vasoline to prevent corrosion.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Any car parts place has a battery protector gel spray.

[HarleyD]

john,
How and when do you desulfurize your AGM batteries.
I installed 2 new ones in the spring and just last week saw this maintenance step on this forum. News to me.
THX!

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

I've noted that my newer cars with AGM batteries, the batteries look like new even after 5 years, not a hint of corrosion.

[John in Santa Cruz]

It was my understanding that AGM batteries don't need desulfating.

[splitting_lanes]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

It was my understanding that AGM batteries don't need desulfating.

AGM charge cycle usually includes a desulfating cycle, once every 28 days with the GoPower solar controller installed in our Escape trailers.


My GMC truck has a desulfurization mode also with its AGM battery.