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12-29-2023, 07:42 PM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Decatur, Georgia
Trailer: 2019 Escape 19
Posts: 49
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Battery terminals
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?
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12-29-2023, 09:52 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Madison area, Wisconsin
Trailer: 2016 Escape 19 Chevy 2012 Express 3500 Van
Posts: 1,768
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Sure
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:
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12-31-2023, 08:31 AM
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#3
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Site Team
Join Date: Jul 2022
Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho
Trailer: 2023 Escape 5.0TA
Posts: 872
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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.
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12-31-2023, 10:33 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: n/a, Texas
Trailer: Escape
Posts: 731
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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.
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12-31-2023, 11:25 AM
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#5
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Site Team
Join Date: Jul 2022
Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho
Trailer: 2023 Escape 5.0TA
Posts: 872
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Quote:
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.
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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.
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12-31-2023, 12:21 PM
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#6
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Penticton, British Columbia
Trailer: 2021 17B
Posts: 94
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Vaseline or various types of grease work just fine as well...
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12-31-2023, 01:30 PM
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#7
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Site Team
Join Date: Jul 2022
Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho
Trailer: 2023 Escape 5.0TA
Posts: 872
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bayner
Vaseline or various types of grease work just fine as well...
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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.
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12-31-2023, 02:42 PM
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#8
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
Posts: 5,174
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I've noted that my newer cars with AGM batteries, the batteries look like new even after 5 years, not a hint of corrosion.
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01-01-2024, 01:44 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: East Dover, Vermont
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0 TA!
Posts: 678
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Quote:
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.
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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!
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01-01-2024, 02:16 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Lanesboro, MN, between Whalan and Fountain, Minnesota
Trailer: 2016 Bigfoot 25RQ - (2018 Escape 5.0 sold)
Posts: 2,181
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Quote:
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!
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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
__________________
Those who know everything use pens. Intelligent people use pencils.
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01-02-2024, 04:20 AM
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#11
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Decatur, Georgia
Trailer: 2019 Escape 19
Posts: 49
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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.?
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01-02-2024, 04:30 AM
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#12
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
Posts: 5,174
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Take the negative terminal off first, then the positive, clean them both, then reconnect the positive then the negative. That should hurt nothing.
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01-02-2024, 06:58 AM
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#13
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Site Team
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: Framingham, Massachusetts
Trailer: 2019 Escape 21C, NTU April 2022
Posts: 1,041
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Quote:
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.
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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.
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01-02-2024, 07:37 AM
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#14
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
Posts: 5,174
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Any car parts place has a battery protector gel spray.
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01-02-2024, 08:01 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Lakewood, Colorado
Trailer: 2018 5.0TA 'Liberty'
Posts: 256
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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!
Quote:
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.
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__________________
HarleyD
2018 5.0TA--2016 F150 3.5EB 4X4
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace." -- Jimmy Hendrix
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01-02-2024, 10:02 AM
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#16
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
Posts: 5,174
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It was my understanding that AGM batteries don't need desulfating.
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01-02-2024, 11:02 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: San Jose, California
Trailer: 2022 5.0 TA
Posts: 685
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz
It was my understanding that AGM batteries don't need desulfating.
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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.
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