Motachanic: Car Battery Corrosion and Cleaning It

What should I do about corrosion on a car battery?



Don't eat it.

Seriously, though. Despite the fact that it looks vaguely like powdered sugar, the white fluffy stuff that you see attached to the terminals of your cars battery should not be used to sweeten your coffee, or used as a topping for your favorite pastry. First off it tastes terrible, it isn't sweet like anti-freeze is. Second it is extremely toxic and can cause chemical burns because it is basically concentrated sulfuric acid with lead residues in it.

The technical stuff: The reason why you have powdered acid on your posts is because as the alternator of your car charges the battery the water/acid catalyst inside of the battery can become very hot. The water will evaporate and the acid will become a vapor which, due to the polarity of the battery terminals, will stick to the battery posts and other parts of your engine compartment. Over time the corrosion and powdery build up caused by this will disrupt the connection between the battery and the terminals preventing you from starting your car.

There is a really easy way of taking care of it though. You will need the following:

-1 pair latex or nitrile gloves..
-1 wrench to remove battery terminals..
-2 battery post corrosion preventative felts, preferably saturated with NCP-2 preventative compound (Noco part# D313). .
-1 can battery acid detector/ corrosion removal spray (Noco part# E404). or 1 box baking soda and a cup.
-1 wire brush
-1 pair safety glasses or goggles
-A water supply.

1. First, ensure the engine on your car is off and cool.
2. Open and secure the hood.
3. Locate the battery.
4. Put on gloves
5. Remove anything that prevents access to the battery posts. (battery covers, heat shields etc)
6. Using the appropriate wrench, remove the negative battery terminal.
7. Using the appropriate wrench, remove the positive battery terminal
8. Put on safety glasses
9. Using Acid detector/ corrosion removal spray or a thin paste of baking soda and water, apply liberally to all white powdery residue areas.
10. Using wire brush, brush battery posts where the terminals connect.
11. Using a modest stream of water, rinse off battery.
12. Put one battery felt on each post
13. Attach positive battery terminal to positive post. Tighten until terminal cannot be wiggled
14. Attach negative battery terminal to negative post. Tighten until terminal cannot be wiggled
15. Rinse off battery cover, heat shield, etc
16. Re-install battery cover, heat shield etc
17. Clean up your mess
18. Remove gloves and safety glasses.
19. Close hood.
20. Crack open a cold one, you're done!

Oh, and by the way, the spray and/or baking soda neutralizes the acid so don't feel bad about washing the battery off.

Rags and wrenches,
The Motachanic

p.s. Anti-freeze does taste sweet, but it is deadly. Do not drink or taste it. So just take my word for it.

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Motachanic: Shaking Steering Wheel Issues

Question: When I get my car over 70 mph, the steering wheel starts to shake. What does this mean?

There are several problems that can account for this problem. Without actually riding in the car myself, I can't know for sure exactly what problem you are having, so I will try to cover as many as I can given the information that you have provided to me.

• Loose lug nuts: Check your lug nut torque. Typically it is around 80 ft-lbs for most passenger vehicles. If you don't have a torque wrench available, just make sure they are all tight.
• Low or flat front tire: Check the tire pressure in your tires. Inflate the tires to the pressure indicated on the sidewall of the tire where it says "Max psi (cold)"
• Dented wheel: Do you view curbs as suggestions? Do speed bumps make you speed? You may have a dented wheel. Check both sides of all the wheels for any flat areas along the area of rim where the tire meets the rim (bead). If your wheel is dented see your local wheel specialist to see if it can be repaired.
• Road flotsam on halfshaft (front wheel drove only): look in between the engine and the wheels. Notice the straight steel bar that connects the two? Those are your axle halfshafts. Ensure there are no rags, clothing etc caught on the axles. The rubber boots at either end of the axle are supposed to be there.
• Irregular wear on tire: If the tire is worn irregularly, or if there is a deformity of the tire such as a broken radial cord. Take a look at the front two tires on your car, check the side opposite the lug nuts too. If there are any deformities, replace both fr4ont tires and have your struts replaced and get an alignment performed.
• Improperly balanced tires: Have a reputable shop check and re balance your tires for you. Wheel weights do fall off sometimes so don't assume that the last mechanic who mounted your tires screwed up.
• Severely warped brake rotor one one side: If the problem gets worse when you apply the brakes, have your brake rotors turned and your pads replaced
• CV Joint damaged (front wheel drive only): Look in the front fender wells. If there is an excessive build up of black sticky goo everywhere then you probably tore a CV Boot a while ago and didn't know it. Take your car to your local mechanic and have him replace the CV Joint and boot.

If none of the above have resolved the problem then take the car to your local mechanic.

Grimy Handshake,
The Motachanic

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Buying For Sale By Owner Cars

Dear Miss Mota Mouth,

I need a car and I see used ones in classified ads that look affordable. I can ask but it doesn’t mean the owner will tell me the truth! How do I know if the car has ever been in an accident? And if so, how can a person tell?

Paul D., Ontario, CA

Dear Curious in California,

Education! Education! Education, eh! (Oh wait! You must be in Ontario, California! If you are Canadian, see the bottom of the answer.)

There are a couple of key ways to find out if a car has ever been in an accident and doing both is a good investment for your peace of mind and safety.

When looking at used cars and buying from an individual seller it is always a good idea to get a third party report such as Experian AutoCheck. By analyzing the Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN, these reports can reveal the number of owners, potential odometer roll back, salvage title, collision history and even if it was registered as a taxi or rental car.

Additionally, getting a third party inspection performed by a service such as http://www.inspectmyride.com/ or a mechanic that you trust can reveal a lot about a vehicle. Qualified mechanics and inspectors can tell you if the frame is straight and whether the car has had any bodywork done on it as well as verify that it is in good running shape.

Without these to protect you it is possible that you could end up with a lemon so Buyer Beware and get these important checks done!

BTW- If you were in Ontario, Canada you should use Carfax for any VIN reports.

Prudently,

M

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