My positive battery cable in my 07 150 is corroded pretty bad, What can i do to fix and prevent this?

 

Run the engine at idle and slowly run water on it from a hose. That will take the corrosion off the outside area. If the connector looks okay, Take it off and clean the post. You can get some felt washers that have a protection on them. Many times when that happens, there's an electrolyte leak around the post. Stressing it with a wrench while tightening it can break the seal around the post.

 

I have also heard of pouring a coke on it then scrub with a brush to remove the corrosion. put the felt washers on, but there is also a protective spray that you should put on the posts and terminals after its put back together.

 

You'll be surprised by using plain water, but the engine has to be running.

 

Coke contains a mild acid - (carbonic acid I think) and I would not use it to neutralize the acid from the battery. Baking soda is an acid neutralizer and I'd use a solution of that with water - just don't get any in the cells. You want to neutralize the acid because it will corrode your battery cable connectors, to the point where they will have to be replaced.

Permatex makes a good battery cleaner/neutralizer and battery post "protector" in spray cans.

Personally though, if I see seepage around the posts or if the battery begins to "gas" and seep acid at the filler caps, I replace the battery.

- Jack

 

Good advice Jack! I have always used baking soda, but the last point you made is an important one, and one I think is often missed. A battery that is functioning as intended in all points will rarely ever produce corrosion in these days of low maintenance batteries if the alt. isn't putting out too much voltage. Time to replace when the battery starts to get wet around the top. Take a DVM sometime and see what the voltage runs on the "wet" on top of said battery. I have seen as much as 5V close to the post. Pretty bad voltage "leak" along with that acid leak.

 

So maybe I have a leaking post? I noticed my Duramax doesnt corrode at all.

I put some felt protectors on each post in the ford from the parts store.

I cleaned with Coke.

I will monitor.

 

Yes coke has acid in it, but it is much closer to neutral than battery acid. I said vie heard of people doing it, but I never had. Even though it is acidic, if it is more neutral, it will bring the levels closer to norm allowing you to get to the store to get proper cleaner or a new battery. But definitely use the protectant spray and felt washers with a new battery.

 

Sorry, acid does not "clean" or neutralize acid. It WILL dilute it down to something in between, but plain water will do an even better job. Acid is not like grease or road film. It does not have to be "cut" to be removed. Acid has a great affinity for water and dissolves readily in it.

I guess though, since Coke contains sugar, it makes your battery "sweeter".

- Jack

 

The last time I cleaned my terminals I covered both of them with a big wad of wheel bearing grease. My logic was keeping them covered kept oxygen off of the terminals and less corrosion. It is not pretty but seems to work.

 

I don't see how grease would hurt anything. Sounds like a perfectly workable approach to me.

Speaking of making the battery "sweeter" though, I recall once reading about covering the terminals in molasses, I think. It was a "how to" article in Popular Mechanics back in the 70s, maybe. I tried it. The moisture evaporated, leaving a fairly "hard" coating that seemed to work fine.

- Jack