Stopping electrical corrosion

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
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Sat 20 Jul 2002 12:29
Stopping electrical corrosion - Harmattan
Halfords and a local car accessory shop tell me that the red petroleum jelly I used to buy for coating battery terminals is no longer made and I should use grease or Vaseline. The car shop even suggested modern batteries don't get terminal corrosion. A quick check with a meter suggests neither of these conducts electricity very well, if at all. What is the easy solution and what would be most suitable for protecting the small male spade connectors on some electrical bits such as starter motors once I have cleaned them up?

David
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Sat 20 Jul 2002 13:10
Stopping electrical corrosion - Glaikit Wee Scunner {P}
I have to admit that since I started buying modern cars with alternators , I have never had problems with battery terminals.
I do not think that you want to put a conducting medium on to live terminals as this would tend to cause leakage currents.
Vaseline IS petroleum jelly - perhaps not as thick as the old red label stuff.
Make sure that when you clean up the battery posts that there is not any stray acid around, use bicarbonate of s**a to neutalise any. I would then put together the terminals bare, clean and dry and only then apply a smear of vaseline to prevent moisure getting in. As for auxiliary terminals , If they are functioning OK an occasional spray of WD40 or similar should keep the dreaded road salt at bay.
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