Cleaning a car battery
Is your battery caked with acid residue, rust and dirt? Have you been wondering clean it? The steps below discuss the easiest way to clean your battery and get it back in running shape. By following these simple steps, you can help reduce electrical problems and increase your vehicle's reliability.
Instructions
1. Unscrew the mounting bolts that hold the battery in its sleeve. Gently remove the battery, and place it on a cleaning surface. You may have to wiggle the battery to get it out.
2. Clean the battery casing with a moistened rag. Ball up the end of the rag to get into the many cracks and crevices of the casing. Also, use a small nail or some other sharply pointed object to scrape out the gap that separates the top and bottom pieces of the battery.
3. Scrape off the battery acid residue from the battery connectors with a wire brush. You can also use CLR or another lime-cleaning agent to help remove the residue. Just apply the cleaning agent, and then wipe it away with a rag or a cleaning pad.
4. Protect and polish the battery connectors by using a standard-grade electrical polish. Use the polish sparingly, though, because you do not want it to puddle. Make sure all excess polish is wiped away.
5. Slide the battery back into its sleeve. Make sure that it is sitting flat. Reattach the bolts that mount the battery. Reattach the electrical clamp ends. When doing this, make the ends as flush with the posts as possible. The more metal that is touching metal, the less batter acid residue will build up.
