Hello all, once again!

I'm needing some assistance on changing the positive battery connector along with changing the battery in my 2006 4-Runner Ltd.

The battery is old and needs replacement. But before it died, it "crapped out," spewing corrosive discharge all over the positive connector. The negative connector is just fine. It took quite a long time to remove the connector from the positive pole on the old battery, due to all the dried corrosion. I've scraped and brushed as much corrosion as I can off that connector, as you can see in the first attached photo:


I do have a replacement terminal connector for it as in the 2nd attached photo:





The question I have is as follows. If looking at the older connectors, you can see the cable is attached to a "tab" that is placed on top of the old connector (i.e. around the screw). At present, I cannot separate the tab from the old terminal connector, but that could be because the corrosion (in blue since it's a copper connector) seems to have fused it tight. Does that tab separate from the terminal connector at the screw, or is it permanently welded there? If it is supposed to separate, can you recommend a solvent of some sort that would let me remove the corrosion so that I can separate the tab from the old connector and put the new one in place, so I can then replace the old battery with the new one?

Thanks much all!

Attached Images

   

Yes it's suppose to separate and yes the corrosion has it sorta welded on, what I would suggest is get some Arm & Hammer baking soda or any brand as long as it's baking soda and not baking powder, put several tablespoons of the baking soda in a 8 ounce or so jar/cup add water mix thoroughly, put the cable end/old clamp into the solution, it will fizz, leave it in until it stops fizzing, this is the baking soda neutralizing the green corrosion/battery acid and will to some degree dissolve much of it, then using a wire brush clean it more and then mix the solution again because the baking soda will settle to the bottom after some time and soak it again, and then keep repeating until you get no more fizz, when you're wire brushing it in between soakings use a very thin blade screwdriver and try to inserting it between the cable eyelet and the old clamp and use a little twisting motion, and maybe some light tapping on the bolt part of the old clamp and eventually they will separate.

You can also use the baking soda water solution to neutralize any battery acid in the battery tray, the hold down clamp and any other nearby areas that may have gotten battery acid on them, even if you can't see anything try pouring a little of the solution on different places and if it fizzes then there's battery acid present, after you get done neutralizing and cleaning flush everything with clean water.

To prevent future corrosion from coming back coat all of your battery connections as you're putting it all back together with dielectric grease and slather it on thick after connecting the battery, what I use comes in a tube and looks like Vaseline and can be found at your local auto part store, I use a small stiff paint brush to apply the grease or you can just use your finders but gets a bit messy.

^^^ Good advice. I also had this happen and the baking soda will remove almost all of it. A dremel with the small wire brushes will get the rest of it and get into the nooks and crannies.

Ah, thanks! And, yes, I do have a Dremel that will work just fine!

Get to it! So much easier than replacing that darn post connector.

Update: Necessity being the "mother of invention," I knew I did not have any baking soda in the house, nor did I have transportation to go get any. So, what to do? I asked myself, what cleaners do I have that behave similarly to baking soda? And that's when I remembered what I did have.... a whole tub full of..... {drum roll}.....













I checked the ingredients and sure enough - Sodium Percarbonate, Sodium Carbonate, etc, etc.... all pure alkaline and nothing contraindicated (read "explosive or violently reactive or producing poisonous gasses") with battery acid. So, I mixed it up in an 8oz plastic cup and dunked the terminal connector right in. It bubbled immediately as you indicated, and turned the water brown. When it stopped bubbling, I made a new batch. It took about 4-5 batches, but, sure enough, the tab came right off... no dremeling required. I was able to clean up the tab and the other connectors and connect the cables and get the new battery in. Car started up like a charm!

Thank you all! Things like this are what makes this forum great!

Spray it with the red connector spray for batteries. Will never happen again, $3.

LOL Oxy Clean for the win!

Glad you got it apart and good to know about the Oxy Clean, I have used baking soda for over 50 years for neutralizing battery acid, now I have another tool in the tool box if I have no baking soda, thanks for the update!