Corrosion on negative battery terminal - driving lights?

[dbsoundman]

Hey all, I've just noticed that I have some significant corrosion around my negative battery terminal. I'm not sure when it started, but I noticed that not only do I have blueish crystalline build up around the terminal, but it also seems to have stained the body under the battery a greenish color. I plan on cleaning up the battery terminal soon, but I'm curious if it might have something to do with the driving lights I added in December?

I haven't had any issues starting or any other electrical issues, and the lighting is all grounded at points on the frame that were already being used for grounds, so I assume they're "good" grounds. Would a bad ground cause this leakage? I don't use the lights very often, and the only time the control relay for the lights can be powered is when the tail lights are lit (headlights or parking lights on). At that point, the power would go from the tail light circuit (via add-a-fuse) to the switch in the cab.

Any other thoughts?

Thanks,
Dan

 

[BrianSD_42]

Why would driving lights have anything to do with corrosion on your battery terminals.

:suspicious:

I'd suggest you remove the terminals and clean them and everything that connects with them using a wire brush.

:artist:

 

[dbsoundman]

Why would driving lights have anything to do with corrosion on your battery terminals.

:suspicious:

I'd suggest you remove the terminals and clean them and everything that connects with them using a wire brush.

:artist:

Thanks, I was planning on cleaning up all the terminals. Just didn't know if I had possibly created a problem by adding this wiring. I did notice that I grounded some part of the lighting on the same spot as the "main ground" for the battery, on the driver's side of the frame. I just stuck the ring terminal in there under the battery ground. Is this a bad practice? I'm thinking about taking that off and at least stripping some paint back from the frame under there, but I could also drill another hole if needed.

 

[ConstantFix]

Here I googled it for you.


The most damaging factor that causes automobile battery corrosion is actually on the battery terminals. Hydrogen gas is admitted by the sulfuric compound inside of your car battery, and very little of this gas is actually vented out through the grill or other openings of the hood. While most cars with a modern battery do not experience this issue, it still does occur and can cause a large amount of corrosion to build up on your battery terminals. Typically, the problem starts when you have green, white or blue material begin to build up on your battery terminals. If enough of this material builds up, it can cause your battery terminals to lose their ability to transfer the charge from the battery to your engine. In order to avoid having this problem, you should remove the corrosion by using a toothbrush and a battery terminal cleaning solution. Do not touch the solution with your hands as it can be extremely toxic.

 

[dbsoundman]

Here I googled it for you.


The most damaging factor that causes automobile battery corrosion is actually on the battery terminals. Hydrogen gas is admitted by the sulfuric compound inside of your car battery, and very little of this gas is actually vented out through the grill or other openings of the hood. While most cars with a modern battery do not experience this issue, it still does occur and can cause a large amount of corrosion to build up on your battery terminals. Typically, the problem starts when you have green, white or blue material begin to build up on your battery terminals. If enough of this material builds up, it can cause your battery terminals to lose their ability to transfer the charge from the battery to your engine. In order to avoid having this problem, you should remove the corrosion by using a toothbrush and a battery terminal cleaning solution. Do not touch the solution with your hands as it can be extremely toxic.

:cheers:

I have already googled the topic, but thank you. I was looking for the possibly answer to why this is happening, I already know how. I noticed that it was not a problem until I added this wiring, so I thought maybe the new wiring was a factor.

 

[csp]

No, your new wiring and the location of your ground has nothing to do with it. It would be there if you hadn't added the lights.

 

[dbsoundman]

Fair enough! Just wanted to make sure. I've done plenty of electronic work, but I wasn't sure if car batteries had different rules, or if this buildup was a sign of a bigger problem.

 

[pluton]

:cheers:

I have already googled the topic, but thank you. I was looking for the possibly answer to why this is happening, I already know how. I noticed that it was not a problem until I added this wiring, so I thought maybe the new wiring was a factor.

The only cause is sulfuric acid, which steams, leaks, or oozes out of the battery when the battery is hot or charging, depositing on and around the battery.
H2SO4 is clear, so you can't see it. If you have a good sense of smell it has a sour, kind of nasty lemon juice odor with a tinge of sulfur---typical acid smell.
Normally, it coats the battery top and sides and bottom and causes corrosion on almost everything it touches.
You can get rid of it by washing the entire area, including the battery, with battery cleaner or baking soda solution, then rinse well. You'll have to keep washing the area periodically if you don't want any corrosion to form.
My battery doesn't get or cause any corrosion because it's an AGM battery that is sealed and doesn't leak anything.

 

[GA-4RUNNER]

Just a little tip that I have done on mine. The battery terminals were corroding and actually giving me hard start symptoms. It was pretty bad, but all you need is some liquid copper to coat the terminals after they have been cleaned. I haven't had a problem since this occurred back in January. No corrosion has came back.