Dead battery on JAG X-type

Question

I have a 2003 Jag x-type. I am having problems with my battery accumulating corrosion around the negative term. Right now my car wont start. I called the dealer and he said not to jump it do the fact that i might short the "terminal" and i should tow it. It looks a simple as cleaning the corrosion off and reconnecting the battery, but i don't know much about imports or Jags or any foreseeable problems i might encounter. 1) is it safe to jump my Jag x-type w/ out causing any damage 2) what problems will i run into when disconnecting the battery. thanks

Answer 1

Clean the battery terminals & see if starts, might not even be dead.

But with the corrosion, it's probably been chronically undercharged, so if you have a bench charger, recharge it.  Chronic undercharging can lead to premature battery death.

Most car parts stores will load-test it for free, that's the ultimate determination of a battery's condition.

You can get some stuff to put on there that'll prevent the corrosion from recurring.

If it's not a sealed battery, take the caps off & check the water -- it needs to be high enough to cover the plates.  Add only distilled water -- minerals in drinking water are bad for the battery.

Answer 2

To clean off the terminal, try a mixture of water and baking soda. You can simply douse the cable after you remove it. Douse a rag and use the rag to clean the terminal.

Be careful when trying a jump-start. I'm not sure if your Jag follows the once-common British practice of positive ground wires.