I have strange powdery deposits on the battery terminals of my car, is this expected or due to something odd?

Question

I Fitted a new 12V Lead acid battery on my car, I check the said battery a week later to find a white powdery deposit on both terminals, there was quite a large amount of powder which is what set me thinking, I work for a large scientific testing company who analysed the deposit, all they could come up with was that it was inorganic in nature and hign in sulenium? any ideas? It is not causing me an inconvenice and I am now harvesting the dust on a regular basis, if you would like a sample just ask? - Though I would require an SAE

Answer 1

Gidday.

It's usual.

A lead acid battery works by producing and ongoing chemical conversion which is reversed on charging.

Some chemical by-products are produced by the reaction -that's why you don't put a naked flame near a battery because explosive hydrogen is one of those byproducts.

Another byproduct is the powder around the terminals.

Brush it off with a stiff old paint brush or similar, and coat the terminals with Vaseline or some other petroleum jelly.

You can buy (or make) felt pads saturated in petroleum jelly to fit over the posts on the battery before clamping the terminals to them. These are discs of felt about 40 to 50 mm in diameter, and they (along with a good coating of pj) will prevent the build up, which in turn, will prevent premature corrosion.

Happy and trouble-free motoring,

Driver T

Answer 2

just swill off with warm water then coat with vaasaline. should stop it

Answer 3

I'd put a little petroleum jelly over the terminals to seal out any oxidisation process(es).

If you then still get the dust appearing you can put it down to electrolytic corrosion maybe?

Answer 4

The good old way was to clean off the deposits with bicarbonate of soda. Dry and apply petroleum jelly to prevent it coming back.

An old toothbrush is ideal for the purpose. I also keep old discarded toothbrushes to clean alloy wheels.

Answer 5

your battery could be leaking acid if its a littlr clean it off shud b ok if its a lot and it keeps coming back get a new battery

Answer 6

I think its sulphur. just clean it off every now and then.