$30 to get another 1.5 MPG

[yoyoyoda]

Originally Posted by sarguy01

I really need to go clean mine. The Metro was very sensitive to having corroded grounds. I added more on the Metro and it did help, even after I cleaned the factory grounds.

The Civic has an uninsulated ground going from the chassis to the engine. It is greenish from corrosion. I might just make a new one since I am worried that the corrosion is also inside the terminals.

What really works I've found is just pouring boiling hot water straight from a kettle onto battery corrosion. It melts away the crystals like they werent even there. They just disappear before your eyes.

Just be careful you dont splash any on yourself.

I actually had a problematic battery which would need this done once a month or week, I would go and make a cup of coffee before leaving and bring out the kettle with me lol to pour onto the battery terminals.

Worked like a charm.

[sarguy01]

Originally Posted by yoyoyoda

What really works I've found is just pouring boiling hot water straight from a kettle onto battery corrosion. It melts away the crystals like they werent even there. They just disappear before your eyes.

Just be careful you dont splash any on yourself.

I actually had a problematic battery which would need this done once a month or week, I would go and make a cup of coffee before leaving and bring out the kettle with me lol to pour onto the battery terminals.

Worked like a charm.

It isn't battery corrosion as this ground wire is two feet from the battery. It's corrosion from the elements, most notably, water. More water won't help. Thanks for the idea though.

[Fat Charlie]

It's a two part fix.

[sarguy01]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

It's a two part fix.

Yes, if you are referring to cleaning the battery terminals. I wouldn't bother with a spray anywhere else and I would still clean the battery terminals with a brush.

Unless I am mistaken this thread is mostly talking about the grounds from the fuse box to the engine, engine to firewall, etc, not the battery terminals. For non-battery terminals, it is only effective to remove the bolts that hold these terminals whatever they are bolted to and manually remove the corrosion with a wire brush (careful with the brush or else too much terminal may be removed) or sandpaper. For example, on the chassis to engine ground cable, remove the bolts that hold the cable down, clean both terminals and then both the chassis ground point and the engine ground point. Reinstall. It is doubtful a spray will be able to penetrate and remove the corrosion.

[Fat Charlie]

I'm with you there- you have to use a brush. But once it's done, use the protectant. Just cleaning the connections is only half the job.

[Cobb]

I must be doing something wrong as my battery terminals never corrode on any of my vehicles.

[some_other_dave]

Originally Posted by Cobb

I must be doing something wrong as my battery terminals never corrode on any of my vehicles.

You might be surprised... If they don't look super shiny, they do have some corrosion. It may not be much, but it's there--and it can affect the voltage supplied to some of the systems in your car.

-soD

[BackroadBomber]

Op, do you have a silverado? This seems to be a common upgrade for them and is my next mod to mine. I know it will help because my headlights dim when I hit the brakes, and according to my dash my alternator is constantly charging at 15.1v! Just the added load on the alternator's got to lower my mpg's by 1 or 2. It makes me wonder what gm was thinking when they put such small wires on everything. I don't think I'm going to do the fuse box cable, though. Just the alt-batt wire and both grounds. I haven't checked yet but I read the gmt900 trucks like mine grounds the battery to the engine, and then the engine to the frame, so I might add a ground from the battery to the frame as well.