Battery Cleaning

Cleaning your battery is just a matter of common sense. The myths that coke works as a cleaning agent is true but why waste part of a rum and coke. Baking soda also works but on older batteries with vents on the top or if you have a loose post some may get into the battery and then you won’t have to clean the new one. Most cleaning agents are baking soda so also be careful with these. The solution I use is 5 parts water one part vinegar one part oxy clean and a squirt of Dawn. I usually preclean with any orange or green heavy duty cleaner they all are about the same be sure to rinse thoroughly before using the second solution. A few minutes with a brush, and you have a clean battery it doesn’t hurt to remove the battery once in awhile and clean the tray, always check the area between the battery and the inner fender many manufactures run wires here Chrysler vans are prone to problems at this location. The connection between the terminal and the post should be shiny there are several brushes made for this, there is also a metal scraping tool but this removes to much material that may cause problems at a later date. One last hint that I have mentioned before spray the terminals with clear lacquer not only will it keep then clean but they will also look good and be easy to clean next time. If you need experience check for parasitic voltage and do a voltage drop test on the terminals you may be surprised.