Car batteries are often responsible for corrosion, even if they're not connected to the car.
most of the time, battery acid is the culprit in this situation. however, because it doesn't corrode metal when it's in liquid form, you may never be able to tell where it came from. in fact, many people usually use their garage floors as a prime example of why they should regularly wash their cars because the corrosive liquids could end up there– yet most people don't know that car batteries contribute to corrosion too! the only way you would know about a leaky battery is if there were signs on your concrete floors… and in many cases these signs aren't always visible or detectable by sight alone… but may show
why does my car battery keep getting corroded?
as a car battery ages it starts to produce less power. the cell plates inside voilate, which causes sulfation of the lead on them and can result in corrosion.
this poorly functioning batter doesn't generate enough power to move this parasitic load (vehicle engine) and so current moves through other paths (circuit resistance, grounding points). what you will typically see at the terminals is localized corrosion – that's where electrons are “stealing” some oxygen molecules from your cable sheaths or frame metal near your terminals to react with water hiding in those cracks – but it can't steal all these molecules because they're too far apart, so there will be areas close by that won't corrode until eventually everything starts rusting
how do i keep my battery terminals from corroding?
one way to keep your battery terminals from corroding is by ensuring that you always store your car in a cool, dry place, but never leave it out in the rain. the second way to reduce corrosion on batteries is to pull the negative cable off before starting the engine, or storing batteries for longer periods of time with electrolyte levels below free water levels.
frequently asked questions:
how do i get my battery terminals from corroding? why does my battery terminal have corrosion? what can i do about these corroded connections?
the simple answer is that low quality connections between positive and negative cables will easily allow power circuits to leak electricity through places where they're not supposed to go. electrical current has a tendency to seek low
does a corroded battery need to be replaced?
yes. a corroded battery may lose capacity and end up taking longer to charge the next time it gets plugged in. in some cases, a battery can develop a short circuit, which can ignite or explode.
the condition of a battery- whether it is old or has been in long storage – will have an impact on its performance when being used in applications with high draw currents such as electric vehicles, propulsion systems for marine vessels and large duty cycle power tools. as batteries age they become more susceptible to damage from generating too much current when loaded outside its design allowable load current range due to physical changes that have taken place within the cells of the battery chemical system. battery shorting can also take place internally during charging where cell diameter differences
does corrosion mean bad battery?
battery corrosion is the second most common cause of battery failure, right after actual physical damage to parts within the battery. corrosion deposits form on metal objects over time, and electric current prevents them from forming. when direct contact occurs between your skin (which contains salt) and an acidic solution like sweat or contaminant exposure, there's a small probability that you would get enough cells in order to work with for formation of hydrogen gas. so corrosion can lead to a short circuit if this happens often enough–read more about it here!
