How To Clean Up A Corroded Battery

How to Clean a Corroded Car Battery With Coca Cola

by Brenda Priddy

dead battery image by Katrina Miller from Fotolia.com

Corrosion on a battery is a problem that often occurs with older batteries. The battery fluid leaks out causing the metal to fuse with other parts of the battery. This is a problem when the battery needs work or replacement. There is no need to take the car to a mechanic to fix this problem. A simple solution of Coca Cola will remove most battery corrosion.

Step 1

Disconnect the battery cables if possible before beginning. Remove the negative side first, then the positive side. If you remove the positive side first, then you may get shocked because the current remains connected to the car. Tie back both cables so they are out of the way. This prevents them from moving out of place and accidentally touching the battery causing electric shock. If you can't remove the cables because of corrosion, then pour a small amount of Coke around the connection points, taking care not to touch any part of the battery. Once the Coke has eaten the corrosion, then you can remove the cables.

Step 2

Pour a small amount of Coca Cola over any corroded areas slowly. Add more Coke later if you need to increase the corrosion power. Wait for the Coke to bubble and eat away at the rust and corrosion. Wait for the Coke to stop bubbling before you move on to the next step. This should take about a minute. Pour some Coke over the battery connectors themselves if there is any corrosion present on them.

Step 3

Take the wire brush and brush away any corrosion that is stuck around any bolts or in any other area. The brush provides additional corrosion-fighting power and can sometimes allow the Coca Cola to reach places that it might not naturally reach. Continue to brush the corroded areas until they start to look clean.

Step 4

Wipe the corroded areas with a paper towel to remove the Coca Cola and corrosion. Pour a small amount of water over the corroded areas to rinse away the sticky soda and rusty materials. Make sure to dry the water completely with the paper towels or you may encourage future corrosion.

Replace the battery cables starting with the positive side, then the negative side. The negative side will spark as it is connected. This is not a problem, and shows that the connection is complete. Close the hood of the car and turn on the engine to make sure everything is working properly.

References

Things You'll Need

One can or bottle of Coca Cola
Corroded car battery
Ratchet set
Paper towels
Bucket
Wire brush
Cable ties

Writer Bio

Brenda Priddy has more than 10 years of crafting and design experience, as well as more than six years of professional writing experience. Her work appears in online publications such as Donna Rae at Home, Five Minutes for Going Green and Daily Mayo. Priddy also writes for Archstone Business Solutions and holds an Associate of Arts in English from McLennan Community College.