Battery: Tan Goop
#1
02-01-17, 11:49 AM
Battery: Tan Goop
Less then six month ago I had to replace the positive battery clamp do to extreme corrosion. It looked original so I just thought age. So almost dead battery symptoms this morning (lights but starter tries and fails to turn over engine) so I check the battery. New clamp is badly corroded. The question though was a trail of droplets of tan colored goop on the battery leading to the positive terminal and more goop around the terminal under the clamp. Anyone seen this. Battery is on the charger but I'm thinking may need replacement even if I can get a charge on it. It is like it is leaking brown goop around the positive terminal. Battery is three years old.
#4
02-01-17, 01:32 PM
Thanks guys. Got enough of a charge to start it but need to get a new clamp before going further because I may need to cut the one that is there off. Just can't get the bolt to turn.
#6
02-01-17, 03:07 PM
Group Moderator
Use those red and green felt discs.
People poo-poo them but I've used them for years and they do keep the corrosion way down.
People poo-poo them but I've used them for years and they do keep the corrosion way down.
#7
02-01-17, 03:49 PM
This is weird modern car engineering sheeite so I have three cables not one and given routing replacing would be a beatch. (Oh for a 70 ford half ton with an inline six.
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#8
02-02-17, 03:41 AM
I'm one of the green/red felt skeptics. I've not had good results with them and no longer use them. I had one battery that the corrosion seemed worse with the felt washers 
IMO keeping the terminals clean/tight works best.
IMO keeping the terminals clean/tight works best.
#9
02-02-17, 04:16 AM
get a new cable
#11
02-03-17, 05:36 AM
I was skeptic of the felts for years, but a guy I believed to know what he was talking about told me a couple of years ago that the reason for felts was for what sounds like might be one of your issues. He said that while not as common a problem today as it used to be, due to manufacturing and other advances, one of the issues is that gas from inside the battery can weep through the joint or whatever you want to call it where the post passes through the case. So the felts, or grease as a lot of people use, prevents this gas from going up the post to the terminal.
#13
02-03-17, 10:52 AM
gas from inside the battery can weep through the joint or whatever you want to call it where the post passes through the case
#14
02-03-17, 01:33 PM
Anybody ever used this type of terminal clamp. Pricey but I'm tempted to try them. https://www.amazon.com/BT1088-Platin...8AAG795CDMZANS
Edit: Bought two of them. Over kill for negative but I have three cables on positive.
Edit: Bought two of them. Over kill for negative but I have three cables on positive.
Last edited by ray2047; 02-03-17 at 11:58 PM.
#16
02-04-17, 03:06 AM
Wonder what they are made of? Ads say they are made of Platinum, so I know that is fake news. I'm sure they are referring to the color rather than to the actual make up. They look viable for my application to keep from spending too much.
#17
02-04-17, 11:53 AM
I'll let you know how they work out. I was thinking of your comment in another post when I bought them.
They use an Allen wrench and box wrench.
I did replace the original bolts with stainless cap bolts so I can hold one end with an allen wrench and tighten with a regular wrench.
#18
02-04-17, 01:59 PM
Corrosion, batteries, etc.
The battery terminal can corrode from a loose gap where the plastic battery case and lead terminal meet, very common especially if people have tugged away at the terminal. Even a small weep of sulphuric acid can cause corrosion. It can also be caused by galvanic action depending on what the battery cable lug and bolt are made of.
Clean sparingly with baking soda and water, put on the cable end to the terminal and smear with a bit of petroleum jelly (really any grease will do, silicone dielectric grease would last the longest) which will prevent the oxidation.
If the corrosion is around the negative terminal, the battery is probably undercharging - if the positive it may be overcharging. So could point to the voltage regulator or alternator (sometimes the VR is built into the alternator) being on the verge of failure. With your speed of corrosion, sounds like an overcharging situation. This will destroy the battery quite quickly. So get the alternator system tested, there are load testers the garages have that are pretty good for diagnostics. If you are handy with a volt meter, you can do some checks yourself and find obvious alternator problems.
Sometimes, however, for the all the diagnostic, it is actually a bad battery, that can read fine on test, but is the problem and it won't take a proper charge and presents symptoms like the alternator is not working properly. The failure rate on batteries, even new ones is way higher than you would expect. Battery warranties actually have some value.
Clean sparingly with baking soda and water, put on the cable end to the terminal and smear with a bit of petroleum jelly (really any grease will do, silicone dielectric grease would last the longest) which will prevent the oxidation.
If the corrosion is around the negative terminal, the battery is probably undercharging - if the positive it may be overcharging. So could point to the voltage regulator or alternator (sometimes the VR is built into the alternator) being on the verge of failure. With your speed of corrosion, sounds like an overcharging situation. This will destroy the battery quite quickly. So get the alternator system tested, there are load testers the garages have that are pretty good for diagnostics. If you are handy with a volt meter, you can do some checks yourself and find obvious alternator problems.
Sometimes, however, for the all the diagnostic, it is actually a bad battery, that can read fine on test, but is the problem and it won't take a proper charge and presents symptoms like the alternator is not working properly. The failure rate on batteries, even new ones is way higher than you would expect. Battery warranties actually have some value.
#19
02-04-17, 02:27 PM
Clean sparingly with baking soda and water,
Sometimes, however, for the all the diagnostic, it is actually a bad battery,
The acid level is over the plates so it seems I'm not losing much if anything.
#20
02-04-17, 02:56 PM
Forum Topic Moderator
Weak or bad battery will gas more than a good one will. May look clean but gassing is what will cause corrosion.
#21
02-08-17, 04:05 PM
Got the pair of battery clamps I ordered today. It uses set screws to clamp the cable but the ones for the #8 wire holes I can't tell if they are poorly made which is why my SAE Allen wrenches aren't quite right or they are metric. Looking in at them I can't clearly even see a hexagon. It seems to be a Goldilocks problem. 1/8 is a bit large and 7/64 seems a bit small. Guess I'm going to have to buy a metric set of Allen wrenches. I can get by not using them because the ones for #4 wire seem okay. Isn't one thing it is another. #Shaking head
#22
02-08-17, 04:27 PM
Member
Ray, all this talk about cables and terminal clamps and nothing about a new battery? Three years old may not be old, but its not like a new one either. And if it's used to start a car or truck several times a day then it will wear out sooner. I just had my 2 year battery replaced. Thought it was my alternator. But the shop confirmed a bad battery. Today's car, although the electronics use less energy, there is a lot more of them being used. Negates the energy savings of LED lights, and other energy efficient options. Yes, I also yearn for the days when the engines were simpler and you could actually get into the hood alongside the engine to work on them.
#23
02-08-17, 04:34 PM
No, I suspect the battery but the clamps would have to be replaced anyway so cheapest first then the battery.... maybe. If the clamps don't help I'll let my mechanic figure it out. My days of doing more than simple repairs are over. When I think about rebuilding an engine in a dirt driveway in the rain with only a jerry-rigged piece of plastic over me and the engine I just shudder. No done enogh repairs to know it never goes as planned.
To add a bit of humor back in the day I onced looked at my porch and the pile of dead parts that had collected and thought geez bet Jeff Foxworthy would have taken one look and said, "You may be a redneck if you have autoparts instead of flowers on your front porch".
To add a bit of humor back in the day I onced looked at my porch and the pile of dead parts that had collected and thought geez bet Jeff Foxworthy would have taken one look and said, "You may be a redneck if you have autoparts instead of flowers on your front porch".
#25
02-09-17, 12:11 PM
And my tool collection is slowly shrinking as I use a tool, lay it down, and don't remember where. Right now I'm trying to remember where my hacksaw and diagonal cutters are.
#27
02-09-17, 03:53 PM
Got my two sets today, too. My guess is that they are metric based on their packaging, but I haven't tried them, yet. May get around to it on Saturday. Heavy little boogers, aren't they?
#28
02-09-17, 07:15 PM
Heavy little boogers, aren't they?
#29
02-11-17, 01:55 PM
Installed and all went easily. Turned out the smallest of my positive cables was just a bit big for the #8 hole which solved the problem of the set screws in those holes. (Just doubled up in one of the #0 holes.) Did have to use the enclosed bushing on negative but positive fit with no bushing. Surprised me because I thought both terminals would be the same diameter.
Gave the van a workout today and problem seems fixed. Will just have to wait till it sets a week or so unused to be sure.
Gave the van a workout today and problem seems fixed. Will just have to wait till it sets a week or so unused to be sure.
#30
02-11-17, 05:15 PM
I found two allen wrenches that would fit, but without a magnifying glass I couldn't read the size. BUT, it opened the hood and wow, I've got some serious cables happening in there, and these won't be working. May have to order ones with larger main holes. Positive terminals on batteries are larger than negative terminals.
Will use these on my tractor and ztr.
Will use these on my tractor and ztr.
#32
02-11-17, 10:23 PM
I've got some serious cables happening in there, and these won't be working
#33
02-12-17, 03:26 AM
Yeah, it looks as if I ordered a smaller set, but I went on recommendations using my truck description as a guide. I definitely need the ones you ordered to fit those cables. The only problem is the cross over cable from the other battery will still need to be attached to the bolt, since there are two large and two small cables PLUS the cross over. Here's what I ordered https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
#34
02-12-17, 03:32 AM
Super Moderator
You guys are just too cool with your hip-hop pimpin' battery terminals. Next thing will be 3 ft tall wings and flares and LEDs in the wheel wells. 
#35
02-12-17, 03:37 AM
No wings on the Ram 3500 dually flatbed, but, hey, LED's.......hmmmm !! I just get tired of the old lead connectors. After 479,000 miles they have seen better days and they just don't tighten up like they should. Luckily I have two batteries for the Cummins, and should one connection fail, the other battery will crank the engine......begrudgingly. I keep them clean, but I think in cleaning over and over some of the lead gets wasted and the diameter gets enlarged to where the bolt just won't tighten down any more.
#36
02-12-17, 03:42 AM
Super Moderator
Things are so complicated now. I remember installing an 8-track or something and instead of any splicing or attaching to the fuse box, I just ran a wire to the battery, drilled a hole in the top of the post and attached the wire to a sheet metal screw driven in. I DID use a crimp on terminal ring on the end of the wire though. Can't be all sloppy and such now can we?
#37
02-12-17, 04:28 AM
Vic, you are showing your age talking about installing 8-tracks 
I still have my first drill that I bought to install an 8-track. Paid $8 for a 1/2" B&D drill. It still works but wobbles so mostly it just sets on the shelf ..... but I still have it 
I still have my first drill that I bought to install an 8-track. Paid $8 for a 1/2" B&D drill. It still works but wobbles so mostly it just sets on the shelf ..... but I still have it 
#38
02-12-17, 06:13 AM
Our daughter just installed all LED interior lights... blue mind you.. in my wife's Tahoe. My wife is 58 & likes that sorta stuff. Its too hip for me. No blue lights in my Dodge Ram 4X4.
We had four 8 track tapes that I remember & was Merle Haggard, Charlie Pride, Tammy Wynette & Conway Twitty.
Back on topic, I wish I had gotten a set of those battery cable ends in '05 - 08 when I had a Chevrolet 3500 with a 1500 watt 12v/115v inverter. Those are neat & handy. I didnt know these things existed. Ray may have boosted their profits for 2017 by posting these things. I think Ray needs to get a profit sharing check from these guys...
We had four 8 track tapes that I remember & was Merle Haggard, Charlie Pride, Tammy Wynette & Conway Twitty.
Back on topic, I wish I had gotten a set of those battery cable ends in '05 - 08 when I had a Chevrolet 3500 with a 1500 watt 12v/115v inverter. Those are neat & handy. I didnt know these things existed. Ray may have boosted their profits for 2017 by posting these things. I think Ray needs to get a profit sharing check from these guys...
