And while many may rely upon the Breakdown Recovery Services to get them back on the road, in all reality, giving a vehicle’s battery some minor TLC may be the difference between being stranded or not.
And you really don’t have to be a fully-fledged mechanic either.
More often than not, a car’s battery is positioned at the top of the engine with clear and easy access, often one or both of the two terminals – a plus with a red wire connection and a negative (black wired) – can suffer from battery corrosion, which is a white, powder-looking substance that builds up. The danger here being it can eat away at the power cables and literally cut off the power.
The wearing of protective gloves and even goggles are strongly advised and the process of cleaning the area is relatively easy, made more so by using Contact Cleaner from WD-40®’s Specialist range of products.
Simply unbolt the troubled connector – be extremely careful not to touch the plus and the negative at the same time – pull it off and wipe clean. DO NOT blow because the corrosive substance can cause serious irritation. Once the bulk of corrosion is cleared, spray liberally with Contact Cleaner, the fast-acting non-conductive cleaner which is a favourite for industrial & professional electricians, quickly penetrates the area, ensuring no corrosion is left behind once wiped clean for a final time.
Once all the terminals are re-connected, a coating of WD-40 Specialist White lithium Grease will help to ensure all year round protection against corrosion.