I would strip back the loom and cable insulation to see how far it runs. If cleaning doesn’t work out, you may be able to remove a section of the cable, make repairs. I’d hate to have replace that harness, it’s bound to be expensive.
Battery Terminal & Cable Corrosion Problem
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I’ve used the corrosion cleaner (messy stuff) on mine, and it worked out well, but you need to get that cable super-clean. I purchased some small (toothbrush sized) wire brushes from Lowes and went to work. It was actually pretty time-consuming but worth it.When i strip it back the corrosion is not bad, its only about less than an inch down the copper wires. I used alot of baking soda mixed with water, i even dipped it in it but somehow i can only get 90% of corrosion off. Theres still some blue stuff stuck on wires that toothbrush cant even get off. Im going to try battery corrosion cleaner see if its helps.
It won’t hurt the wires. Get one with brass bristles if you’re worried about that. The corrosion does more damage than a brush ever will.i feel wire brush are too harsh on copper wires, wouldnt it easily scratches and possibly weakens the copper wires? Yea i also got corossion preventative spray after im done cleaning.
Yeah, brass is more mild than steel, but still harder than copper. You are going to scrape and scratch the corrosion off, so some minor scratches to the outer surfaces of wire strands will hurt nothing, unless the cable is nearly corroded through to the point of breaking. And if that’s the case, it just needs to be replaced. It’s just not that delicate In my opinion. If you want it to be factory pristine, then you may as well just forget about cleaning it up, and just replace everything.from google it saying brass is stronger than copper, wouldnt it scratch the heck out of the copper wires? I have one of those battery terminal brush but doesnt seem suitable for copper wires.
They’re really isn’t too many options here. Cleanup it and repair it, or just replace it. I think you are worrying to much about scratching the wire strands.
If you can get the corrosion removed and neutralized by dipping and scrubbing with a nylon brush, then that’s fine too.
I guess a copper brush could be used too … I’m not sure how effective that would be, or where you would find one. Have you actually seen them available somewhere? That would be akin to rubbing a bunch of copper wires together lol. In every shop I’ve worked in, a wire brush was the way (with regards to cleaning). That’s been several decades ago, but I doubt things have changed that much. Perhaps they have.should i use copper bristle brush instead lol? will it still get the corrosion off?
Look at the thickness (thinness) of the battery terminal on the wire cable. Look at the scratches on it. Now look at the thickness of the copper cable it’s wrapped around. If scratching the surface up were a problem, do you think that battery terminal brush would be made of Steele?
Of course a dealership would never make a repair on this, they’d replace the whole shebang-abang, as would any other pro-shop. They don’t want to have any come-backs, and it’s your money, not theirs.
I think you’re being overly cautious, but I understand. The cable is thick enough, that removing a small amount of material by brushing with a steel or brass bristled brush is inconsequential. I’ve done this exact procedure at least 50 times (probably more), and the only side effect was a clean/shiny surface without corrosion.
In any case, when you do get it cleaned up properly, please post a pic. We really need activity on this forum (Just say’n).
In any case, when you do get it cleaned up properly, please post a pic. We really need activity on this forum (Just say’n).
If the clamp is cracked, clearly that needs to be replaced. I didn’t notice it in the pic, as I’m on a mobile device with a small screen. Since you pointed that out, I see it. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, that looks amazing! Great job.in order to get rid of corrosion on copper wires you need a mixture of vinegar and salt.
What is the mix of salt/vinegar you used, and was it white vinegar?
As was mine. It started the whole mess for me.mine was too lmao with the factory motorcraft battery.
White vinegar?thanks, im pretty happy with the results too lol
a cup of vinegar and couple teaspoon of salt will do the trick
Changed the title, and added tags for searching.
I haven’t had any particular problems, but I’m going to tryout your magic vinegar elixir on my old Crown Vic. It’s due for a cleanup and I want to see this in action.Good to know! I used NOCO NCP2 A202 12.25 Oz Oil-Based Battery Corrosion Preventative Spray, good reviews but its messy(had to use empty quart container to spray it in). I would probably use grease or oil but not in a spray can.
Check out the thread on AGM batteries and post some feedback.
Hey winkawak, would you consider making a DIY section post outlining your process?Last night an idea popped in my head, instead of searching for battery corrosion solutions i searched for copper corrosion solution instead. All of solution for battery corrosion are the same but none says anything about the cables. Searching for copper corrosion i found new valuable information that i can think can help anyone else whos also in the same situation im in. Baking soda and water will only neutralize the corrosion but will not completely get rid of it, what i found is in order to get rid of corrosion on copper wires you need a mixture of vinegar and salt. Within a minute of dipping it in vinegar and salt the corrosion completely went away. As you can see the new shinning almost new copper wires. After you see all the corrosion gone dip it in baking soda and water for extra protection then spray it down with corrosion preventative spray. As for right now i only wrapped it down with electrical tape 33+, after couple weeks or so ill check again for corrosion. If theres no more corrosion im going to us heat shrink tube to permanetely seal it up.
I used a cup of white vinegar and a couple teaspoons of salt to do the trick.
Yeah, I know it‘s simple, but worthy of a post in DIY. It’s easy to locate there, and we need some activity. Just copying the one post I quoted would be fine.The whole process is like 2 steps lol, yea i can write one up once im home and free.
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