A couple years ago I put a new battery in the LS. It's been cranking a little weird lately, the engine doesn't rev like it used to. It use to crank and rev to like maybe 1,800 then work it's way down. Lately it will crank and fire off at like 1,100, then slowly work its way up … and then slowly back down. Weird.

I pulled the cover off the battery, and there's corrosion all over the + pole. So I pulled the lead off, cleaned some of the excess acid / corrosion off, spray some cleaner (acid neutralizer) on the battery / pole (lightly to try not to make a big mess), and used a rag to clean it up as much as possible.

Then I put the lead back on the pole. Lastly, I masked off the area with a couple towels and sprayed terminal protector on the + lead. This is annoying as the original Panasonic battery, after 7 years of service had not 1 spec of corrosion on it. I haven't cranked it since I cleaned the battery. Heck, I've not cranked it in about 3 weeks.

What triggers this corrosion? And how can it be avoided? Is the corrosion based on battery sealing quality? This is not my forte. But I like a clean battery.

 

In for answers as I've had this problem with my Tundra for years but never bothered looking into it :P

 

 

Ehhhh, not so sure that's the case. On my Tundra I installed a set of these with the wingnuts and the fit is as snug as it can be. Still get corrosion.

 

 

Caflashbob is giving you some very good information.

Most of the corrosion problems with car battery terminals is due to leakage between the terminals and battery case. A good way to deal with that is to seal the case/terminal junction with silicone sealant - GE280 works well for this - but you need to do that before the battery is installed because it is difficult to do a good job with the battery installed. You just need to apply a small bead of sealant around that joint.

Another way to deal with this is to install some of those treated, felt washers on the terminals before you attach the cables.

The felt washers are available from most auto supply stores, and Amazon.com. They are very effective for preventing corrosion.

https://www.batteriesplus.com/produc...SABEgKMKfD_BwE


You can rid the terminals and cables of corrosion by applying a solution of baking soda and water.

 

 

I second that. After cleaning up corrosion from past cars I buy nothing but AGM batteries and have never had an issue since. I wish Sears still sold their Platinum (re-branded Odyssey) with the 10 year warranty. The Odyssey Extreme batteries can often be found for a reasonable price, even shipped to your door, since they don't leak.