battery contacts cleaning, what's been your experience?

[moonroof]

I see that there is some white buildup on the contact terminals of my Toyota Avalon's battery.

1. What is the best way to DIY for cleaning them?

2. Can people share their experience as to what immediate effects they saw after cleaning their batteries' terminals? Was the car hard to start and got fixed? Did the lights get brighter? Anything.

Thanks!

[sam333]

They sell small battery terminal cleaning brushes at auto parts stores and you can also buy cans of terminal protectant or just use petroleum jelly after cleaning.

Are you having electrical problems, dim lights ect?

[lucky1969]

I did notice a huge amount of build up on and around my positive battery post. Some white but mostly a blueish color. I used baking soda and water to eat away at the corrosion and a small brush to clean the post and clamp. This after noticing some engine start issues.

[KoG506]

I pour boiled water and never had any starting problem. remove the terminal to fully clean it

[Zembonez]

No big deal. Just clean em. You may not notice any performance difference but if you leave it to continue corroding, you'll eventually have issues.

[aznstylez]

Originally Posted by lucky1969

I did notice a huge amount of build up on and around my positive battery post. Some white but mostly a blueish color. I used baking soda and water to eat away at the corrosion and a small brush to clean the post and clamp. This after noticing some engine start issues.

Your auto parts store should have the battery terminals cleaner in a can. Spray some onto the battery terminals and use wire brush to brush the excess off. Let dry before installing again.

[ChiTDI]

Good info above. One additional item to consider at the parts store when doing battery work.
They sell a cheap 9volt battery attachement that plugs into the cigarette outlet of your car. The 9v battery "trickle charges" your electrical system while your battery is disconnected. If you don't open the door or accidentally turn on the headlights, you can save all the settings and not have to "refresh" the computer and the memory when you reinstall the battery.

[Bigg G]

Allowing the corrosion to build up will eventually lead to bad battery contact/wire contact resulting in slow start or no starts.

Disconnect both terminals from the battery and clean them with a good battery terminal brush and then coat them with a good battery terminal corrosion protectant.