Constant battery well corrosion problem

[Sir Lancelot]

Hi everyone, I have a persistent problem I'm hoping someone can help me out with!

So I've overcome a bunch of electrical problems in the car, which actually stemmed from a bad connection at the battery. Incidentally, Ive always used the "high quality" RACV batteries for my GTV6. I've lashed out and bought a dry cell battery with some serious CCA - the car has never cranked over so well and run so brighly! Worth every penny. Can get details of the battery if anyone is interested.

So - around the base of the battery well I am consistently getting a white powdery corrosion. I've cleaned out the battery well twice now - sand paper, followed by rust-prohibited and finally a coat of red paint. Alas, just a few weeks later and the white powdery corrosion is back. It's only found in the battery well, and it's only been occurring in the last year (have owned the car for ~10 years now).

Has anyone come across this? Do you know what this is a result of? What the corrosion is? And what's a better way to stop it's reoccurance?

I'm cleaning it again today, so i'll post a pic of what's there.

Many thanks in advance!
Alex.

[Anthony Miller]

Hi Alex, try dissolving a full packet of Bi carb of soda in a 9litre bucket and flood the tray with half of it and check the reaction, wait half an hour, hose it out and do it again with the rest of the bucket full. I've worked in a battery room and this was our method to neutralise battery acid

[Sir Lancelot]

Would never have guessed! thanks for the tip - will let you know how it goes.

[colcol]

I have always used a plastic battery tray under the battery, with a hose coming out of the tray where i can direct any spilt acid to the ground, now using sealed battery, did paint the Alfa metal battery tray with tough enamel paint, as acrylic paint isn't that tough, Colin.

[alfa duk]

 Check out the por 15 range of paint protection, plenty of info that is applicable to your issue.

[johnnyc]

hi Alex,

I would be interested in knowing the type of battery you are using. mine is absolutely dead.

very expensive?

cheers

john

[Sir Lancelot]

The battery certainly isn't cheap, but so far as I can tell, you get what you pay for. I'm yet to finish hooking up a basic stereo (inc. amp & single sub), but I suspect even with that there'll be juice to spare.

The battery is an Optima battery, Yellow Top, D34. I've attached pictures of it's fit, and technical specs. I recently (and accidentally!) left the headlights on for 2+ hours, and the car cranked over perfectly - so the headlights didn't make a dint in the battery reserve. The additional positive wire in the picture runs straight to the alternator (in-line fuse). I've also attached an additional engine ground, and have also grounded the battery to three nearby locations. It all seems to have added up to a good thing.

We'll see how the paint holds up, hopefully the bicarb did the trick.

[pep105]

750 CCA ! No mucking around then !

[Sir Lancelot]

Certainly not! It's a little overkill I realise, and you can definitely tell by the way it pretty much instantaneously fires up. Looking forward to see how it handles a full electrical load.

[MD]

Steps to minimise acid corrosion:

1 Dilute with lots of hot water the area affected
2 Neutralise the same area with bicarb as previously suggested.
3 Rinse again to avoid an alkyline attack.
4 Thoroughly air dry.
5 Paint affected areas with Tectyl 506. (http://www.valvolineeurope.com/english/products/tectyl/general_industry/cid%28773%29/tectyl_506-eh/product-information )
6 Always use a leak proof plastic battery tray.
7 After making connections, paint both terminals with Tectyl also.
8 If using a wet cell, never overfill the cells and ALWAYS use demineralised water to top up.
9 Have the regulator checked for charging rates to ensure it is not overcharging and causing the battery to boil over.

10. Live with the fact that you cannot apply other paint over the Tectyl treatment but rest assured the corrosion will cease as compensation.