Making use of the ruclips.net/user/postUgkxcJ22tnHH9l1vjdIdEIG27iOG55P7LXI8 reconditioning plan, I just saved 2 auto batteries from being completely junked. The guides were very simple to follow. I wish I would have found this years ago! You may use the guide to recondition any battery type
As an electronics tech I'm very well versed in batteries, but I never thought about checking for voltage differential between post/connector and post/body of the battery. This is by far the best and most complete car battery maintenance video I've seen.
A DVM does not create a path for current when measuring volts; this setting has an extremely high internal resistance. If you are measuring for current, this setting has the lowest internal resistance and, therefore, you are creating a SHORT (the only setting the DVM fuse(s) are there for)! A DVM should be understood properly before handling, starting with Ohm's law.
The negative post is used as a "ground" or, more correctly said, a current return. If your engine block is not "grounded" properly to the negative battery post, you will never get a spark from the plugs as the current will have nowhere to go to.
I do like your approach to the safety aspect. However, since i have been involved with big Battery Backup systems, sometimes those involve a lot of Batteries connected, with enormous short-circuit Amperages, i feel, it might be prudent to use tools, that are insulated as much as possible. Your spanners and socket wrenches might slip, and then, even a 200Ah Car Battery might turn you into a pizza face. Safety glasses or not
I was listening to an old time radio program than included the sponsors commercials. One was an auto battery manufacturer. They were proudly touting that their batteries only needed water added 3 or 4 times a year (under typical driving).
Erics so mello yellow. But hes saving us tons of $$. If he earned half of what hes saved us all on car maintenance, hed be a billionaire. Just imagine ETCG hobnobbing with Bezos and Buffet at the Stay Dirty Country Club and mixed use development site. Seriously man, thank you. I know the editing process has to suck royally, but the final product is so appreciated by millions!!!
When there is surface drain, there is a trace of sulfuric acid on top of the battery case providing a current pathway between the terminals. Dust/dirt by itself is non conductive unless wet. As abhorrent as it may seem to some, I verify the presence of sulfuric acid (unless I can actually see it) by lightly touching the case top and then taste test. Then spit it out. My tongue has not been burned nor fallen off from occassionaly doing this for well over 45 years. Yes, I know baking soda will tell you, but its not always nearby. Excellent battery care video.
Good video. Keeping batteries clean can help prolong their life. I usually start with spraying the battery with a hose. Another tip for topping off the cells,is to use a big veterinary syringe. Keep baking soda on hand -if you spill acid,or get it on your skin,put some baking soda on there,it will neutralize the acid. (On skin,it helps to make the baking soda into a paste,with a bit of water. Apply it to your skin,wait a few seconds,and then rinse with plenty of water.) If you get acid on your clothes,consider them a goner. There will be a hole where the acid was,after they are washed.
Thank you Eric the Car Guy! That is what my no start/no crank issue was! The negative terminal connection was loose and was not adjustable so $10 later with a new cable the car started right up. I thought it was something else since my headlights were bright but my car wouldn't crank and then not even the dash lights would come on. Put the new cable on, voila, it is a car again! Thanks so much for pointing this out. My other car ('94 Pontiac Grand Prix) that did this too, it was the bolt that threaded into the positive side of the battery that had somehow gotten stripped and I did get a new battery and a new starter before I figured out it was the bolt. I'm so glad I didn't do that all over again. Thanks again!
Great video Eric. It was a mix of why I became a subscriber in the first place and the quality of production your capable of with all your skills and experience. My inner motivation for watching these things over a year and a half ago slowly went from loving cars to wanting to be an Automotive Technician. I've been hired! Thanks to everyone's comments as well that has prepped me for this moment! :)
Videos like like always motivate me to get up and check things out for myself. I checked my voltage, and it was 12.12v. I checked for surface drain and got over 10v in some places. I cleaned it up with water and baking soda until i got 0 everywhere else. And when i checked voltage at the posts, 12.33v 👍. I know its not the 12.4 we want, but I feel a lot better than it being 12.12v. Thanks Eric!
May be worth considering an insulated cover for the positive terminal connector. As you say, in an accident a short with the body/hood could cause a spark and ignite escaping fuel. Vasaline for the posts too to prevent oxidation etc. Great video, thanks Eric.
I've watched a few videos about battery care, but this is undoubtedly the most informative I've seen. I was beginning to give up on finding a decent instructional, but this has now changed that. Very grateful for this. Splendid job!
Just a quick tip for a few people who have batteries in their trunks, like my 05 Cobalt, it is very important to reconnect the venting tube if your battery is equipped with one.
Love these videos. I'm amazed how much of a drain a little dirt created! Good to know in dusty Az. I used to test for good connection/hidden oxidation similarly. After getting solid read at posts, switch one probe to opposite clamp/terminal, also on wiring, looking for any fluctuation, then compare to initial voltage read. Repeat for other side. I used to use wire brushes until a few post and clamp got too worn to connect tightly. I started using a few drops of lime away for toilets(buck at $1 store). Just a quick scrub with sponge or toothbrush, wipe dry and it's nice and shiny. I put a thin film of white silicone grease on exposed metal to displace air and prevent oxidation.
@Rex Erection "I passed on college because it's for simple minded people that think they need a piece of paper to be successful in life." College is not always optional. My father-in-law had been working for a company for 22 years, moved up from the bottom. For several years he was even teaching the newcomers to the company how to do CAD properly because the universities were not preparing them well enough. The company owner wanted to retire and sold the company. The new owners let my father-in-law go because he did not have a university degree, which was now required. He tried applying at many other CAD companies, none would hire him because he lacked the degree. So he went back to college, got his four-year degree, and got back in the industry.
Eh .. I don't think that actually does anything, he's just measuring the potential difference between those two area's. It's "conductive" dust.. not draining dust or that battery would be dead all the time.
thanks a lot Eric! You just saved my battery :) had the same "dirt conducts electricity" issue, and the freshly charged battery, could not start my diesel truck the next day. After I watched Your video, I measured it, and had 6-8 volts charge leak via the dirt (and actually it wasnt that dirty, but still). Cleaned it, measured it and now it has 0.0 volt leak. Charging at the moment. hope it starts now! Cheers from hungary!
Old vid, I know BUUUUTTT dielectric grease AKA silicone paste is used instead of 'axle grease' on the cleaned and installed connectors/posts. It does NOT restrict the flow of electricity and keep em weather free! Love you Eric (platonically of course)!!
One most important tip for battery health is knowing the date code for when it was manufactured. Always check a batteries date code before purchase to make sure it isn't old. All the cleaning , voltage checking and charging are ok, but knowing it's age and setting a replacement date (5-6) yrs depending on brand ,type and usage are paramount. Especially if you live in a cold climate. I always put an easy viewable date code and record service dates. During service when the hood is up, no guessing is required .Knowing dates for repairs makes it easy for replacing parts.
sir ! u did the BEST video for battery maintenance i have seen in youtube . completed and well explained. seems to me u got it. i bet u r a far more good than an average car technitian (sems to me u like ur job) !!! thanks a lot for ur efford to deliver us this knowlege !!!!! greeding from greece !!!!
Great video . One thing I spotted , it's great to see a mechanic using an adjustable Spanner . I have an 06 VW Touareg 3.0 V6 tdi . Biggest bugbear is if I don't drive it . It struggles to start . Trouble is electrically it's a complex system . As soon as you unlock it and open the drivers door , you can hear something in the vehicle firing up. It took me a while to work out that it's the Webasto engine diesel preheat system . Went out to it today Tuesday , last started Friday last week . First try starting . Probably cranked over for 5 or 6 seconds then stopped . 2 goes with engine preheat (heater plugs ) it turned over normally and fired up sweet as usual . The battery is 8 weeks old from new . I know only too well it's got a parasitic drain .
The dielectric grease is good, not bad, because if it gets between parts it insulated from arcing. If the parts are clean and make contact (dielectric grease will not prevent contact connections...) the grease will move out of the way and will allow contact. Also, likely the terminals are not steel and they won’t create sparks... Other than these things, good video.
Just got a CTEK charger/maintainer, it’s interesting to see how my battery, although in great health, wasn’t fully charged as I am disabled and don’t drive much. Glad you showed surface drain..too many ppl let their stuff get really dirty, this can really drain the battery!
Eric, you're the man! I never knew that the dirt that sits on top of the battery can actually drain the charge! Good thing I always try to keep everything nice and clean, lol. Keep up the good work ETCG!
I knew most of this other than the voltage leaking across the top. However, it is an excellent video clearly explained with nothing flowery about it. Also attention paid to the hold downs and the pan the battery sits on is worth doing. Thank you
I noticed that too and thought that Eric was about to connect wrong way around untill I realised that both leads were red. Bad to have same colour leads.
the last 2 batteries i have purchased were used from late fresh model wrecks, and been very lucky, the cost of a new battery eing around 130 is insane. I Saturday had to get another battery for my 95 Corvette, it had a bad cell, went to a junk yard and got a used one for $30 dollars, whats your take Eric, your videos about this save me from having a bad moment from happening
Eirc, instead of axle grease, use solid vaseline in the terminals, it will prevent corrosion via oxidation and sulfacid completely and won't affect the connection. You can also use a special gel that's used for electricla connections(usually comes in telecom boxes to keep moisture out) but it's sticky as hell and very expensive, vaseline is much better We use that on stationary big UPS batteries and haven't experienced any problems, wherever it goes away the terminal corrode
Cryous no, i meant electrical gel sealant like www.arrowelectricals.co.uk/electrical-accessories-c33/electrical-sealants-gels-c42 or www.xmultiple.com/xwebsite-sealant-GEL.htm
Alan Ackaway Sealed is the way to go if you can afford the difference. My last battery was a Odyssey and withstood 8 years of abuse. No maintenance, no corrosion! I'm giving Optima another chance this go round since they were about $75 cheaper.
Good vid Eric. Batteries always seemed to be over looked to other Non starting issues. Thanks for mentioning not to smoke around them either. I have seen a battery slip straight into the fan this was years ago when fan blades were metal because somebody was too lazy to tie it down, what a acid mess! Thanks mate Johnno
Just a suggestion: I can tell you from working at Advance Auto that if you pop the caps on one of their batteries, your warranty is void. That is an Auto Zone battery, and I know their warranty is similar. Just because the caps are there, doesn't mean that you should take them off, that's why they're labeled as maintenance free. Otherwise, this was just like watching the training information from Advance Auto.
really great video Eric. I would guess that most people just think of these batteries as they would batteries in a remote control. Non serviceable, no maintenance needed, just replace as necessary. Battery maintenance goes a long way and helps to save you money!
I make a point of regularly washing out the engine bay on my truck, and when I do, I always make sure to clean the top of the battery thoroughly for this reason. I started doing this because I thought all that stuff looked nasty, but then Dad told me I'm actually solving the conductive filth issue as well.
moparone22 Black in your residential wiring is the hot wire. With white / bare being a neutral/ground When a dedicated ground is insulated it's usually insulated in green. Red in residential wiring is usually used as a secondary hot wire in romex. For instance in most circuits in your house you will find 14/2 (14 gauge, 2 insulted + ground) Black (Hot), White (Neurtral), Bare Copper (Ground) Some you will find as 14/3 (14 gauge, 3 insulted + ground) Black (Hot), Red (Hot), White (Neutral), Bare Copper (Ground). Black as a positive terminal isn't that odd. Black seems to get over used, because inside electronics and connections it's often used as a ground.
+Carlos Elias Remember to be in a well ventilated area for the baking soda. It reacts with the leaked green stuff and I almost passed out from the fumes... VERY TOXIC =(
i like to put a miniscule amount of copper conductive grease on the posts .it is made for electrical panels for painting into wires when clamping them in a panel. then i clean up any excess so it does not make a short on battery top and paint some silicone grease to seal terminals. they may get a bit of dust on the grease but the terminals are never corroded four years later when i change battery they are as good as when i installed them.
zx8401ztv Agreed. Voltage drop testing dirt? I would have NEVER thought of that. I felt I knew a lot about battery care. Now I actually do. I just went from Advanced to Expert.
DE Nichols I suspect the minor dirt conduction only matters if your battery is ill, otherwise if you use the car every other day it wont sap much of the batterys capacity. Expert, "Ex" means a person i once knew and "sPert" is highvelocity liquid from an outlet, ha ha ok i added an "s" :D :
zx8401ztv Your comment? So funny! Had a job for a while that I had to off road for...fun...and dangerous. Could have been less dangerous but I had some fun. That level of dirt on everything I bet added up to something for my electrical troubles. Corrosion and battery acid saturated all the dirt and a day without driving risked it not running. The conductance appeared to be between cells as well in the video. So while I agree this is minimal in my extreme example it may not be minor. (The acid also destroyed like 6 feet of each battery cable.)
Great video Eric....just ordered a load tester and a battery post cleaner... bin working on my own cars for over 45 years and never come across those little brushes...cool little mother's...
If you're checking for voltage drop between battery post and the terminal, switching the headlights on first will make the voltage drop much easier to detect.
Baking soda is good, but another thing i use and that's perfectly safe on plastics (because it's designed to use on such things after all) is clothing detergent. The powder kind. Scoop some on an stout brush and scrub.
Hi Eric I use a sugar soap solution in a spray bottle which seems to work well at dissolving the grease on battery boxes, when you look inside the cell it's important to check the colour of the water inside and the colour of the cap, as battery's age the get a build up of black gunge this can be a sign of a battery on its way out. Its important to note on battery's 580ah and above the load tester you used will not load the battery enough as it is an element tester and only good for 100 amps or so a larger carbon pile tester is required that's good for 500 amps.I also check neg/ground back to the engine. Vasaline is a good terminal protector.
Hey good stuff. Some thoughts I wanted to add: • The positive post should have some kind of cover. If The battery comes loose and makes contact with the hood or any piece of metal or you set tools on top, it could spark. • you should clean under the battery is well a lot of corrosion happens underneath the battery. A lot of people don't have a battery holddown because the corrosion is so bad underneath their battery that the mounting point/bracket is damaged. • I haven't found that those green and red sponge things do anything as well I would say skip it.
That's a great tip Eric. I didn't know about the "surface drain" thing at all! I'll be cleaning all of my batteries this weekend, thanks! (seriously, I will, lol)
Very well done video! I had a car once that someone used a red wire for the ground. I simply wrapped the wire with black electrical tape to better identify the wire. Someone could connect jumper cables backwards and have a real problem.
WOW! Thanks for free education! I needed to know/learn many things you taught! BUT you forgot to teach us how to get the gunk out of the tops of each battery cell! Would that suction bulb thing you showed us do that??? Actually I was seeking a more basic just checking liquids levels and filling with distilled water...for my wife working in LA. Do garages offer this service? I have NEVER seen or heard any advertisements. Why don't battery sales outlets provide this service especially in the Fall? Would seem to be a great savior preventing dead batteries! As a chemist I liked your showing folks and warning them about the "strength" of the sulfuric acid! Have you done windshield wipers??? NEXT? PLZ!
I was so confused how plastic was conducting electricity until you pointed it out, a little up keeping on engine bay cleanliness goes a long way it seems
Thanks Eric, Another great video that applies to every car. For the terminals I like to use the silicone paste, it is Dielectric grease and works great. Thanks again! Eric. You rock.
Eric, Once again, a Fantastic Job. Your videos help me teach my students automotive. I like that you not only mention safety glasses, and the safety aspects. You do them. You show it how I want them to do it. Video first, hands on second. Great Job.
As usual a great presentation which displayed much overlooked checks such as surface drain and load voltages etc. But you missed one, you never showed charging voltage (13.5 - 14.2) which is a quick check to confirm Voltage regulator is functioning. I also collected wine corks to use in the eyelets before cleaning with baking soda all at once. One small disappointment, you did not wash out the battery mounts in the car with baking soda then water hose rinse before mounting the battery. Not all cars have plastic mounts and even so, corrosion occurs underneath. But keep up the great work, you're a great service to the community by bringing back gear head (nuts and bolts, not cosmetic) interest to a whole new generation. Thank you again.
Beautiful, was not expecting the residue as a conductor insight. Yes, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and any carbonated drink in general can be used, or is used. At least with these nuances: 1) in a hurry, 2) for the scaling up in the posts is perfect, 3) for whole battery is news to me and would still likely require a real cleaning as the congealed syrup would attract insects at least in Puerto Rico, or in the summer in the mainland.
Interesting about dirt conducting current. I wondered if that made a difference. I also didn't know slow charging is better than fast so that info was useful. I think those pads were designed to stop charge leaking to the surface of the battery by lifting the wires off the case with an insulator felt. Of course if they get dirty and conductive, so much for that function.
awesome, good info and well presented. thanks! I had a battery I thought was bad and was going to replace but I found it was a combination between dirty connections,little bit of a surface drain and a little bit low on water here in 116 degree phoenix heat. It seems to be working like a champ now.Thanks for saving me $120.00 battery is only a year and a half old so I wasn't quite ready to call it quits on the thing unless I had to.
In NYC, I just use tap water with a stiff brush. Our tap comes from surface water as oppose to many municipalities that get their water from the ground that may contain far more minerals. That would be more conductive than NYC water, which has hardly any conductivity.
Regardless of whether or not damage may be caused by reversing the cables briefly, having a red earth lead just gets my OCD twitching. I would have had to take 1/2" off the earth cable to get back to some pristine copper strands when swapping the clamp. But that's just me and I thought this video was great Eric.
I used to have one of those back in the day. Nowadays the Refractometer I have at work does the same thing at 5 times the cost. But then I am the only guy in the shop who uses it.
Amazing video. I loved this one Eric! Especially since I have been having battery issues lately. I hope to use some of this information in the coming days! Cheers!
Surface drain is a real thing. Two years ago it was 0 and below and my friend kept getting a dead battery. He kept jump starting the car (which is not a good way to charge a battery) and would drive about 20 miles. It’s worth noting that when it’s freezing cold, your battery will not take a good charge. We brought the battery inside. It was slowly recharged and I found the layer of grease on it was causing the drain. It was compounded by the fact that a 20 mile drive in near-zero temperature won’t do much to charge a dead battery
How to remove stuck battery terminal clamps: Use a flat end screwdriver or the pointy end of a file. Stick it in the gap where the two parts of the clamp come together. Gently tap with a hammer. Clamp should open up and be easy to remove.
Mad respect for the detail level here. Dude went 5th dimension on a car battery. Wow.
Making use of the ruclips.net/user/postUgkxcJ22tnHH9l1vjdIdEIG27iOG55P7LXI8 reconditioning plan, I just saved 2 auto batteries from being completely junked. The guides were very simple to follow. I wish I would have found this years ago! You may use the guide to recondition any battery type
As an electronics tech I'm very well versed in batteries, but I never thought about checking for voltage differential between post/connector and post/body of the battery. This is by far the best and most complete car battery maintenance video I've seen.
I don't understand why the voltage differential between the post and the body would matter at all. The posts aren't (normally) connected to the body.
ya, aren't you actually creating the path for the current/voltage when you use your leads?
A DVM does not create a path for current when measuring volts; this setting has an extremely high internal resistance. If you are measuring for current, this setting has the lowest internal resistance and, therefore, you are creating a SHORT (the only setting the DVM fuse(s) are there for)! A DVM should be understood properly before handling, starting with Ohm's law.
The negative post is used as a "ground" or, more correctly said, a current return. If your engine block is not "grounded" properly to the negative battery post, you will never get a spark from the plugs as the current will have nowhere to go to.
I do like your approach to the safety aspect. However, since i have been involved with big Battery Backup systems, sometimes those involve a lot of Batteries connected, with enormous short-circuit Amperages, i feel, it might be prudent to use tools, that are insulated as much as possible. Your spanners and socket wrenches might slip, and then, even a 200Ah Car Battery might turn you into a pizza face. Safety glasses or not
Eric, you have saved all our asses 1000 times. Everyone appreciates what you're doing man.
I'm a big fan.
I was listening to an old time radio program than included the sponsors commercials. One was an auto battery manufacturer. They were proudly touting that their batteries only needed water added 3 or 4 times a year (under typical driving).
Erics so mello yellow. But hes saving us tons of $$. If he earned half of what hes saved us all on car maintenance, hed be a billionaire. Just imagine ETCG hobnobbing with Bezos and Buffet at the Stay Dirty Country Club and mixed use development site. Seriously man, thank you. I know the editing process has to suck royally, but the final product is so appreciated by millions!!!
When there is surface drain, there is a trace of sulfuric acid on top of the battery case providing a current pathway between the terminals. Dust/dirt by itself is non conductive unless wet. As abhorrent as it may seem to some, I verify the presence of sulfuric acid (unless I can actually see it) by lightly touching the case top and then taste test. Then spit it out. My tongue has not been burned nor fallen off from occassionaly doing this for well over 45 years. Yes, I know baking soda will tell you, but its not always nearby. Excellent battery care video.
Good video. Keeping batteries clean can help prolong their life. I usually start with spraying the battery with a hose. Another tip for topping off the cells,is to use a big veterinary syringe. Keep baking soda on hand -if you spill acid,or get it on your skin,put some baking soda on there,it will neutralize the acid. (On skin,it helps to make the baking soda into a paste,with a bit of water. Apply it to your skin,wait a few seconds,and then rinse with plenty of water.)
If you get acid on your clothes,consider them a goner. There will be a hole where the acid was,after they are washed.
One of the better 12V car battery videos I've seen. Showed a few techniques I'd never thought of before.
25 years of fooling around with cars I’ve never even thought to check the case for draw. Thanks a million!
Thank you Eric the Car Guy! That is what my no start/no crank issue was! The negative terminal connection was loose and was not adjustable so $10 later with a new cable the car started right up. I thought it was something else since my headlights were bright but my car wouldn't crank and then not even the dash lights would come on. Put the new cable on, voila, it is a car again! Thanks so much for pointing this out. My other car ('94 Pontiac Grand Prix) that did this too, it was the bolt that threaded into the positive side of the battery that had somehow gotten stripped and I did get a new battery and a new starter before I figured out it was the bolt. I'm so glad I didn't do that all over again. Thanks again!
Great video Eric. It was a mix of why I became a subscriber in the first place and the quality of production your capable of with all your skills and experience. My inner motivation for watching these things over a year and a half ago slowly went from loving cars to wanting to be an Automotive Technician. I've been hired! Thanks to everyone's comments as well that has prepped me for this moment! :)
First 3 minutes....It is clear that I am speaking with a proffessional....just getting helped....you are burning fire Eric🔥🔥🔥🔥
Videos like like always motivate me to get up and check things out for myself. I checked my voltage, and it was 12.12v. I checked for surface drain and got over 10v in some places. I cleaned it up with water and baking soda until i got 0 everywhere else. And when i checked voltage at the posts, 12.33v 👍. I know its not the 12.4 we want, but I feel a lot better than it being 12.12v. Thanks Eric!
May be worth considering an insulated cover for the positive terminal connector. As you say, in an accident a short with the body/hood could cause a spark and ignite escaping fuel. Vasaline for the posts too to prevent oxidation etc. Great video, thanks Eric.
I've watched a few videos about battery care, but this is undoubtedly the most informative I've seen. I was beginning to give up on finding a decent instructional, but this has now changed that. Very grateful for this. Splendid job!
Just a quick tip for a few people who have batteries in their trunks, like my 05 Cobalt, it is very important to reconnect the venting tube if your battery is equipped with one.
Love these videos. I'm amazed how much of a drain a little dirt created! Good to know in dusty Az.
I used to test for good connection/hidden oxidation similarly. After getting solid read at posts, switch one probe to opposite clamp/terminal, also on wiring, looking for any fluctuation, then compare to initial voltage read. Repeat for other side. I used to use wire brushes until a few post and clamp got too worn to connect tightly. I started using a few drops of lime away for toilets(buck at $1 store). Just a quick scrub with sponge or toothbrush, wipe dry and it's nice and shiny. I put a thin film of white silicone grease on exposed metal to displace air and prevent oxidation.
Surface drain. Never thought of that! Thanks Eric!
I have never heard of that either, Eric is good isn't he!
@Rex Erection "I passed on college because it's for simple minded people that think they need a piece of paper to be successful in life." College is not always optional. My father-in-law had been working for a company for 22 years, moved up from the bottom. For several years he was even teaching the newcomers to the company how to do CAD properly because the universities were not preparing them well enough. The company owner wanted to retire and sold the company. The new owners let my father-in-law go because he did not have a university degree, which was now required. He tried applying at many other CAD companies, none would hire him because he lacked the degree. So he went back to college, got his four-year degree, and got back in the industry.
Eh .. I don't think that actually does anything, he's just measuring the potential difference between those two area's. It's "conductive" dust.. not draining dust or that battery would be dead all the time.
Thank you for emphasizing Safety and low cost solutions. Your instructions were accurate, easy to follow and solved my issue.
thanks a lot Eric! You just saved my battery :) had the same "dirt conducts electricity" issue, and the freshly charged battery, could not start my diesel truck the next day. After I watched Your video, I measured it, and had 6-8 volts charge leak via the dirt (and actually it wasnt that dirty, but still). Cleaned it, measured it and now it has 0.0 volt leak. Charging at the moment. hope it starts now! Cheers from hungary!
Old vid, I know BUUUUTTT dielectric grease AKA silicone paste is used instead of 'axle grease' on the cleaned and installed connectors/posts. It does NOT restrict the flow of electricity and keep em weather free! Love you Eric (platonically of course)!!
Knowledge is priceless. Thanks EricTheCarGuy for sharing your experience and knowledge for free.
Great video. Comprehensive, thorough and to the point. Eric, your channel is at the top of my list! Keep up the good work.
One most important tip for battery health is knowing the date code for when it was manufactured. Always check a batteries date code before purchase to make sure it isn't old. All the cleaning , voltage checking and charging are ok, but knowing it's age and setting a replacement date (5-6) yrs depending on brand ,type and usage are paramount. Especially if you live in a cold climate. I always put an easy viewable date code and record service dates. During service when the hood is up, no guessing is required .Knowing dates for repairs makes it easy for replacing parts.
❤
sir ! u did the BEST video for battery maintenance i have seen in youtube .
completed and well explained.
seems to me u got it.
i bet u r a far more good than an average car technitian (sems to me u like ur job) !!!
thanks a lot for ur efford to deliver us this knowlege !!!!!
greeding from greece !!!!
Great video .
One thing I spotted , it's great to see a mechanic using an adjustable Spanner .
I have an 06 VW Touareg 3.0 V6 tdi .
Biggest bugbear is if I don't drive it . It struggles to start .
Trouble is electrically it's a complex system .
As soon as you unlock it and open the drivers door , you can hear something in the vehicle firing up.
It took me a while to work out that it's the Webasto engine diesel preheat system .
Went out to it today Tuesday , last started Friday last week .
First try starting . Probably cranked over for 5 or 6 seconds then stopped .
2 goes with engine preheat (heater plugs ) it turned over normally and fired up sweet as usual .
The battery is 8 weeks old from new .
I know only too well it's got a parasitic drain .
Thanks Eric. I had no idea that the battery case could become conductive, something else to check on my vehicles, good one.
The dielectric grease is good, not bad, because if it gets between parts it insulated from arcing. If the parts are clean and make contact (dielectric grease will not prevent contact connections...) the grease will move out of the way and will allow contact.
Also, likely the terminals are not steel and they won’t create sparks...
Other than these things, good video.
One of the best video how to charge the battery properly.
Just got a CTEK charger/maintainer, it’s interesting to see how my battery, although in great health, wasn’t fully charged as I am disabled and don’t drive much. Glad you showed surface drain..too many ppl let their stuff get really dirty, this can really drain the battery!
Excellent, I will be showing this video to my high school class, Life Skills.
Thank you Eric
Don't forget to clean your ground connections! They're just as important as your battery connections.
David Birch and sometimes i find unfortunately more important.
Also you can clean it by hot water and use vaseline on battery terminals.
Thanks Eric...great to learn that surface grime can put a voltage drain on a battery....
Thanks for the cleaning tips on the battery housing which I was not aware of to cause problems.
That is amazing, I've near heard or thought of surface drain being on the battery body itself!!!!
Eric, you're the man! I never knew that the dirt that sits on top of the battery can actually drain the charge! Good thing I always try to keep everything nice and clean, lol. Keep up the good work ETCG!
Anti theft on ⁰4 monté carlo sgguts iff starter, altntor, has factory battery ràin.
$350 for new ignitúon wrh the key.
I knew most of this other than the voltage leaking across the top. However, it is an excellent video clearly explained with nothing flowery about it. Also attention paid to the hold downs and the pan the battery sits on is worth doing. Thank you
You forgot to tape over "Chicago Electric" on the resistance pile meter. :-D
Having red cables going to both positive and negative would drive me crazy.
Drizzy Williams the battery is clearly marked
Yes that is confusing
@@duminicad your dumb.
I noticed that too and thought that Eric was about to connect wrong way around untill I realised that both leads were red. Bad to have same colour leads.
the last 2 batteries i have purchased were used from late fresh model wrecks, and been very lucky, the cost of a new battery eing around 130 is insane. I Saturday had to get another battery for my 95 Corvette, it had a bad cell, went to a junk yard and got a used one for $30 dollars, whats your take Eric, your videos about this save me from having a bad moment from happening
Eirc, instead of axle grease, use solid vaseline in the terminals, it will prevent corrosion via oxidation and sulfacid completely and won't affect the connection.
You can also use a special gel that's used for electricla connections(usually comes in telecom boxes to keep moisture out) but it's sticky as hell and very expensive, vaseline is much better
We use that on stationary big UPS batteries and haven't experienced any problems, wherever it goes away the terminal corrode
That stuff you're talking about is flux
Cryous
no, i meant electrical gel sealant like www.arrowelectricals.co.uk/electrical-accessories-c33/electrical-sealants-gels-c42 or www.xmultiple.com/xwebsite-sealant-GEL.htm
OR used sealed batteries like optimas. I was tired of stuff rusting under the hood near batteries
I like NO-OX-ID A-Special. 8oz tube will last a lifetime.
Alan Ackaway Sealed is the way to go if you can afford the difference. My last battery was a Odyssey and withstood 8 years of abuse. No maintenance, no corrosion! I'm giving Optima another chance this go round since they were about $75 cheaper.
Had no clue this could happen... Thanks for this video.. This explains alot of dead batteries ive had.. Great job eric.
Good vid Eric. Batteries always seemed to be over looked to other
Non starting issues. Thanks for mentioning not to smoke around them either. I have seen a battery slip straight into the fan this was
years ago when fan blades were metal because somebody was too
lazy to tie it down, what a acid mess! Thanks mate Johnno
Just a suggestion: I can tell you from working at Advance Auto that if you pop the caps on one of their batteries, your warranty is void. That is an Auto Zone battery, and I know their warranty is similar. Just because the caps are there, doesn't mean that you should take them off, that's why they're labeled as maintenance free. Otherwise, this was just like watching the training information from Advance Auto.
really great video Eric. I would guess that most people just think of these batteries as they would batteries in a remote control. Non serviceable, no maintenance needed, just replace as necessary. Battery maintenance goes a long way and helps to save you money!
I make a point of regularly washing out the engine bay on my truck, and when I do, I always make sure to clean the top of the battery thoroughly for this reason. I started doing this because I thought all that stuff looked nasty, but then Dad told me I'm actually solving the conductive filth issue as well.
BOTH cables in red color ? Hehe, not the best choise to avoid mixing up plus and minus when reconnection cables again.
I remember when BMW used black for positive and brown for negative.
I was thinking the same thing...
moparone22 Really!? When was this, on some of the earlier models?
One's pink, apparently ;)
moparone22 Black in your residential wiring is the hot wire.
With white / bare being a neutral/ground
When a dedicated ground is insulated it's usually insulated in green.
Red in residential wiring is usually used as a secondary hot wire in romex.
For instance in most circuits in your house you will find 14/2 (14 gauge, 2 insulted + ground) Black (Hot), White (Neurtral), Bare Copper (Ground)
Some you will find as 14/3 (14 gauge, 3 insulted + ground) Black (Hot), Red (Hot), White (Neutral), Bare Copper (Ground).
Black as a positive terminal isn't that odd.
Black seems to get over used, because inside electronics and connections it's often used as a ground.
Eric, this is an excellent video with all the information. You are our man. Great.
+Carlos Elias Remember to be in a well ventilated area for the baking soda. It reacts with the leaked green stuff and I almost passed out from the fumes... VERY TOXIC =(
makes sense yes.
i like to put a miniscule amount of copper conductive grease on the posts .it is made for electrical panels for painting into wires when clamping them in a panel. then i clean up any excess so it does not make a short on battery top and paint some silicone grease to seal terminals. they may get a bit of dust on the grease but the terminals are never corroded four years later when i change battery they are as good as when i installed them.
Mr. Eric, a good and a wonderful information to take care of the batteries for all around the world. Than you sir.
This one by suggestion from my forum moderator College man. ruclips.net/video/MhnVZ7ZPunw/видео.html
Smashing video Eric :-)
Nice clean and tight connections = low resistance and maximum starting current.
zx8401ztv
Agreed. Voltage drop testing dirt? I would have NEVER thought of that. I felt I knew a lot about battery care. Now I actually do. I just went from Advanced to Expert.
DE Nichols
I suspect the minor dirt conduction only matters if your battery is ill, otherwise if you use the car every other day it wont sap much of the batterys capacity.
Expert, "Ex" means a person i once knew and "sPert" is highvelocity liquid from an outlet, ha ha ok i added an "s" :D :
as always, excellent vid! i agree with DE Nichols , zx8401ztv , a lotta stuff that i didn't know, and now i do, KUTGW!
zx8401ztv Your comment? So funny! Had a job for a while that I had to off road for...fun...and dangerous. Could have been less dangerous but I had some fun.
That level of dirt on everything I bet added up to something for my electrical troubles. Corrosion and battery acid saturated all the dirt and a day without driving risked it not running.
The conductance appeared to be between cells as well in the video. So while I agree this is minimal in my extreme example it may not be minor. (The acid also destroyed like 6 feet of each battery cable.)
Never thought to clean off the surface but these are some good tips for a long lasting battery.
old video and still learned something today. Never knew surface drain is a thing. Gonna have to check mine now.
Great video Eric....just ordered a load tester and a battery post cleaner... bin working on my own cars for over 45 years and never come across those little brushes...cool little mother's...
If you're checking for voltage drop between battery post and the terminal, switching the headlights on first will make the voltage drop much easier to detect.
Good "old school" tips. Great job. I have used most but forgot a lot. Also learned new ones. Thanks Eric keeping running in a cold morning or night.
Baking soda is good, but another thing i use and that's perfectly safe on plastics (because it's designed to use on such things after all) is clothing detergent. The powder kind. Scoop some on an stout brush and scrub.
Thanks for the close up of the battery water levels👍🏽
One of my popular RUclips dad mechanics. Thanks Eric!
Eric - These videos are as good as gold. Keep up the good work!
Hi Eric I use a sugar soap solution in a spray bottle which seems to work well at dissolving the grease on battery boxes, when you look inside the cell it's important to check the colour of the water inside and the colour of the cap, as battery's age the get a build up of black gunge this can be a sign of a battery on its way out. Its important to note on battery's 580ah and above the load tester you used will not load the battery enough as it is an element tester and only good for 100 amps or so a larger carbon pile tester is required that's good for 500 amps.I also check neg/ground back to the engine. Vasaline is a good terminal protector.
Hey good stuff.
Some thoughts I wanted to add:
• The positive post should have some kind of cover. If The battery comes loose and makes contact with the hood or any piece of metal or you set tools on top, it could spark.
• you should clean under the battery is well a lot of corrosion happens underneath the battery. A lot of people don't have a battery holddown because the corrosion is so bad underneath their battery that the mounting point/bracket is damaged.
• I haven't found that those green and red sponge things do anything as well I would say skip it.
That's a great tip Eric. I didn't know about the "surface drain" thing at all! I'll be cleaning all of my batteries this weekend, thanks! (seriously, I will, lol)
Very well done video! I had a car once that someone used a red wire for the ground. I simply wrapped the wire with black electrical tape to better identify the wire. Someone could connect jumper cables backwards and have a real problem.
That conductive dirt on the top of the battery was very interesting. I'm cleaning my battery top later.
Yeah. You made me say wow watching a video about batteryz. Good job. I'm putting that in my things to remember
WOW! Thanks for free education! I needed to know/learn many things you taught!
BUT you forgot to teach us how to get the gunk out of the tops of each battery cell! Would that suction bulb thing you showed us do that???
Actually I was seeking a more basic just checking liquids levels and filling with distilled water...for my wife working in LA.
Do garages offer this service? I have NEVER seen or heard any advertisements. Why don't battery sales outlets provide this service especially in the Fall? Would seem to be a great savior preventing dead batteries!
As a chemist I liked your showing folks and warning them about the "strength" of the sulfuric acid!
Have you done windshield wipers??? NEXT? PLZ!
I was so confused how plastic was conducting electricity until you pointed it out, a little up keeping on engine bay cleanliness goes a long way it seems
This is the best video about battery maintenance that I see!!!!
thanks a lot!!!
I have an Odyssey battery. No maintenance required. Awesome battery!
Thanks Eric, Another great video that applies to every car. For the terminals I like to use the silicone paste, it is Dielectric grease and works great. Thanks again! Eric. You rock.
Eric, Once again, a Fantastic Job. Your videos help me teach my students automotive. I like that you not only mention safety glasses, and the safety aspects. You do them.
You show it how I want them to do it. Video first, hands on second. Great Job.
I love your videos man. Very descriptive and honest yet straight to the point.
As usual a great presentation which displayed much overlooked checks such as surface drain and load voltages etc. But you missed one, you never showed charging voltage (13.5 - 14.2) which is a quick check to confirm Voltage regulator is functioning. I also collected wine corks to use in the eyelets before cleaning with baking soda all at once. One small disappointment, you did not wash out the battery mounts in the car with baking soda then water hose rinse before mounting the battery. Not all cars have plastic mounts and even so, corrosion occurs underneath.
But keep up the great work, you're a great service to the community by bringing back gear head (nuts and bolts, not cosmetic) interest to a whole new generation.
Thank you again.
Thanks Eric great video ...appreciated the time and the effort...we need more video like that
How can I have Eric be my personal mechanic? He knows more than I do about mechanics, and I know a lot!
Didn’t know about the battery being clean. Good to know.
Beautiful, was not expecting the residue as a conductor insight.
Yes, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and any carbonated drink in general can be used, or is used.
At least with these nuances:
1) in a hurry,
2) for the scaling up in the posts is perfect,
3) for whole battery is news to me and would still likely require a real cleaning as the congealed syrup would attract insects at least in Puerto Rico, or in the summer in the mainland.
Interesting about dirt conducting current. I wondered if that made a difference. I also didn't know slow charging is better than fast so that info was useful.
I think those pads were designed to stop charge leaking to the surface of the battery by lifting the wires off the case with an insulator felt. Of course if they get dirty and conductive, so much for that function.
Use a PLUMBER Brush to scratch the terminal clean. Excellent Video.
Thank you Eric for what appears to me to be the most comprehensive instruction video I have ever seen on Battery care. I now own a happier Honda.....
awesome, good info and well presented. thanks! I had a battery I thought was bad and was going to replace but I found it was a combination between dirty connections,little bit of a surface drain and a little bit low on water here in 116 degree phoenix heat. It seems to be working like a champ now.Thanks for saving me $120.00 battery is only a year and a half old so I wasn't quite ready to call it quits on the thing unless I had to.
In NYC, I just use tap water with a stiff brush. Our tap comes from surface water as oppose to many municipalities that get their water from the ground that may contain far more minerals. That would be more conductive than NYC water, which has hardly any conductivity.
Regardless of whether or not damage may be caused by reversing the cables briefly, having a red earth lead just gets my OCD twitching. I would have had to take 1/2" off the earth cable to get back to some pristine copper strands when swapping the clamp. But that's just me and I thought this video was great Eric.
You deserve every like you get, I actually will give you 5 back to back, thank you
New camera Eric? Looks amazing and better than usual! Love your channel. Keep up the amazing videos!
Thanks Eric. Very informative video. I enjoy watching all your videos.
Excellent video! I have learned things that I never knew...surface dirt can be conductive. Looking forward to watching more of your videos!
Nicely done, Eric! I like the emphasis on safety. I'm a subscriber. Keep up the good work. Thanks.
I used to have one of those back in the day. Nowadays the Refractometer I have at work does the same thing at 5 times the cost. But then I am the only guy in the shop who uses it.
Amazing video. I loved this one Eric! Especially since I have been having battery issues lately. I hope to use some of this information in the coming days! Cheers!
What schools scince should a tought us, we've learned a lifetime worth a scince in this clip. Thank U sir
That was real good Eric a pick up a few tips that I didn't know about and Battery care thanks again love all of your videos keep up the good work👍
Surface drain is a real thing. Two years ago it was 0 and below and my friend kept getting a dead battery. He kept jump starting the car (which is not a good way to charge a battery) and would drive about 20 miles.
It’s worth noting that when it’s freezing cold, your battery will not take a good charge.
We brought the battery inside. It was slowly recharged and I found the layer of grease on it was causing the drain. It was compounded by the fact that a 20 mile drive in near-zero temperature won’t do much to charge a dead battery
Also, check the tightness of the ground wire from the negative battery terminal to the body ground.
How to remove stuck battery terminal clamps: Use a flat end screwdriver or the pointy end of a file. Stick it in the gap where the two parts of the clamp come together. Gently tap with a hammer. Clamp should open up and be easy to remove.
This is fantastic! Thanks for all your insights over the years!
New camera? very nice sharp and fluid view. Like you would be in my living room doing this!
Surface charge just blew my mind. Cleaning my battery tomorrow. Thanks for the video!