Copper Penny Battery Terminal Corrosion Preventive Mod

[poliq]

Stopping battery terminal corrosion is one of the best ways to keep your battery working for as long as possible.
Over time, battery terminals can become a little damaged, often because the acid can leak from the battery.

Here I simply glued two copper "pennies" onto the battery, one by each terminal!
Easy, fast, and next to free!
Actually theyre 0,5 NOK's

The way this one works, is that copper beeing the "lesser" metal, and will corrode earlier than the lead and the steel. Im sure someone can explain or link somewhere better!
I expect no more corrosion on the battery terminals, and also the pennies to outlive the battery! Just have to wait and see!

e: there might be a better sub forum for this one? - feel free to move it!

 

[andycupra]

so you are trying the trick they use on ocean liners..

ok, but one thing that appears to me is that as the coin and terminal are seperate and so its unlikely to do anything.

Why not put some copper grease on the terminals instead.

Also is acid leakage not something more experienced on old unsealed batteries. Yours appears to be a sealed battery.

 

[poliq]

so you are trying the trick they use on ocean liners..

might be, dunno.

ok, but one thing that appears to me is that as the coin and terminal are seperate and so its unlikely to do anything.

doesnt need to be connected.

Why not put some copper grease on the terminals instead.

that would require reapplying grease from time to time i guess. This was supposed to be a one time permanent mod.

Also is acid leakage not something more experienced on old unsealed batteries. Yours appears to be a sealed battery.

Sealed or not, terminals might corrode anyway. Especially if you live by the coast, humid and salty!

It werent going to happen to mine anyway tho, at least not now!

 

[MJ]

vaseline tends to be the best thing for battery terminals.

 

[poliq]

vaseline tends to be the best thing for battery terminals.

I'm still betting I wont be needing it. Albeit may be cheap, it costs more than 2p dont it?

 

[MJ]

I'm still betting I wont be needing it. Albeit may be cheap, it costs more than 2p dont it?

and requires re-applying from time to time.

 

[Slimy]

Erm, how is this meant to work? Why will a penny stuck to the top of the battery stop the terminals from corroding?

 

[m0rk]

so you are trying the trick they use on ocean liners..

ok, but one thing that appears to me is that as the coin and terminal are seperate and so its unlikely to do anything.

Cathodic Protection.

Needs to be submitted into water, and connected electrically so provide the potential difference.

The air in the engine bay won't be humid enough for this to work.

Old wives tale IMO

 

[jamie1]

Not a massive fan of this idea tbh. Plus think it looks naff!

 

[MJ]

Not a massive fan of this idea tbh. Plus think it looks naff!

is that your 2pence?

 

[poliq]

Old wives tale?
Looks a bit naff?

sure-

But Im happy even with a small chance it would do any good. Also, this way you guys wont have to, and I'll be sure to report back if my battery terminals start corroding!

 

[andycupra]

might be, dunno.

doesnt need to be connected.

yes it does, via a conductive connection, eg water/seawater at the very least. )ill forget being connected electrically as its a battery).
Air or plastic is unlikely to do the trick.

I do agree that if the acid leak he speaks of was sufficient that it covered the terminal and coin at the same time there may be some benefit, but this would require a significant quantity of acid to be leaking, acid which also defies the laws of physics regarding gravity and centrifugal force. and stays in place over a long period. OR be so thick that it wouldnt leak in the first place as it would be a near solid

Cathodic Protection.

Needs to be submitted into water, and connected electrically so provide the potential difference.

The air in the engine bay won't be humid enough for this to work.

Old wives tale IMO

Cathodic protection yes, but copper coins on top of a battery.. an old wives tale? you are being polite this evening. - complete piss take more like.
At least it will give a few mechanics a laugh when completing a service.

 

[andycupra]

Lets start another tale and get people to stick 1 or 2 pence pieces to each panel of their cars for the winter

Honest it works!

 

[Steely]

battery's attempt of getting away with drink driving?

 

[jonesy118]

Lets start another tale and get people to stick 1 or 2 pence pieces to each panel of their cars for the winter

Honest it works!

My leather bolsters arent worn.. probably due to having a huge amount of change stuck down the side of my seats

 

[shaun.]

i will stick with copper grease on my termanals i think, cant see this working at all cause if it did work then why dont battery companies put a small blob of copper on them to start with??

 

[Rauer]

I'll stick to using nothing and replacing the battery when it go's, I'm 26 passed my test when I was 17 as of yet I have not replaced 1 battery!

 

[Slimy]

I'll stick to using nothing and replacing the battery when it go's, I'm 26 passed my test when I was 17 as of yet I have not replaced 1 battery!

I've not had a battery need to be replaced due to corrosion, but several times my cars have failed to start because the corrosion had reduced the electrical connection. I've had to give them a scrub or scrape to get things working again.

I now have a big pot of copper grease and a big pot of lithium grease, and everything gets a liberal coating of one or the other!

 

[Rauer]

I have had that occasionally and as recommended by my local auto electrician when that happens pour some water over it that has just been boiled !

 

[Slimy]

I have had that occasionally and as recommended by my local auto electrician when that happens pour some water over it that has just been boiled !

Yep, that's what I was told to do, but I still don't like the idea of mixing water and electricity!