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CORROSION

How to Safely Remove Car Battery Corrosion

July 23, 2018 by admin 2 Comments

Without proper attention, your car’s battery can corrode, possibly leaving you without a working car. Corrosion can drain power out of a battery and shorten its life. Battery corrosion is typically apparent at the terminals, a problem that can be resolved by careful cleaning.

battery terminal corrosion
How to remove corrosion from a car battery.

1. Assemble Your Tools and Supplies

Gather the essential tools and supplies required to tackle this job. You will need to put on a pair of safety glasses and work gloves. Avoid wearing your good clothes as you will come in contact with grease and dirt. You will need a stiff wire brush, a cup of lukewarm or cold water, a box of baking soda, a teaspoon and rags. An old toothbrush, pliers, a wrench and petroleum jelly round out your tools and supplies.

2. Disconnect the Battery

Park your car outside, preferably in your driveway or in the street. Lift and secure the car’s hood, then locate the battery. In some vehicles, the battery can be found underneath the rear passenger seat or in the trunk. Take the wrench and pliers to the black (negative) connection or post and loosen same. Repeat this process with the red (positive) connection. Place your tools away from the battery cables to avoid contact resulting in an electrical shock.

3. Remove Car Battery Corrosion

Take your teaspoon and fill it with baking soda. Combine this powder with your cup of water and stir. Gradually pour approximately half the solution over each battery post, then place this mixture to the side. Take your wire brush or old toothbrush and brush off the remaining corrosion. You can dip the brush into the mixture or pour the remaining amount over the terminals as needed. For tough cases allow this solution to penetrate for at least five minutes. Continue brushing until all corrosion has been removed.

4. Preparation and Clean Up

Dry off the battery, wiping it down with a clean rag. Wipe down the battery cables. Discard your rag. Apply petroleum directly to each battery post liberally. Reconnect the battery cables beginning with the positive connection followed by the negative connection. Tighten each connection with your pliers or wrench. Remove all tools and supplies, close the hood and start your car to ensure that it will run. You might also consider moving the car away from the work area and bringing out the garden hose to wash away the corrosive residue left on the ground.

Getting the Job Done

Battery corrosion removal and care can be successfully handled within 15 to 20 minutes. Make this an annual task and you will avoid potential problems that can leave you stranded or shorten your battery’s useful life.


See Also — Care Tips for Your New Vehicle

Photo courtesy of Mark Buckawicki, The Public Domain Project

Filed Under: Maintenance & Repairs Tagged With: car battery, car care, car maintenance, CORROSION, Mark Buckawicki

Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Premium Gasoline Debuts

June 3, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

Shell United States has developed a new premium fuel, claiming that it will extend engine life and increase efficiencies. The new fuel has gone on sale this month. To celebrate this auspicious occasion, the oil company is giving away 100 BMWs.

Most cars run on regular-grade gasoline, but there are some vehicles for which mid- or premium-grade gasolines are recommended, even required. In most cases, these models employ forced induction, with turbochargers or superchargers providing the necessary horsepower boost.

fuel tank -- NITRO+

What’s in your fuel tank?

Shell V-Power Nitro+ — A Better Premium Gasoline?

One June 1, Shell stations across the country began offering a more expensive grade of premium gasoline, Shell V-Power Nitro+. The oil company asserts that the new fuel will provide greater efficiency and extend engine life, although those claims have yet to be independently verified as explained in the Detroit Free Press.

Shell says its new premium gasoline targets gunk, corrosion and wear, three enemies of any engine. To fight gunk, Shell has increased its cleaning agents sevenfold, removing approximately 60 percent of carbon deposits that adhere to intake valves and fuel injectors.

As for corrosion, the new fuel removes moisture and contaminants, what eventually settle into a vehicle’s fuel tank. Before hitting the tank the fuel pump, fuel lines and fuel injectors are also impacted. Moreover, Shell claims NITRO+ stymies the blockage of fuel filters, what can adversely influence performance.

Regarding wear, Shell says that NITRO+ protects against the natural breakdown of parts, as in when metal surfaces rub against each other. Affected components include the piston assembly, fuel pump and fuel injectors, what contributes to higher oil depletion.

Laboratory and Road Testing

For its part, Shell extensively tested the new fuel before deeming it ready for the market. The company said that it used “industry standard laboratory procedures and bench engines” to test its formulations. In particular, Shell selected an assortment of mainstream and prominent vehicles for testing, recording more than 500,000 miles drive time with vehicles outfitted with direct (fuel) injection and turbochargers. Flex-fuel vehicles were also part of that research.

Shell developed NITRO+ to meet a growing trend whereby manufacturers are producing more engines that take premium grade gasoline. Notably, one in five Shell customers buys premium gasoline, but 80 percent of those consumers believe that all premium gasolines are the same. Shell developed NITRO+ to set apart its premium product from the competition and to meet growing demand.

Shell hasn’t divulged what cleaning agents it uses in NITRO+, although it says the fuel “contains an innovative combination of two key cleaning agents that work together in harmony” in a bid to increase efficacy and preservation.

BMW Endorsement and Giveaway

NITRO+ has already won an important endorsement from BMW as the German automaker recommends that M Series owners use the fuel. And to celebrate that recognition, Shell is currently giving away 100 new BMWs and cash during the first 100 days that the fuel is on sale. The promotional campaign runs through September 8, 2015, and is open to Shell customers. Additional details can be found right here.

As for your vehicle, premium grade gasoline may or may not be necessary. Check your owner’s manual or the placard by your fuel tank for that information. We do know that NITRO+ provides the same 91 octane rating as before and also costs a few pennies more. Expect pricing to be adjusted based on demand.

Meeting the Grade and Beyond

As Shell improves its top-level gasoline an industry-wide trend toward higher grade gasolines is likely. Those higher grades will not only enhance performance, but help automakers meet increasingly more stringent fuel economy and emissions requirements.

See Also — Gasoline Fuel Choices for Today’s Cars

Filed Under: Automotive News Tagged With: BMW, CORROSION, ENGINES, FORCED INDUCTION, GIVEAWAY, GUNK, PREMIUM FUEL, PREMIUM GASOLINE, SHELL, SHELL V-POWER NITRO+, SUPERCHARGER, TURBOCHARGER, WEAR

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