Is This Corrosion Normal?

[Dingleberry]

So I'm getting new batteries and when I took my 6? year old 12v batteries out there is a huge amount of corrosion debris in the tray and one of the hold-down bolts is completely corroded through (see pics). It wasn't holding down anything! The terminals had no corrosion, but they had the purple stuff on them. Is this amount of corrosion normal? If not, what causes this and how can I prevent it in my new batteries? Thank you.

[flkeysdude359]

Possibly too much acid/water in the cells and they boiled over during repeated charging...??? If neglected, that could cause the problem. Terminals might have been coated with protective spray to prevent corrosion on the terminals...
Check the fasteners holding down the tub. They look like they're also corroded. See if they can be easily removed and replaced before the heads rot off. If that happens, you will then have difficulty removing/replacing them...

[Sergio]

I would say it is normal if acid gets on them.

When I changed the batteries on my 2010 precedent, the hold-downs look like that too... I was really good about keeping the battery area clean, so probably happened in the first 2 years under the care of the golf course staff.

[Dingleberry]

Thanks. I fill my batteries manually (as opposed to the autofiller gadgets) and am careful to not overfill. I use only distilled water. I leave it on the charger all the time when not in use. The charger is supposed to shut off automatically at full charge - isn't it?

[scottyb]

That is typical of what I saw when we did battery service. Typically old batteries don't charge efficiently and the result is more bubbling and acid overflow. Get new hold downs. Neutralize everything with commercial product or baking soda solution.

[Dingleberry]

Thanks guys! That makes me feel better.

[Volt_Ampere]

Always fill them after a full charge - not before. Some of that is normal. I like to keep the battery compartment really clean on my cart. I hose it out frequently and keep the tops of the batteries nice and clean. I am careful not to overfill the batteries and I always fill them after its done a full charge. Most newer carts have plastic battery trays which contain a lot of the acid. Clean that up when you install new batteries and you will be fine. Replace the hold downs.

[bsa_bob]

This might be another reason , they began to build the aluminum frames , because of the "battery nasties"to come bob s

[scottyb]

Originally Posted by bsa_bob

This might be another reason , they began to build the aluminum frames , because of the "battery nasties"to come bob s

Aluminum battery trays corrode at a much faster pace than steel.

[jakesnake27]

Originally Posted by scottyb

Aluminum battery trays corrode at a much faster pace than steel.

Really?!