Cleaned Battery

My father passed recently, and I got his Taco - There was a ton of corrosion on the positive battery terminal. The truck started fine, but I knew I needed to get it cleaned off. After cleaning the terminals and reconnecting, the truck hesitated starting slightly. The next day, it struggled even more. Now, it won't start at all - the lights inside aren't dim, and when I try to start it, it turns a couple times and stops. It seems like it doesn't have enough juice to finish.

The build in hydrometer (type A) I guess is "dark" - I don't see a green ball or a yellow one. I didn't think to check before I cleaned the terminals, so I don't have a comparison.

What could I have screwed up? Or is there another explanation for the sudden discharge of the battery? If I just replace the battery will it be fine?

Sorry if this is a repeat - new to this forum, and I tried searching but couldn't see another question similar. Thanks for any help you all can provide!

 

How old is the battery? Most auto parts stores will test the battery and the charging system for free.

 

If the corrosion was bad - check the cables at the end near the battery clamps. I have seen where the battery acid gets under the cable covering/insulation and rots the cables. Sometimes if you run the cable through your fingers you can feel lumps. Also check the whole cables ...

If you are sure you well cleaned them;
- Check wire/connection EVERYWHERE. Including Starter, Solenoid and ground connections/engine straps, etc.

And stated previously - bring the vehicle/truck to a battery store that tests your system for free ....

Please post what you do find ...

 

Cleaning the battery terminals always involves giving each terminal a good brushing with a battery brush or fine grit sand paper. You want both the terminals in the battery and the cables to be a nice shiny silver, not like chrome but not dirty. Chemical cleaning never takes care of that. The problem is likely the positive terminal has lead oxide build up on it looks brownish in color. I have seen back in the day cars pulling into the gas station, filling up the gas tank and then act like the battery was completely dead. In those days you could turn on the head lights and try to start the vehicle if the head lights went out the first thing I did was to clean the battery terminals 9 out of 10 times the car started like it was summertime.

 

Its an '08? factory/OEM battery? Probably time for another one...

Like mentioned, you can get a free check of battery condition and charging system at just about any national auto parts store, that is where I would start..

You can check the charging system real easily if you know your way around a simple cheap aze circuit tester/voltmeter, and you could check the battery's volts while at it with engine not running, key removed...

 

The battery needs to be tested under load . i.e. headlights on and craning the engine. approx 12 volts at rest and a minor drop when cranking/lights on. Bad battery can test at 12v when not under any load. The parts chain/store will have a load tester to check the battery.

 

My condolences for your loss. If the Battery had heavy corrosion it means it is sulfated or has a small hairline crack around the terminal. Replace the battery and all should be fine.

 

Did you check the fluid levels in each of the chambers? Need to use distilled water and not overfill.

 

It's not good to open up a maintenance free battery.
I'd take it to the nearest auto parts store to have the battery checked.

If it started fine before you cleaned the terminals. I'd recheck the connections
AND the cables them self.

 

Excuse me, but you are mistaken. The Toyota battery that came with my 2013 Tacoma most certainly requires maintenance. The two lids which cover the individual cells/chambers are removed quite easily and yes, a few of my cells required a careful top-off with distilled water.

I would like my OEM battery to last for quite some time and I am more than willing to check the battery fluid levels periodically.

 

My advice: get new battery terminals. They're only about $3 a piece ($6 total...if you can't do math ) at most auto places. And they're easy to install. Take a wire brush, clean up the battery terminals, and when the bare wires are off the terminal, clean them up a bit too. Best thing I ever did for my old truck.

 

Just FYI
Make sure enough water covers the plates before/during charging, but don't fill the cells fully until after the charge. During charging the battery makes it own solution and it will overflow the battery during a deep recharge.

 

x2

If a wet lead-acid battery sets for a long period of time without being recharged, it will sulfate and not be able to accept a charge due to a lead-sulfate coating on it's plates. High resistance connections will also prevent it from being charged. This is becomes a "Catch-22" because the accuracy of most conductance testers improve significantly when the battery has a 50% State-of-Charge or greater. In the case of a wet "Maintenance Free", the battery should measure at least 12.3 VDC at 80 degrees F to have a 50% State-of-Charge after the surface charge is removed.

My condolences as well for the loss of your father.

 

Clean the ground at the body connection.

It can be seen here, about 3-4" from the ground terminal




Check amps w/meter.

Get good gas in it.


Good luck.

 

No disrespect but a battery does not make its own solution during charging. If it did there would never be a need to add water (only distilled water). What can happen is the battery can be overfilled above the marks and during charging heat can build up and cause it to overflow due to expansion.

That being said a battery should always be filled to the full marks prior to charging, not after charging. If the battery builds up excess heat during charging it is a sign it needs to be replaced.

 

Nope .... http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/charging_the_lead_acid_battery

Quote " .....Do not fill to the correct level before charging as this could cause an overflow during charging. Always top up to the desired level after charging. ..... end quote"

It's been a lot of years but I used to know the complete Lead / H2SO4 / H20 formula changes from charge to discharge....

 

Thank you for that article, but who charges their batteries for 12 to 16 hours? Not many. I would say what I said before. Fill the battery to the proper level and charge it which would take less than an hour for most batteries on most chargers. It will not spill out unless overcharged.

 

FYI- these newer batteries DIE FAST-good one day-bad the next.
Best bet-get a NEW BATTERY.
SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS.
Hope all is well!

 

Fine with me ... I've clean up too many charging spills on industrial battery recharge racks (for Electric pallet jacks, trucks, etc.) to count. You are most welcome to do it any way you like ...

 

There are basically two schools of wet lead-acid battery charging. The first is using fast charging because it prevents stratification (from the excessive gassing) and accomplishes the task faster (for less downtime). The opponents of this argue that the heat build up accelerates grid corrosion (shorten the overall battery life), requires a larger charger output, uses more distilled water, and increases the risk of a Hydrogen gas explosion. For more information on charging and chargers, please see Sections 9 and 5 in the Car and Deep Cycle Battery FAQ on www.batteryfaq.org.

I believe a better approach is using a "smart" charger for slow charging over a minimum of eight hours, if possible, except for very large (>100 AH) stationary deep cycle batteries.