Indeed, it can be done. In fact, here are 6 common reasons why:
- The spray acts as a protective layer on the terminals
- Helps with getting rid of oil, grease deposits, and corrosion on the surfaces.
- Penetrates quickly into areas that are difficult to reach
- Dries quickly without leaving residue
- Possesses optimum properties that restore electrical conductivity by getting rid of low-contact areas
- Helps to stop metal components from rusting
Therefore, if you are looking for one of the best ways to remove corrosion and other difficult substances from your battery terminals, you may want to buy a can of WD40 at your local hardware store or online and give it a try.
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Is it safe to use wd40 on battery terminals?
The answer to this question may vary based on the source of the information that you have access to. Because WD40 contains hazardous chemicals, everyone needs to know exactly what to do.
For instance, before you spray WD40 on your car battery terminals, you need to make sure that you are in an open and well-ventilated area.
This is because the fumes from this spray are not only strong but also toxic. This means you need to protect your health and anyone who is in the immediate area.
Are there other products that work better on battery terminals?
Fortunately, there are other products that have been designed to work well on cleaning, lubricating, and protecting the terminals on your battery, too.
Here are just a few that most people can find at their local hardware store or online.
- AGS Battery Terminal & Cable Protector
- CRC Battery Terminal Protector
- American Grease Stick Co. Protector Dielectric Grease Pouch
- NCP2 MC101 Battery Terminal Cleaning Kit
- Baking Soda
Most of these products are designed specifically for lubricating battery terminals. So, when you are making your choice between each, it is important to note that the most effective products contain silicone grease.
Silicone grease is considered to be a lot better than almost any other manufacturer’s product available today. This is primarily because silicone grease has the following beneficial properties.
- Gives the best results since it can sustain a wide temperature range
- Prevents corrosion on battery terminals and on lugs
- Will not liquefy in high temperatures or in the heat of the summer, unlike other products like vaseline or automotive grease
What’s the best approach to safely clean and maintain battery terminals?
As mentioned before, there are many great products available today that have been designed specifically for cleaning and lubricating battery terminals.
Yet, there are some approaches that tend to be much better than others. For example, if you want a product that does not contain any harmful chemicals or unwanted side effects, you may want to use steel wire brushes.
Steel wire brushes have been designed to do a thorough job in the:
- Removing rust and oxide
- Deburring
- Weld cleaning
- Surface preparation, and surface finishing
This method of maintaining battery terminals is also highly recommended by professional car mechanics for a number of different reasons.
Especially, since these steel wire brushes can help to prevent these problems from building up if used regularly for maintenance.
Also, the bristles on these brushes are ideal for scrubbing away corrosion and any other stubborn traces that are normally difficult to remove.
Furthermore, after you have removed all of the corrosion from the battery terminals, you can spray WD40 as a protective layer and rust and corrosion-resistant agent.
Conclusion
In summary, you can use many different products on your battery terminals to clean and protect them from rust and corrosion, including WD40.
Before you use WD40, however, you need to make sure that you are in a well-ventilated area. This will help to protect you and others from the strong toxic fumes.
Also, if you are looking for the best approach to cleaning and maintaining your battery terminals, you may want to consider other effective options like steel wire brushes.
Many professional mechanics may highly recommend using a combination of products to maintain battery terminals effectively (i.e. steel wire brushes and WD40) as follows:
- Steel Wire Brushes – deburring and removing rust and oxide
- WD40 – Protective layer and corrosion-resistant agent
This combination helps the car owner to do a thorough job of cleaning metal and will prevent corrosion from continuing to build up.
