felt pads don't work

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I looked under the hood a few days ago and it looks like the acid actually ate away at the negative battery terminal. It might look worse than it is, idk. I keep forgetting to clean it off. The battery on the other side is clean. What happened? I've been using felt pads and battery grease for a long time and I thought it cured this problem.
 
If indeed the acid ate away at the lead terminal it was a very concentrated form. This could be from water evaporating from the acid that is leaking and absorbed by the felt pad.
 
If the seal in the battery is bad, it will leak more acid than the pad can handle.
 
I've been running AGM batteries in my F250. Pricey but no corrosion. I think that well maintained flooded batteries may last longer but the batteries seem to be holding up fine.
 
Will they warranty that? I swear I had autozone put these batteries in not too long ago. Actually this set has already been warrantied.
 
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They will but it would have to be a pretty big obvious leak. Also they could accuse that you broke it by external force on the post.
 
I made a set of felts and soaked them in motor oil. They are on their second battery. Thanks to hanging here, I use a 1/2 amp floater in an attempt to keep the battery healthy. It is a 5 bucker from Harbor Freight. Seems to be working.
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I know in the winter time my abs and parking brake light comes on a second time after starting and that's when I know the batteries are weak. It also will throw a transmission code, but I forgot what it is. It hasn't done any of that yet though.
 
I use felt pads and dielectric grease. Also don't tighten the terminals real tight and make sure the battery is bolted down properly.
I would have to assume the post got torqued enough to break the seal. Sometimes when trying to pry a stuck terminal you can break the post sel if you're not careful.
 
Get a Value one at Walmart for $48 and for an extra $3.50 they do the NOCO treatment which includes felt washers.

If spending around the $100 mark I'd go to Batteries Plus for a Duracell/East Penn battery. Coming up on the 5 year mark for the Rural King Exide battery. Had the NOCO treatment done and no more green fuzz on the positive terminal. Clean as a whistle.
 
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You want to know what works? Buy a battery that doesn't barf it's acid all over in the first place.

#1 worst is Exide. #2 is JCI. They do it too- maybe 70% of them do it, whereas at least 80% of Exide batteries do.

East Penn/Deka is the only battery that I've seen that consistently doesn't puke it's acid all over.

Now there are a few caveats- any battery will puke acid if you hulk out on the cable bolt and over tighten it! You'll either crush the post and break the seal, or you'll torque it (think bend it sideways) so much that the seal is broken that way. Severe over charging will do it to. Also, when it comes to East Penn made batteries, they still have a few battery BCI numbers out there that have a conventional cell cap on them (only applies to auto/light truck- AG and heavy truck is a different animal). BCI group 58 for Fords and 27 for Dodge comes to mind.
 
I've always used grease, those felt pads are just a feel-good measure. All batteries will leak acid from the post/case seal, the only ones I've seen that didn't do it were Delco Freedoms - when GM still made batteries.
 
Many moons ago a guy gave me some Permatex battery protector and sealer spray so I have been using that and don't remember any of my batteries leaking or getting corroded to point they needed cleaning. I spray it on once a year in the fall when I put them on my CTEK.
 
I still have my OE batteries, one is 9 years old the other 8 years. Both semi sealed but don't think they are AMGs. No visible vents or openings. And no leakage or corrosion of any kind.
 
Originally Posted By: nthach
I've always used grease, those felt pads are just a feel-good measure. All batteries will leak acid from the post/case seal, the only ones I've seen that didn't do it were Delco Freedoms - when GM still made batteries.


Strange, I have honestly never seen a battery leak.
 
Originally Posted By: The_Eric
You want to know what works? Buy a battery that doesn't barf it's acid all over in the first place.

#1 worst is Exide. #2 is JCI. They do it too- maybe 70% of them do it, whereas at least 80% of Exide batteries do.

East Penn/Deka is the only battery that I've seen that consistently doesn't puke it's acid all over.


In full agreement with this. I get mine from Battery Warehouse.

Honda dealer battery was great until last months of life, then vented and corroded everything around it. Cleaning and coating terminals didn't help, a few weeks later looked even worse. Point is, buy a quality battery, and if it lasts for years then suddenly starts with the green fuzz, it's on its way out.
 
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