My understanding is the red and green washers physically divert the corrosive fumes away from the battery post. There are only different colors because on some cars the posts were different sizes. They are grease filled to block the gas. They don't really do anything else. That and a coating of dielectric grease to further prevent the gas from reacting with the copper and lead is all you need.
Felt Battery Washers, Red Spray ?
- Thread starter Gebo
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CRC Battery Cleaner + Terminal Protector spray cans here. Never had a buildup issue since I started using them across my ten vehicle family fleet.
One tip that I learned from a guy who grew up working in his family's service station is to put a drop of motor oil on top of each post. When he would check the oil in customers' cars he would touch the end of the dipstick to each post leaving a drop of oil. He said his customers never had problems with corrosion after that, of course he was doing this at every fill up so lets say roughly once a week.
Originally Posted by BHopkins
I've heard people say that the red and green pads are worthless. Others have said the red spray is worthless, and the only method to use is to grease the terminals. People say a lot of things. But unless they can show me evidence to back it up, well, then what they say doesn't matter.
Welcome to the internet !
Way, way too many people use their single-case experience as if it defines ALL known cases.
I've heard people say that the red and green pads are worthless. Others have said the red spray is worthless, and the only method to use is to grease the terminals. People say a lot of things. But unless they can show me evidence to back it up, well, then what they say doesn't matter.
Welcome to the internet !
Way, way too many people use their single-case experience as if it defines ALL known cases.
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by nthach
I've always swore by using commercial battery cleaner and then smearing whatever grease you have on hand to the posts/side terminals and then on the completed connection. Never had a problem with corrosion yet.
Regular grease is an insulator. I'd never get it on a battery post when commercial products specially made for that purpose are available.
Hmm, good point - but I've never had an issue with good old generic lithium grease.
But I also have Dow 111 on hand as well.
Originally Posted by nthach
I've always swore by using commercial battery cleaner and then smearing whatever grease you have on hand to the posts/side terminals and then on the completed connection. Never had a problem with corrosion yet.
Regular grease is an insulator. I'd never get it on a battery post when commercial products specially made for that purpose are available.
Hmm, good point - but I've never had an issue with good old generic lithium grease.
But I also have Dow 111 on hand as well.
Originally Posted by AVB
I watched my cousin do that on his semi one time. He cleaned the cables then coated them with dielectric grease and wondered why the truck wouldn't start. I took the cables back off and cleaned off the grease and explained that dielectric meant non conductive.
Speaking of electric grease I picked up a tube from home depot, it was a conductive, anti-corroision, and anti seize grease.
Originally Posted by atikovi
Regular grease is an insulator. I'd never get it on a battery post when commercial products specially made for that purpose are available.
Here we go with this nonsense again. You do want a dialectic grease, you'd never want an electrically conducting grease in this application (in fact there are very few legitimate uses for electrically conducting grease). This question seems to pop up now and then, the grease on the terminal does NOT inhibit conduction but instead prevents moisture intrusion and other benefits. Please inform yourselves on this subject before posting to a public forum.
Here is a previous thread on the same subject:
https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/5157207/how-to-use-dielectric-grease
and the relevant link from that thread:
https://www.nyelubricants.com/stuff...ricating_electrical_connectors_final.pdf
Besides that there is a military study on the exact same subject somewhere.
I watched my cousin do that on his semi one time. He cleaned the cables then coated them with dielectric grease and wondered why the truck wouldn't start. I took the cables back off and cleaned off the grease and explained that dielectric meant non conductive.
Speaking of electric grease I picked up a tube from home depot, it was a conductive, anti-corroision, and anti seize grease.
Originally Posted by atikovi
Regular grease is an insulator. I'd never get it on a battery post when commercial products specially made for that purpose are available.
Here we go with this nonsense again. You do want a dialectic grease, you'd never want an electrically conducting grease in this application (in fact there are very few legitimate uses for electrically conducting grease). This question seems to pop up now and then, the grease on the terminal does NOT inhibit conduction but instead prevents moisture intrusion and other benefits. Please inform yourselves on this subject before posting to a public forum.
Here is a previous thread on the same subject:
https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/5157207/how-to-use-dielectric-grease
and the relevant link from that thread:
https://www.nyelubricants.com/stuff...ricating_electrical_connectors_final.pdf
Besides that there is a military study on the exact same subject somewhere.
And a 2 second google
![[Linked Image]](https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/attachments/usergals/2019/09/full-39849-36317-screenshot_20190915_094629_google.jpg "[Linked Image]")
Originally Posted by LeakySeals
And a 2 second google
the grease shoudl be nonconductive so it does not run and short out your battery, the grease does not prevent electrical contact with the terminal the two metal pieces pinch right through it and touch. the grease does for a barrior for corrosive gasses that the battery fumes out and prevents thise from getting to the copper wire. same thing the red paint does but its easy to miss some spots with the paint, slather the grease on the and its easy to see where you get full coverage, cover with the boots and forget,
And a 2 second google
the grease shoudl be nonconductive so it does not run and short out your battery, the grease does not prevent electrical contact with the terminal the two metal pieces pinch right through it and touch. the grease does for a barrior for corrosive gasses that the battery fumes out and prevents thise from getting to the copper wire. same thing the red paint does but its easy to miss some spots with the paint, slather the grease on the and its easy to see where you get full coverage, cover with the boots and forget,
Never heard about the red stuff being bad, but now I'm beginning to think my co-workers are thinking that it is bad (IE they don't use it). We have about 30 electric tuggers at work with 36V battery packs (18 2V cells) and we're constantly fighting corrosion. When I get them I clean everything using the CRC battery cleaner and use the CRC red spray. It can take me a couple hours just cleaning them up! I've never had one get corrosion again using that method. The other guys who don't use it, not so lucky. After a couple weeks it's corrosion city. Had one I repaired the watering system that was leaking everywhere, but still didn't corrode because I prepped and protected the terminals. So I'm a big advocate for the red protector spray; if it holds up against industrial use, it'll be fine for your car.
You spray after attaching clean terminals. Ed
After. And after cleaning the terminals and leads with a wire brush or specific tool.
Originally Posted by kschachn
Originally Posted by AVB
I watched my cousin do that on his semi one time. He cleaned the cables then coated them with dielectric grease and wondered why the truck wouldn't start. I took the cables back off and cleaned off the grease and explained that dielectric meant non conductive.
Speaking of electric grease I picked up a tube from home depot, it was a conductive, anti-corroision, and anti seize grease.
Originally Posted by atikovi
Regular grease is an insulator. I'd never get it on a battery post when commercial products specially made for that purpose are available.
Here we go with this nonsense again. You do want a dialectic grease, you'd never want an electrically conducting grease in this application (in fact there are very few legitimate uses for electrically conducting grease). This question seems to pop up now and then, the grease on the terminal does NOT inhibit conduction but instead prevents moisture intrusion and other benefits. Please inform yourselves on this subject before posting to a public forum.
Here is a previous thread on the same subject:
https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/5157207/how-to-use-dielectric-grease
and the relevant link from that thread:
https://www.nyelubricants.com/stuff...ricating_electrical_connectors_final.pdf
Besides that there is a military study on the exact same subject somewhere.
It isn't nonsense when someone slathers it on the terminals thinking that it is going to improve the connection. The example I used with the semi involved a stack of copper lugs and a threaded battery post. The grease created a barrier because it didn't get scraped off like it would in other applications. I am not saying that it is common, just warning others that it can happen. It is also possible to create the same condition with a typical top post battery, but it is unlikely because of the physical scraping that normally occurs when installing the battery cables.
Originally Posted by AVB
I watched my cousin do that on his semi one time. He cleaned the cables then coated them with dielectric grease and wondered why the truck wouldn't start. I took the cables back off and cleaned off the grease and explained that dielectric meant non conductive.
Speaking of electric grease I picked up a tube from home depot, it was a conductive, anti-corroision, and anti seize grease.
Originally Posted by atikovi
Regular grease is an insulator. I'd never get it on a battery post when commercial products specially made for that purpose are available.
Here we go with this nonsense again. You do want a dialectic grease, you'd never want an electrically conducting grease in this application (in fact there are very few legitimate uses for electrically conducting grease). This question seems to pop up now and then, the grease on the terminal does NOT inhibit conduction but instead prevents moisture intrusion and other benefits. Please inform yourselves on this subject before posting to a public forum.
Here is a previous thread on the same subject:
https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/5157207/how-to-use-dielectric-grease
and the relevant link from that thread:
https://www.nyelubricants.com/stuff...ricating_electrical_connectors_final.pdf
Besides that there is a military study on the exact same subject somewhere.
It isn't nonsense when someone slathers it on the terminals thinking that it is going to improve the connection. The example I used with the semi involved a stack of copper lugs and a threaded battery post. The grease created a barrier because it didn't get scraped off like it would in other applications. I am not saying that it is common, just warning others that it can happen. It is also possible to create the same condition with a typical top post battery, but it is unlikely because of the physical scraping that normally occurs when installing the battery cables.
Exide once sold small buckets of purple felt washers for battery corrosion protection, and the ingredient list mentioned this:
1-hydroxyethyl, 2-heptadecenyl imidazolene (amine 220)
What is it, and how does it work?
When I washed out the washers with dishwashing detergent, they turned white.
Why haven't cars come from the factory with those washers? The only coating I've seen was grease, on the positive terminal.
I disassemble the terminals and coat each piece and the battery posts with high temperature wheel bearing grease, and reassemble. It seems to prevent corrosion. Also while the grease is an insulator, clamping the terminals tight makes the metal pierce the film of grease, so conduction isn't hurt. Some General Electric switches were made with silicone grease coatings, like the old-style silent mercury wall switches.
1-hydroxyethyl, 2-heptadecenyl imidazolene (amine 220)
What is it, and how does it work?
When I washed out the washers with dishwashing detergent, they turned white.
Why haven't cars come from the factory with those washers? The only coating I've seen was grease, on the positive terminal.
I disassemble the terminals and coat each piece and the battery posts with high temperature wheel bearing grease, and reassemble. It seems to prevent corrosion. Also while the grease is an insulator, clamping the terminals tight makes the metal pierce the film of grease, so conduction isn't hurt. Some General Electric switches were made with silicone grease coatings, like the old-style silent mercury wall switches.
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Originally Posted by Gebo
What do you guys do to help the longevity of your auto batteries? I have always just used Vasoline on the positive and negative terminals.
I just read not to use the CRC battery terminal red spray.
I see these red and green felt washers.
What do you recommend other than wire brushing the terminals?
I too use Vaseline on my battery terminal connections and tops of the posts. Taught to me by an old mechanic in the 1960s at a gas station we both worked at. It's never failed me yet. I hate the sprays.
As to battery longevity, I use a smart charger at least once a month -- Battery Tender 3 amp for my Lexus and the CTEK MUS 4.3 for my Audi. I got 8 years on my first Audi battery and am at 7 years on the second battery. I always put the battery on charge if I go out of of town or don't drive the car for 4-5 days. Takes me less than a minute to hook up. Cost mere pennies for juice.
What do you guys do to help the longevity of your auto batteries? I have always just used Vasoline on the positive and negative terminals.
I just read not to use the CRC battery terminal red spray.
I see these red and green felt washers.
What do you recommend other than wire brushing the terminals?
I too use Vaseline on my battery terminal connections and tops of the posts. Taught to me by an old mechanic in the 1960s at a gas station we both worked at. It's never failed me yet. I hate the sprays.
As to battery longevity, I use a smart charger at least once a month -- Battery Tender 3 amp for my Lexus and the CTEK MUS 4.3 for my Audi. I got 8 years on my first Audi battery and am at 7 years on the second battery. I always put the battery on charge if I go out of of town or don't drive the car for 4-5 days. Takes me less than a minute to hook up. Cost mere pennies for juice.
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I've used dielectric grease, axle grease,Vaseline, felt washers, red or purple spray. All seemed to work fine.
I also like fluid film. Used it on my golf cart and no corrosion. Batteries put in Dec. 1 2019. So 10 months.
The best is sealed batteries.
I also like fluid film. Used it on my golf cart and no corrosion. Batteries put in Dec. 1 2019. So 10 months.
The best is sealed batteries.
Originally Posted by larrymoencurly
Exide once sold small buckets of purple felt washers for battery corrosion protection, and the ingredient list mentioned this:
1-hydroxyethyl, 2-heptadecenyl imidazolene (amine 220)
What is it, and how does it work?
Amines are basic and will neutralize acids.
Exide once sold small buckets of purple felt washers for battery corrosion protection, and the ingredient list mentioned this:
1-hydroxyethyl, 2-heptadecenyl imidazolene (amine 220)
What is it, and how does it work?
Amines are basic and will neutralize acids.
I've never done anything and never had a problem until I replaced the battery on my wife's Versa. The terminals were fuzzy so I replaced them and the new terminals were also starting to grow fuzz within a month or so. It must just be the nature of that charging system that causes batteries to off-gas, as her battery is the only one I've seen use a significant amount of water to where I had to refill it. I put grease on the second set of new terminals and haven't had any more corrosion, and the battery is still working fine.
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