Why is there a thick substance surrounding the positive and negative terminals of my car battery?
Any substance on your battery cables is NOT a good thing, so they need a good cleaning. If your cables are older than 5 yrs, chances are they have corrosion inside the cable as well and should be replaced. If not, here’s an easy way to clean the terminals. Get a container that will hold at least 3 cups of water and you can throw away when done. Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to the water and put the lead connector in to soak for 10-15 minutes. It will begin to bubble and foam from the chemical reaction. After it slows or stops, remove the cable(should be nice & clean now) and slowly pour the remaining liquid over the post. Repeat this on other cable using fresh solution. Then coat post & connector with layer of thin to medium Hi-Temp bearing grease. They should remain substance free for a year or more. I do mine at the first sign of any corrosive starting to form. I bought my truck new in 1972 and it still has the original battery, and cables.
