Tips for Cleaning Up Battery Corrosion on an INFINITI Vehicle

There are plenty of signs that the battery in your INFINITI is going bad.

For one, the lights -- the headlights, dash lights and displays, and even the interior lights -- may seem dimmer than usual. Secondly, you may notice other electrical system issues (things like heated seats, the electronics, the power windows, or the sunroof not working right). Third, you may see a battery warning light or the Check Engine light show up on the dash.

Of course, other symptoms are telling, too. If you find that you need to jump-start your car often, for instance, or you can't start at all -- say, you turn the key in the ignition, you hear clicking, and nothing happens; the engine doesn't crank -- a dying battery could be the problem (or even a dead one). If the battery's case is warped, and you smell something sulfuric under the hood, the battery may be leaking acid.

Sometimes, though, if the battery's got no problems other than its terminals seeming powdery or rusty, it could just be that corrosion's the trouble. What's happening, most likely, is the crud's preventing the wiring contact your model needs to get the right voltage where it needs to go to run things, let alone to start your engine. Most of the time, a simple cleaning should solve the problem; it's easy to take care of DIY.

Here's what to do.

Cleaning INFINITI Car Battery Corrosion 101

First, grab the tools and supplies you'll need for the job -- a wrench, a cleaning solution in a ratio of one tablespoon baking soda to one cup water, an old toothbrush, a spray bottle with cool water, a rag or towel, and some petroleum jelly. Now:

1. Turn off your engine. This'll help you avoid injury while you work.
2. Use the wrench to loosen the nut holding the negative battery cable in place, and detach the cable from its post. Do the same steps with the positive cable.
3. Inspect the car battery, looking for any damage, like cracking. See any, and no getting rid of any corrosion's going to fix any faulty battery; you'll have to replace it.
4. Inspect the cables and clamps for ripping or tearing; see any, and you'll have to replace them, too.
5. Dip the toothbrush in the baking-soda-and-water solution, and then scrub any dirt or muck on the battery terminals off, vigorously and thoroughly. Soak the brush repeatedly, as often as you need to.
6. Use the spray bottle to rinse off the solution completely.
7. Use the rag or towel to pat-dry the battery and clamps.
8. Lube the terminals with a little jelly, and reattach the batter cables to the correct terminals.

Don't have the supplies mentioned on hand? You can pour cola over the terminals instead, letting it sit and work on loosening any oxidized debris for a few minutes, and then rinse them clean with cool water. Just be sure to stick to the same basic safety prep: turn off your engine, detach and reattach the cables accordingly, and so on.

Otherwise, if you've got an old, spent battery, or there's some other charging system or mechanical problem going on, the fix might call for a certified mechanic. Consider taking your ride into an INFINITI dealer to have it looked at. If any parts of the battery are the issue, though, we stock plenty of replacements; they're genuine INFINITI -- OEM-quality, of the kind you've come to expect from your favorite luxury automaker. They're even warranty-backed, so you can order here with peace of mind that you're making the right investment.

Shop now; we'll ship anywhere in the US, and you'll be repaired and back on the road before you know it. Contact us with any questions.