• Welcome to the Contour Enthusiasts Group, the best resource for the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique.

    You can register to join the community.

Ever seen this much battery corrosion?

F

FavoriteMystaque

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
Oct 16, 2004
Messages
1,192
Replaced this battery 1 year ago, cleaned up eveything and greased it to prevent corrosion, didn't work:mad: ! The old battery had leaked around the same post, I guess the Motorcraft 18 month replacement policy will be used. It looked OK a few weeks ago and charging voltage is correct.

Battery.jpg
 
most corrosion i have seen. thats rediculous for only a couple of weeks
looks like a bag of cotton candy LOL
 
Last edited:
Update with pics, corroded wire kills battery, battery leaks, kills wire...

Update with pics, corroded wire kills battery, battery leaks, kills wire...

New (free:cool: ) battery and repair to wiring harness are installed. The harness was uninsulated and corroded badly several inches. Theory is: poor wiring=heat=overheat cell next to post, leaks, corrodes, gets worse. We still had the previous battery to the one pictured. Wanted to swap it in because it was ok, just leaked. It would not charge, had exposed plates in the cell by the post! Oddly, voltages were fine and car was behaving well! It is a 1995...

Slight lack of insulation, (even gone inside the sheath (where did it go?)

100_0064.jpg


Not a good connection to the post bolt!

100_0069.jpg
 
Last edited:
jeeeez, i'd sure try to figure out what is making it corrode like that...

can't be good... :nonono:


and a battery with exposed plates ?!?! are you kidding and it still worked ?!?!... :confused:

like i said, i'd figure out what's causing that...
 
There were 3 batteries:

Motorcraft #1 from 2001, replaced last year because it leaked at the positive post and was old, kept as spare because it was good. It had dry plates at cell by positive post, when I tried to charge it, bad, recycled..

Motorcraft #2 1 year old, had the massive corrosion pictured, low fluid at cell by positive post.

Motorcraft #3 new, wiring repaired with splice clamp and 4 gauge wire to positive post. Charging voltages are correct. Hopefully, it's now fixed:)

I will check it after a few days, and see if there is any sign of the corrosion.
 
My g/f's Sentra has corrosion a lot worse than that on both terminals.

The battery has never given her trouble though. Just leaks. It's getting replaced soon though. Tired of cleaning it.
 
I worked at an auto parts store for a long time and it was very common to see "new" batteries leaking at the positive terminal (both side mount and top mount), I don't know if it was poor quality checks or what. I also saw a lot of battery failures due to over tightening of the battery terminal, which causes excessive flexing of the post, causing leaks....leading to failure.
 
I worked at an auto parts store for a long time and it was very common to see "new" batteries leaking at the positive terminal (both side mount and top mount), I don't know if it was poor quality checks or what. I also saw a lot of battery failures due to over tightening of the battery terminal, which causes excessive flexing of the post, causing leaks....leading to failure.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I am careful to avoid twisting/bending the post. I wonder if it's just mediocrity or pressure venting problems. I remember reading there are only a few suppliers of batteries. I never had a Sears one leak or corrode, they just quit working...
 
Have you checked the output of the alternator just for the heck of it? Three batteries seems like too many to be bad on their own. I'd suspect some outside help. Maybe your charging system is killing them by over charging or something. I don't know if that would explain the leaks but the batteries could be boiling the electrolyte out.
Karl
 
One of my friends boiled a battery when the mechanical regulator in his 1967 Dodge van stuck on, so overcharging could make it leak. Charging on the Mystique was in the low 14s and drops as it warms up. Same as my own Mystique. I think it will be worth rechecking it now its been fixed a few days.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top