Mahindra Battery Terminal Corrosion

[MarkF48]

I've had my tractor just a bit over a year now and today was checking a few things under the hood. Noticed some evidence of corrosion on the the battery hold down bracket and decided to check under the vinyl cover on the battery post. Found significant corrosion crap on the post. Was able to clean it up with baking soda and will treat it with some preventive stuff, but thought it may be a good idea as a reminder to check the battery posts if you're poking around under the hood. Being covered the way it is, it's easy to not think about it until the connection falls apart.

[Saskfarmhand]

I also have noticed alot of corrosion for a newer tractor. Must be lower grade material. I have serviced 30 year old tractors that have never shown any corrosion. I replaced the tip with a heavy duty one to see if that helps. Also contact sealer.

[AchingBack]

While you are there - be sure the battery caps are tight! One of mine was loose enough to allow battery acid to expel due to vibration. This resulted in some damage to the grill screen where it attaches to the frame. After I thoroughly cleaned, dried, mended with JB Weld, and repainted; all is back to normal, and you'd never know there was any damage. I now check my battery more routinely.

[JerryK]

You can get a battery terminal wax spray to coat the posts. I have used the wax on my top terminal batteries since the 70's and never had corrosion problems like we used to do on old pre-side terminal vehilces. I am still using the can I bought back then, too. Just clean the terminals up and make sure they are tight, then spray the ^%$# out of it to make sure it is coated. Takes a week or so before it gets dry, but lasts for years. You still will have problems if your caps are not tight, like the above post states. And if your system is trying to overcharge the battery you will get a lot of gas, too. But the wax works good on sealing the post area.

[MDA1775]

The source of the corrosion is where the lead terminal comes through the plastic case so make sure you treat that area and not just apply the coating on the the top of your freshly cleaned terminals or you will just mask the problem for the next time. It's caused by the lead post and plastic case having different expansion and contraction rates. The result is you actually get molecules escaping that recombine on the bottom of the clamp and that's where the corrosion starts. That's why it always looks worse on the underside of the terminal clamp than on the top.

[Saskfarmhand]

Wow thats alot of science. Also the new terminal connections are lead-free which makes them more easily corroded. Old lead connectors are better but the environmental movement is working them out.

[JerryK]

That's what is good with the battery terminal spray. To spray the (*&^%(*^ out of everything, and in gets into all the crooks and crannies. Once it drys it lasts forever. Never gets real hard, but dries to a thick chassis grease type consistancy. I have used it on top terminal batteries for years... Seals most of the vapor leaks around the post and keeps the vapor from the connector parts if it does get out...

[MDA1775]

Sorry for the tech stuff, I teach the military battery maintenance for PulseTech so I kind of get carried away but I find that if people know the why they will usually do a better job heading off future problems.

[Saskfarmhand]

Well if anyone knows battery maintenence it would be you. Good to have professional input. Batteries are often overlooked or not thought about until there is a problem. Usually when your 5 miles away in the field all alone. A few minutes to fix is better than walkin.

[BillyCrash]

My 3016 wouldn't start this weekend. Checked the battery and the terminal bracket was corroded away. The problem is the bracket is a think piece of metal instead of solid metal like car brackets. Dissapointing construction.

So do I cut off the wires behind the plastic part and just attach a new generic connector, or should I replace at the end with an actual Mahindra part? Can't see if the end is replaceable since it's so corroded.