Why Is It Dangerous to Have a Corroded Battery?

In our last blog post, we talked about the most common causes of battery terminal corrosion, where the hydrogen gas normally released from battery acid is released at a too-high rate due to an overcharged or undercharged battery and begins to corrode the positive or negative battery terminals under your hood, ultimately requiring battery service in Houston, TX. While a small amount of corrosion is considered normal and can be cleaned away, an excess of buildup is a symptom of a problem with your charging system—whether it’s a cell, the alternator or something else—that will only get worse with time, impacting the health of your car and, potentially, your own health.

What does a corroded battery mean for my car?

Once corrosion begins, the rate of corrosion accelerates as the terminals and the battery itself become weaker. Over time the corrosion actually affects the battery itself, causing it to become partially burned inside. This impacts its effectiveness significantly, and it will stop being able to maintain a charge or start your vehicle immediately, the way it’s supposed to. In fact, it may stop being able to start your car at all.

Can a corroded battery be dangerous?

Typically, when you put your key in the ignition only to discover the battery’s dead, your first reaction is to reach for the jumper cables. But in a situation where hydrogen gases have been corroding the terminals and battery, this could make for a dangerous approach. When you jump your car, as the battery you’re jumping from sends energy to your dead battery, it will usually send out some sparks as well, though they may be miniscule.

Normally this is fine and you may not even notice, but when you’re dealing with a damaged battery there’s actually a not-negligible chance of these sparks igniting the hydrogen that is now accessible through the damaged battery. This could cause an explosion that would send battery acid and lead flying, which could cause you devastating injury.

What precautions should I take when jumping my battery?

If you suspect your battery is damaged, you should bring your car in for a charging system checkup immediately. However, there are some safety measures you should always take when jumping your battery. If you place the negative jumper clamp to your weak or dead battery on a metal part of the engine that will not move, this should reduce the spark danger, as in most models a negative ground will be traveling throughout the vehicle, so the connection can be made via a metal element.

Texford Battery Co. has been providing top quality battery service in Houston, TX since our founding in 1931. We have extensive experience in all car battery problems and provide every type of battery service you need—and what’s more, we are the only ones in the industry that 100 percent stand behind the products we offer, because we wouldn’t recommend anything that isn’t the best for your vehicle. If you’re experiencing battery problems or need a battery replacement, consider Texford Battery Co. your local expert.

Categorised in: Battery Service, Car Batteries

This post was written by Writer