I've always understood that petroleum jelly/vaseline is the best protection for battery terminals, but why not ordinary grease??
I presume there is a technical reason.
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I wonder if it was because, years ago, most people might have had P Jelly in the cupboard as a universal ailment cure etc. My shins, as a lad, quite often got daubed in PJ to ease the pain of grazed skin. I have always used just ordinary grease on battery terminals and, it seems to work just as well. I think that anything which excludes the air, and, I assume, nullifies the formation of the corrosion process, would do just as well. Perhaps the scientists among our contributors might tell us if we really should be using PJ.
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Just as important to exclude moisture, I should think. I have always wondered whether Vaseline/grease, as an electrical insulator, might have a - as well as a + effect.
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I think that its a case that the corrosion which would occur otherwise is more of an insulator than the corrosion preventative coating you apply. If that makes sense.
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Perhaps its to do with inflammability? Grease is more susceptible to igniting than petroleum jelly.
S.
_____________________________________
SVPworld (incorporating PSRworld)
www.svpworld.com
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I have used copperslip in the past on batteries and earth terminals which is protective and conductive but only safe to use where electrical current cannot track across from positive to negative. EG don't use it on towbar sockets!!
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Grease is designed to lubricate heavily loaded bearings and to not be easily displaced from the surface. If it's used on battery terminals, or other electrical contacts, it will form a film between the connecting surfaces, and hamper conductivity. Vaseline is more easily displaced and doesn't cause the same problems.
Regards
John S
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Some interesting facts I found when using a search engine to try and discover more about P jelly;
You can make it using beeswax and liquid paraffin;
In an emergency, apparently a small birthday candle inserted into a jar of said jelly will burn for hours!
A small bit of sponge coated with P jelly simulates fish eggs for fishing bait.
Oh, and don't make a habit of lining your nasal passages with it before going to sleep, as a cure for dryness, it can bring on pneumonia.
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Had a mate who used Vaseline on a damaged wing on his car for a couple of months to stop it rusting after a bump where the paint was damaged, worked very well, when we eventually covered the area with touch up paint it still wasn't rusting. Shame the chassis was rusted thru at the back :( But hey, it was the best damned bodge body repair I've ever seen!
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If I remember correctly from my apprenticeship days, grease is nothing more than engine oil made 'greasy' by the addition of various other chemicals. Can't really see how grease, copperslip, or vaseline can improve a battery connection.
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I doesn't improve the connection, but prevents it from corroding and building up a nice "fur" which then breaks the connection. I guess all it does it prevent air getting to the (often) damp contacts, so oxidisation does not occur.
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Bravo John S. I knew we would get the facts from you.
Simon T.
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Grease can be used, i use silicon grease or Vaseline, ordinary grease can be used as a third chose, the object of the greasing is to prevent terminal corrosion so a very thin coating only is required on the mating faces, and a good coating over both after connection, none of the above are conductive but sufficient surface area contact is achieved.
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For the best part of 40 years I have had a tube of Holts No-Crode, which is/was designed specifically for use on battery terminals and any surrounding metal which has suffered corrosion by battery acid. According to the instructions, it can be applied over corrosion (but not heavy corrosion) and treated parts will remain corrosion-free indefinitely. It is not a grease, and it contains an alkaline neutralizer. Don't know whether you can still get it, but experience tells me that it does what it says on the tube. One tube should last a lifetime. Haven't had much use for it myself since tapered terminals went out of fashion.
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More impoerantly is cleaning the posts in the first place. Never use emery cloth or wet and dry. The particals come off and engrain themselves in the lead thus reducing the contact surface area. Use a wire brush or an old kitchen knife. When clean coat with copper ease and fit as apppropriate. lasts for years. Peter
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With modern sealed batteries and strictly controlled charging rates, battery post corrosion isn't really an issue. Nothing can improve a good tight clean connection at the battery. It's more important to keep the top of the battery clean and dry.
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Looking through the AA website, I see they recommend using either petroleum jelly or grease.
So I presume its not so technical after all.
Thanks for all the input to those who responded.
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