Battery terminal connector melted?

[masho95]

Well the other day I went out to start my car and I disarmed the alarm only to hear a sickly chirping noise not like the normal chirp. Sounded like a dead battery. So sure enough I get in the car and put the keys in the ignition and I turn it to "run" and all the dash lights, chime, etc, dim all out. So I pop the hood and look at the battery. There was a TON of corrosion all over the positive battery terminal side! Looked like a little white pile of stuff all over it. So I wipe all the corossion off and hop back in the car. Same thing turn the key to "run" and everything dims out. So I go back and take a closer look at the positive battery terminal. The corrosion must have eaten away at the original positive battery terminal because half of the metal was missing from the circular part of it.

So my question is what is causing this corrosion on the terminal. I noticed it again the otherday!! It won't stop!
If you smell near the terminal it smells like rotten eggs, which I believe is sulfur. So ANY ideas on this one? Procedures to test whether it's the battery or something else in the system? Thanks.

 

[Redskull]

you can test each cable by checking the voltage drop across each end. Take a meter (set on VDC), and put it across the terminals, and see what the voltage reads at 'off', at 'run', and at 'start'. It shouldn't drop anymore than a volt or two. It's almost undoubtably your cables, or the ground connection on the frame.

alan

 

[Ishodu]

Your battery is leaking. That would explain why its corroding so fast. Hopefully it hasn't taken out the cables too.

 

[Off Road SHO]

They aren't melting, they are corroding from the sulfuric acid fumes that happen when a battery is charged and discharged. It takes metal to make that fuzz so hopefully you have enough good cable left to install a new clamp. Good luck.

Tom

 

[masho95]

It takes metal to make that fuzz so hopefully you have enough good cable left to install a new clamp. Good luck.

Tom

I had enough cable to put a new clamp on, but the problem is still occurring.

 

[Ishodu]

Did you replace that battery?

 

[masho95]

Did you replace that battery?

No but it's coming out... soon!