2006Specb122 Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 I have 39k miles on my 2006 spec b I got a new billet aluminum battery hold down just to dress up the engine bay a little. When I was taking apart the terminals and original battery hold down I noticed some corrosion. It looks like the original battery has been leaking or has leaked in the past. Does the original LGT battery require maintenance? If so what do I need to do? I don't think a new battery should be needed at 2 years. I would think I should get another 2 years out of the battery. I also haven't decided which battery I will go with next. I like the Red Optima but others around here have other opinions. I like the idea of a smaller lighter battery. I don't have super cold weather here so that's not a problem. But let's not get off topic in the first post. I searched and found nothing on battery maintenance. Unless I hear something soon I'm just going to clean it up best as I can and put it all back together. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard B. Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 I have 39k miles on my 2006 spec b I got a new billet aluminum battery hold down just to dress up the engine bay a little. When I was taking apart the terminals and original battery hold down I noticed some corrosion. It looks like the original battery has been leaking or has leaked in the past. Does the original LGT battery require maintenance? If so what do I need to do? I don't think a new battery should be needed at 2 years. I would think I should get another 2 years out of the battery. I also haven't decided which battery I will go with next. I like the Red Optima but others around here have other opinions. I like the idea of a smaller lighter battery. I don't have super cold weather here so that's not a problem. But let's not get off topic in the first post. I searched and found nothing on battery maintenance. Unless I hear something soon I'm just going to clean it up best as I can and put it all back together. Thanks ive noticed some kind of spillage as well. 17k miles here. haven't seen anything like this since my military vehicle batteries. no way am i gonna refill these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2006Specb122 Posted January 5, 2008 Author Share Posted January 5, 2008 So a simple clean.... wait to see if it happens again? Probably the only solution..... I don't really want to fill them either...and don't really know what I would put in there. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard B. Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 So a simple clean.... wait to see if it happens again? Probably the only solution..... I don't really want to fill them either...and don't really know what I would put in there. LOL dunno. i guess all you can do is wait. in the military we used distilled water to refill with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBad Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 When you say some corrosion what did it look like? Chaulky white build up on the terminals? If its that then a good way to clean that and neutralize the acid instantly is to use a mix of baking soda and water. Then put a thin cost of vaseline or similar product on the terminal to help prevent the build up. The OEM battery does not require maintenance. The OEM battery should be good for a minimum of 3 years, max of 5 years Battery choices and opinions vary like the weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f1anatic Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 I think I can read fine without the bold font And yes, after 2.5 years of ownership, I did replace the battery since it was leaking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2006Specb122 Posted January 6, 2008 Author Share Posted January 6, 2008 I think I can read fine without the bold font And yes, after 2.5 years of ownership, I did replace the battery since it was leaking. HA HA... I had never messed with the font... I had copied some text from somewhere else and they didn't match so I just picked something. SORRY... didn't think it would upset anyone. OK, I'm not going to fill it with anything. It was probably leaking because of the way the car is driven! Yes chaulky white stuff on the terminals AND believe it or not it was really bad on the rear tie down area right where the bolt meats the stock steel hold down. It actually has eaten the hold down to the point where paint is missing. I am in the process of cleaning the entire area. Took the battery tray and heat shield out and rinsed of the tray and scrubed everything down. I got some battery spray cleaner for terminals, posts, clamps, and everything. I am replacing the hold down with an aluminum black setup from Cobb. It should last me a while longer. Then I will probably change for nice aftermarket battery....still deciding... I will see if it continues to leak or not..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBad Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 If the build up comes back like that quickly after cleaning then it is a sign the performance of the battery is degrading and it can't keep up with the demands on it. I would def replace it in that case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2006Specb122 Posted January 6, 2008 Author Share Posted January 6, 2008 Thanks for the advice BigBad. It is well cleaned... VERY WELL... including battery spray cleaner. Then I put new protector felt pads on the posts and then sprayed the entire setup with a battery protections pray that is supposed to prevent corrosion. If it still gives me problems I'm going to definately replace the battery. I just hope it doesn't eat my new Cobb battery hold down!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STG Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 The OEM battery does not require maintenance. The OEM battery should be good for a minimum of 3 years, max of 5 years Battery choices and opinions vary like the weather. What? Take a look at your OEM battery. What do you think those two removable rectangular plastic pieces between the terminals cover?:lol::lol: Pry them off and check your electrolyte levels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogmeat Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 I removed the stock battery when my car nearly refused to turn over on a -30* day... I replace the wimpy 350CCA (or whatever stock was) with the heaviest, biggest i could squeeze in, 800CCA battery. Needless to say, my cold weather starts are MUCH snappier; cranking time is greatly reduced. I'm pleasantly surprised... It was most certainly worth the couple bucks and 10 mins of my time. CLICK HERE FOR THE HOGZAUST Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerboa113 Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 HUGE BOLD TEXT IS HUGE! srsly.. why is your text so large? I have a horrible corrosion problem with my battery, every couple of weeks the positive terminal gets buried in a tumor of green corrosion. I have to clean it constantly and use my battery tender on it on the weekends if I don't go anywhere as it has failed to start once since its gotten cold outside. Autozone says the battery is fine <shrug> I dont want to buy a new battery but the corrosion is actually starting to eat the battery brace as well. I've had 2 different people look at it at autozone and they both say its fine and they wouldn't worry about the corrosion. i know I know.. "replace it you moron" but i just dont have the spare dough this month. 05 LGT, ~38k miles.. oem battery. "The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." - Plato Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBad Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 STG: I know what those covers are for and yes you can check them. My point was with most modern healthy batteries there really shouldn't be a reason to have to check the electrolyte levels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogmeat Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 if it was healthy, you wouldn't have you check the levels...but low levels is what makes it unhealthy...see the circular logic? Excel would throw a fit at you. I'm pleasantly surprised... It was most certainly worth the couple bucks and 10 mins of my time. CLICK HERE FOR THE HOGZAUST Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2006Specb122 Posted January 9, 2008 Author Share Posted January 9, 2008 OK great ....but what do you pour into the battery? Electrolytes.....well I'm not about to pour gatorade down there....but if I do which flavor... lemon lime? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STG Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 STG: I know what those covers are for and yes you can check them. My point was with most modern healthy batteries there really shouldn't be a reason to have to check the electrolyte levels. If you've never checked the electrolyte levels, I'll bet they are low. Are you just lazy?:spin: Top up your battery with distilled water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogmeat Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 amen. I'm pleasantly surprised... It was most certainly worth the couple bucks and 10 mins of my time. CLICK HERE FOR THE HOGZAUST Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBad Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 STG: been there, done that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HangKen Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 If you do not drive the car for a long time, always use battery tender! They do a great job at keeping the battery life optimal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OBieXT Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I have a horrible corrosion problem with my battery, every couple of weeks the positive terminal gets buried in a tumor of green corrosion. I have to clean it constantly and use my battery tender on it on the weekends if I don't go anywhere as it has failed to start once since its gotten cold outside. Corrosion is generally caused by sulfuric acid fumes. If you're having to clean the terminal that often, my guess is that one of the cells in the battery is shorted. This will cause the remaining 5 cells to be overcharged while the engine is running which creates a lot more outgassing. Open the hood and listen closely to the battery after you shut off the engine. You'll likely hear the electrolyte bubbling in the battery if this is happening. In any case, if you can't make it through a weekend without worrying that the battery won't hold up, it's on it's last legs. Replace it soon or it WILL leave you stranded at a most inopportune moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerboa113 Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Its been almost 2 months since it failed to start on me. I have a battery tender and every couple of weeks I'll throw it on. It gets below 80% charge in that time. yes, I am lazy, I dont check the electrolytes, its just one more thing to have to think about. My brain shuts off when I leave work Friday afternoon and only about this time sunday does it start to power back on. At this point theres a ton of things to do, mostly to get ready for work again, so I'm always runnin. talking about gatoraide.. some of you may have seen the movie idiocracy so you'll get my pun when I say IT HAS WHAT BATTERIES CRAVE "The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." - Plato Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehsnils Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I am replacing the hold down with an aluminum black setup from Cobb. I will see if it continues to leak or not..... If you suspect a leak - replace it. Otherwise you may end up with a dead battery at the worst possible moment - and all the electronics may be taking a beating if the battery is bad. In general - if you are using aluminium you should be very careful since the electrical currents will build up between the iron and the aluminium essentially leading to the disintegration of the aluminium unless you take precaution of insulating the parts from each other electrically. Protecting the parts with anti-corrosion wax (like Dinitrol ML) is also a good idea - even if it tends to get sticky sometimes. I have noticed that Dinitrol ML is a lot better than Vaseline on battery terminals - but it's stickier. And it's really good in trailer light contacts too - keeps the moisture out and is still thin and soft enough to not cause any problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2006Specb122 Posted January 13, 2009 Author Share Posted January 13, 2009 Come back from the dead.... OK so the car is now 3 years old. Never really had a problem with the battery or car starting except for the leaky mess it likes to make. i have isulation under the battery hold down but the acid finds the cobb hold down and eats the paint on it for lunch. I'm getting ready to replace it but can't decide which battery. I want something that is LEAK free like the optima. I was sold on optima as I've used it in the past but the reviews today are horrible. What are my other options for leak proof batteries. I do plan on adding a little more audio in the future...but nothing too crazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opie Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Why didn't you get the battery replaced under warranty? And how tight is yout hold down? If it's too tight it cracks the seal at the top of the battery case. My original Subaru battery started leaking at about 40k...I replaced it with a Duralast Gold 2 years ago and it's fine, no signs of leakage with 74k now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wang Lung Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Sears used to sell electrolytes. BTW. Your '06 may have actually been built in 2005, with a battery that was manufactured in '04. It is now '09. You do the math. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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