How do you clean battery cable wires?

[In The Ten Ring]

I had a look at my battery cables just now and did some taping up of frayed insulation. That will have to do for now.

However, when I had a look at my cable ends, there is a lot of corrosion. What's the best way to get rid of all that green oxidation on the strands?

[70CHEVYBB]

You can not clean that out. You need to replace them. The corrosion will continue on and its way farther down the cable than you can see

['68OrangeSunshine]

What 70ChevyBB says is true, and in both your climates may be an absolute. In my dry desert climate, you might be able to get by [like temporarily curing a no-start gripe in the middle of the desert] by cutting the cable back 2 or 3 inches until you see bright copper, and cleaning and re-attaching to the terminal lug. It will get you home, at least. If it's green all the way back, the wire is shot.
Just an "Old Indian Trick" and not to replace regular preventative maintenance.

[toolboxchev]

Originally Posted by 70CHEVYBB

You can not clean that out. You need to replace them. The corrosion will continue on and its way farther down the cable than you can see

X2 on that. Its well worth it to build your own if you have the knowledge.

[AussieinNC]

mmm...boil the kettle and pour the hot water over the cable ends a small amount at a time....

When clean, treat the copper with CRC Battery terminal protector...

[RichardJ]

Teaspoon Baking Soda to a Cup of Water. Let bubble/ foam up, flush and keep pouring Soda/Water till it stops foaming. Pour Soda/water liberally down around fender and frame and every place the soda and acid ran down into. Then pour some more.
Covering cable liberally with axle grease is the only way to slow it down from coming right back.

YouTube sample.

[In The Ten Ring]

I'm not sure all of you understand what I am talking about here. There is no battery in the truck and hasn't been for several years. I don't allow such battery corrosion to build up on even my daily driver (I remove that battery at least once a year and give the terminals a serious cleaning, including work with sand paper).

What I have is green oxidation on the individual copper strands of the cable ends themselves. I took the battery clamps off and I hit it with some sand paper but no way to get each individual strand of wire (hundreds of strands there).

Hmm.....what do you guys think of this?

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/wha...an-copper-best

[Curtb1971]

Originally Posted by 70CHEVYBB

You can not clean that out. You need to replace them. The corrosion will continue on and its way farther down the cable than you can see

Pretty much this right here. I re-wired my buddies flats skiff boat last year before we went down on annual fishing trip to the keys and ran into this. I replaced all the battery cables with marine grade cables and solder flux core lugs except the trolling motor load cables off the battery bank. I had to make a solder connection on the cable and each individual strand had corrosion like what your describing (probably worse/saltwater) and it wouldn't hold solder because I was running out of time and couldn't get the right cable before we left. In the pinch I was in the solution was CLR and a wire brush wheel on a drill, but I had easy access to the cable end because it didn't have a lug on it. You might try soak in it in some CLR but agian I'd suggest replacing because you'll have corrosion under the insulation that you can't see. When we got back and I could replace the cable I took a knife to the outer jacket and stripped the cable for scrap. Out of the 15ft cable the corrosion went back heavly 5ft and minor for another 5ft. Just kept creeping.

[In The Ten Ring]

I'm thinking this right here for now......I won't be driving the truck except to move it from garage to my driveway and then back again. It's too late in the year to get it licensed (I would never drive it in winter).

Next summer I can replace all the front and rear end wiring and take the "full replacement advice."

What about this to just "get me by for now?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSZjnwGG2Q0

['68OrangeSunshine]

Nice tech tip. I would follow that advice, plus I would use some kind of abrasive [sandpaper, wire brush, knife edge -- whatever works] to get down to bright copper before applying the dielectric.

[In The Ten Ring]

What do you guys think of this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOZeKG5j5TE

I'd like to do this next spring, after I have the garage cleaned up and organized better.

[special-K]

Battery cables are not a part of the vehicle's wiring harness. No need to wait till you do all new wiring. That is restoration procedure and replacing battery cables is a service procedure, same as belts and hoses. If you have any extra cable, just cut it back if you don't want to buy new cables. But they aren't a whole hep of money.

I don't drink soda, but people have been using that to kill live corrosion on cable ends for years. I use Lectramotive. It's the acidic reaction that cleans te build-up. Vinegar is an excellent acid cleaner that is safe

[In The Ten Ring]

Since I am short of both cash and time, there are two very solid reasons to wait.

Thanks for the vote on vinegar, I think I am going to buy some this morning.