So the cherokee wasn't working this morning. I checked the battery and I saw white stuff which I heard is acid apparently. So now I had an idea. I had some windex in my trunk so I got that out and sprayed some on the battery and somehow the car started. I found the windex part funny but is it safe to use that battery or do I have to buy a new one? If not how can I prevent my battery having that white stuff again?



This is how it looked

 

If it were me, I would remove the battery cables from the battery and use a wire brush ( they make a cheap tool sold at any auto parts store ) and clean both the battery terminals and cable ends. They also sell some little circular felt looking pads that go around the battery terminals under the cable ends that will help stop the corrosion that you saw.

 

and get terminal grease its really cheap or the felt rings might come with it

 

Also make a baking soda/water mix and stick the terminals and wires in it till it's clean. Then wash the battery in a baking sofa solutio.

 

I can always trust Jeep forums. Thanks guys. I bought some grease, got a felt pad (was so hard to find but luckily I found some in my other cars trunk), and brushed the terminals. Everything seems to be fine lol

 

Not acid - lead sulphate. It's the salt product of sulphuric acid and metallic lead.

That's common - and that's why battery posts, clamps, and suchlike should be inspected and cleaned annually. Wire brush or a terminal cleaning tool (cheap enough, easy to find) to scrape the posts and clamps down to bare metal.

Windex has ammonia (generally,) which is somewhat alkaline. Alkali are chemical opposites to acids - it's like dumping baking soda into vinegar, only on a smaller scale. It would temporarily halt the corrosive effects of the acid vapours, which could temporarily restore the electrical connection (lead sulphate is not conductive. Lead is marginally conductive - it's used because it is cheap material and cheap to work - very soft, low melting point for casting.)

Strip it all down, clean it, and put it back together.

As far as future protecting, here's what I've been doing for thirty years:
- Set up a small double boiler.
- Liquefy four ounces (one-half cup) of petroleum jelly.
- Mix in 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda (not "baking powder" - it's different stuff.)
- Stir thoroughly.
- Pour into an amber bottle and let it cool.

Apply the stuff to the cleaned and assembled electrical connection with a disposable acid brush - coat thoroughly

Inspect and reapply as required every six months or so.

The petroleum jelly forms a protective layer on the connection, the baking soda helps to neutralise the acid before it can start corroding the leat terminals. It's worked better for me than anything on the market.