Negative terminal deposits

[Roadstergal]

When I first washed the GS500, I noticed that there was a fair amount of white fluffy deposit on the negative terminal.  I washed it off with a mild base and checked the water level on the battery (fine).  Within a week it came back (water level still good).  Er, is this normal?  I am having no electrical issues at all.  Just... acid deposit on the (-) terminal.

[Kerry]

No emergency, of course.  But you'll want to keep an eye on it and clean it fairly regularly.  Once my stock Yuasa started doing that, I could never get it to stop.  I tried battery dielectric grease and a spray-can-based, foaming battery terminal cleaner, but the corrosion(?) kept coming back.

Before I got the spray can stuff I cleaned the terminal with water and baking soda.  The nasty part here is making sure that the corrosion-laden solution doesn't drop onto (or below) the battery box and cause rusting and corrosion elsewhere.  The following series of pictures documents the woes that resulted from my not being careful when I cleaned:

Battery box rust and a corroded (black) connector near the negative battery terminal:


That's not just ANY connector - the wires lead from here to the signal generators under the right engine cover.  My bike started running on one cylinder, and was out of commission for several months while I tried one thing after another.  I FINALLY tested the wires and connections here and the black wire wouldn't conduct through the connector.  BINGO!


My eventual (and still-active) fix.  I broke pieces of the connector off trying to get it apart, so I gave up and replaced the whole thing with individual connectors.  Notice the rust again (which is still there  ).

[Richard UK]

The seal between the top of the battery and the terminal post has failed.  Not a big problem if you keep it clean, but less hassle to get a new one.

[Pam G]

So Kerry, why didn't you just remove the battery to clean the terminals??? :dunno:

[Kerry]

So Kerry, why didn't you just remove the battery to clean the terminals??? :dunno:

:dunno:     :dunno:

If it happens again ... I will!

[Roadstergal]

Two friends of mine both advised that petroleum jelly on the connected terminal will halt the deposits.  So I cleaned again (made a buffer with sodium bicarbonate, cleaned both the terminals and the bike underneath, and rinsed with copious quantities of water), reconnected the (-) side, and slathered the metal connector and terminal with Vaseline.  I got interesting looks from the other guys in the garage.  I'll let y'all know if that helps...

[glenn9171]

There is a spray that foams up that cleans the terminals.  Also a spray that coats them and prevents it from returning.  Available in most auto parts stores.

[500rider]

Two friends of mine both advised that petroleum jelly on the connected terminal will halt the deposits.  So I cleaned again (made a buffer with sodium bicarbonate, cleaned both the terminals and the bike underneath, and rinsed with copious quantities of water), reconnected the (-) side, and slathered the metal connector and terminal with Vaseline.  I got interesting looks from the other guys in the garage.  I'll let y'all know if that helps...

I'll have to try that ... mine's doing the same thing.  You may want to check the condition of the nut that holds the terminal screw.  Mine was about 75% gone.

[Roadstergal]

On the plus side, I checked and don't have acid deposits.  On the minus side, I do have a goopy slimy terminal.  You can decide which is worse.

[500rider]

I tried the vaseline ... it works.  It's been on there for about 3 weeks now and absolutely no corrosion.  Thanks!

[SF Dan]

I've been getting those deposits too on my '02 GS, and they come back every time after cleaning them.  So today it finally happened: I went to get her running and she just wouldn't start.  I have lights but it barely cranks once and then stops, so I'm assuming the battery is low. 

Realizing my newbie mistake of having never checked the battery fluid levels since I bought the bike used 3000 miles ago, I went to try and take the battery out only to realize that the bolt that holds the negative terminal is so corroded it won't turn with a screw driver or socket wrench.  Someone suggested to me that it's not going to come out and I'm gonna have to cut the cable to pull the battery out.  Is that really the way to go?  Is there another way to remove the corroded bolt?

[scratch]

You should be able to slot the bolt with a Dremel, and use a flat-blade screwdriver to get it out; or just Dremel the head of the bolt off (you'll need a new bolt and nut, unless you buy a new battery, the new batt should come with new hardware, but the problem may persist, and I would suggest covering the area with vaseline).

[hhgsm31]

I guess growing up in the south, i can't help but use this old home remedy. I've always just used coca cola classic because of the high base levels. Works wonders if you don't have a box of arm & hammer handy, and it tends to get down in teh cracks and crevices a bit better. A small amount of coke and a stiff wire brush have always worked for me.
If it is coming back pretty often, the best bet is to replace the battery once you get it cleaned before it leads to more serious problems.

[Lukewarm Wilson]

Don't know if I missed an earlier posting but welcome back Kerry and Roadstergal

[Alphamazing]

Don't know if I missed an earlier posting but welcome back Kerry and Roadstergal

Those are old posts They're both gone.

[surlybruce]

You should check the battery electrolite level weekly and also check for corrosion/security of terminals . Negative is first off and last on . Use only distilled water for top up. The 06 GS 500 has a gell battery so you may want to go that route .

[SF Dan]

Thank you all for your advice.  Sure enough I jump started it from a car and she fired right up.  My electrolyte level must be pretty messed up then, it hasn't been checked/adjusted in... 5 months!!!      Sounds like this Saturday I'll be busy working on my battery...  I promise I'll be good and check it every week from now on.   

[SF Dan]

Don't know if I missed an earlier posting but welcome back Kerry and Roadstergal

Those are old posts They're both gone.

They're gone???  Just like that???  That sucks.

[Alphamazing]

Don't know if I missed an earlier posting but welcome back Kerry and Roadstergal

Those are old posts They're both gone.

They're gone???  Just like that???  That sucks.

Well, not "just like that". Kerry just kinda stopped coming back. From what we understand it's because he's just got a lot of crap to do, but the BS on the board that was happening could have been another contributing factor. RG had an issue with the sale of a firearm and the legality of it, so she got all pissy and left. Sold her GS too.

[crispy5]

I've been getting those deposits too on my '02 GS, and they come back every time after cleaning them.  So today it finally happened: I went to get her running and she just wouldn't start.  I have lights but it barely cranks once and then stops, so I'm assuming the battery is low. 

Realizing my newbie mistake of having never checked the battery fluid levels since I bought the bike used 3000 miles ago, I went to try and take the battery out only to realize that the bolt that holds the negative terminal is so corroded it won't turn with a screw driver or socket wrench.  Someone suggested to me that it's not going to come out and I'm gonna have to cut the cable to pull the battery out.  Is that really the way to go?  Is there another way to remove the corroded bolt?

I have the same problem with my battery's negative terminal except that my battery was installed sideways so that the negative terminal faces the right of the battery box.  I can't pull the battery out without disconnecting the negative terminal.  I can get to the bolt as seen in the pics below.  Can anyone recommend a method to turn the bolt that's stuck?