Hitchcocks Forum

Hi all,

Whilst fitting a battery optimiser, I couldn't help but notice how exposed the battery terminals seem to be- it looks like any water running off the tank or seat would dribble pretty much directly onto the positive terminal. Surely this isn't good? Does anyone have any tips for protecting them in the wet? The book suggests Vaseline, but that seems a little too simple!

Please let me know if my concern is unnecessary!

Cheers, Adam

Short of actually immersing the battery, they are pretty waterproof. They are after all full of acid which doesn't get out so water won't get in. Water won't short the terminals, not at 12V. The only risk is long-term corrosion, for which Vaseline is a good protectant although a little squirt of silicone will probably do as well or better. The drawback of using grease is it can insulate the terminal from doing its job. Personally I wouldn't bother, bikes get wet and still work.

I've put a little Vaseline on the battery terminals of all my vehicles over the last 45 years or so on the basis of what was recommended by manufacturers back then. Whilst it might not do much good it certainly won't do any harm. A small jar of Vaseline in the garage lasts years.

If you have a white powdery fluff on the terminal you have corrosion. Wash it off with some suds and re-do the terminal. It takes water plus electricity to cause the corrosion, we have two different metals there* but the problem is worsened if we have a resistive connection, try for zero ohms. * this is why the best battery connectors are made of lead.

Mine have little rubber boot type terminal covers on the ends of the wires that push down over the battery terminals I brought them from this site reason I put them on was to make sure the metal cover dont short on the terminals and connectors. But they also keep rain off & stop corrosion especially if you spray terminals with contact spray before slipping them on.

Clean, slap on some Vaseline, job done.

Thanks all, Vaseline it is!

Nah, vaseline is 20th century.

ACF 50, either spray or that lovely blue grease, no corrosion guaranteed 21st century..

Rubber boots to prevent accidental shorting against frame..

Job done..

If you're worried about it, Vaseline. Old school still works and it's got 101 uses. You can even use it as a barrier cream or to tart up plastic trim. And if you use it on the rubber tank pads you get embarrassing marks on the inner thighs of your jeans that you have to explain away as having been brown-trousered.

It was only in relatively recent years that batteries were hidden out of sight on stylised, panelled, poncy stuff.