MrJeepR44 changed his spark plugs... and found serious battery issues

[MrJeepR44]

So I was looking at the owners manual, and it turns out that the spark plug change is recommended at 32,000 miles. I guess that makes sense, since the oil changes are in 8000 mile intervals.

Anyways today was the day and I ended up changing them at 30,800 miles. I checked the gap on the old plugs to see how off they were, suspecting they were to blame for somewhat low mpg. I don't know if they came from the factory slightly off or if they just got really bad from driving, but all of the old plugs had a gap of .055-.056. If you look closely at the picture, you can actually see how off the old plugs were compared to the new. The 2011 manual calls for a .043 gap. I also took the opportunity to re-oil the K&N and reinstall it.

Right away I noticed how smooth the engine is running (I didn't know it wasn't smooth before)





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[Metaxa]

Yikes!
That stuff growing on your positive battery cable is starting to do damage.

You definitely need to clean it off, baking soda and water, brush (I use old toothbrush) and repeat until it is clean then rinse with lots of running water, get all the gunk and corrosion out of the battery tray and to ground.

Then use your Fluid Film after everything is back together...spray, spray, done.

[Earthworm51]

If you can afford it junk the Battery for an AGM Battery and while you are at it junk the Battery Terminals for some good ones as those terminals suck. I changed mine along time ago, very simple. Just another IMO......................

[Murman]

Holy cow. I am going to look at my battery in the AM. Just in case.

[FailWheelDrive]

YAY! For fresh plugs!

Boo! for cruddy battery terminal.

[PatriotMB]

Awesome! I'm at 28.5K miles and will probably change them in 2k miles or so.

Definitely going to go check out my terminals tomorrow as well. Weather is going to be nice so ill check it while i am washing the Pat.


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[MrJeepR44]

Originally Posted by Metaxa

Yikes!
That stuff growing on your positive battery cable is starting to do damage.

You definitely need to clean it off, baking soda and water, brush (I use old toothbrush) and repeat until it is clean then rinse with lots of running water, get all the gunk and corrosion out of the battery tray and to ground.

Then use your Fluid Film after everything is back together...spray, spray, done.

You noticed that eh? Hard not to, right? I was going to create a "What the hell?!?" thread, but since you brought it up, I'll post the detailed pictures here. I have NEVER seen battery corrosion this bad, and I have never seen battery corrosion on a vehicle this new. It makes me wonder what happened?? It also has me wondering if I should go the dealer to have it looked at (Are batteries covered under the 36k bumper to bumper?)

It looks like a friggin' coral reef growing there..... I mean seriously, it is from the base of the battery and at least as high as the top of the terminal. I also see residue on top of the battery that looks like it may have been leaking some... perhaps during an emergency maneuver? Surely not, but I can't really explain it otherwise. I can't believe I haven't had any issues starting yet... although I have noticed my door/key/seatbelt chime has been starting to sound a little funny...

Also, isn't Fluid Film flammable? Or is that only while being sprayed?

Pictures:

[deejayMB]

Your battery looks like it has boiled over (unless your Pat has been inverted at some point?)

[MrJeepR44]

Makes sense.... What causes a battery to boil over? High heat? High load on the battery? Pulling a trailer (with trailer lighting) couldn't have caused an issue could it?

[MrJeepR44]

I was planning on using the plugs with out anti-seize because I've read that that can skew the torque specs when tightening the plugs, plus plugs have a coating on the threads with anti-seize properties. Well I ended up not using a torque wrench because I don't have one small enough.

While loosing the plugs and tightening them by hand, they didn't exactly spin smoothly... it was a bit rough (and no, definitely not cross-threaded). I felt comfortable tightening the new plugs a quarter turn past hand tight, but then I saw on the box for the plugs it recommends turning 1/2 turn to 2/3 turn past hand tight. That got me a nervous about getting a stuck plug next time they are changed, so I backed out the first new plug, put anti-seize on it, replaced it, then used the AS on the remaining spark plugs.

Did anyone else notice the spark plugs feeling a bit "sticky" when tightening them? I wonder if it had to do with me replacing them in a cold engine... maybe I should have warmed it up a bit first

[480KREEPIN]

wow! has it had any hesitation starting? the electrode looks very warn, aside form the batter corrosion! I will also check my battery out tomorrow!

[MrJeepR44]

I haven't had any issues starting... that's why I was so surprised to find all the corrosion. I have noticed the door chime has had a bit of a funny sound though, so I bet those are somehow related.

Yeah, the spark plug gap was waaay off. I am hoping to see some higher MPG's out of this

[480KREEPIN]

I would say its inevitable sir. I will be watching ur fulley

[NHPATRIOT]

That is one NASTY battery! Definitely looks like it got over heated somehow and boiled over as another member posted above. Either that or maybe there is a crack in the housing or something? I wouldn't even bother cleaning it. I would replace it personally. You are probably covered under warranty so I would try and get the dealer to replace it.

If you can't get it replaced under warranty and you want to replace it maybe I can help you out a bit. If you have any Advance Auto Parts near you( they do have them in TX just not sure how far you would have to go? )I can help you out with a great coupon deal.

You will have to order the battery online and pick it up at the store to use the coupon( can't use it in store as a walk in - online only ). You want to do that anyway so you can bring the core in for the credit while you are there. So here is what you do...

1.) - go to http://www.advanceautoparts.com
2.) - enter your vehicle info in "Add A Vehicle"( you must do this to use their online order system )
3.) - on left menu select Batteries, Electrical & Wiring> Batteries> Automotive Batteries
4.) - after the available battery list comes up, look on the left in the blue box, and select Exact Fit Parts Only
5.) - then pick which battery you want to buy( Gold or Silver - AAP batteries are very good IME and last I knew made by Johnson Controls which are a top battery company - Gold is best deal if warranty is taken into account but Silver are good batteries too )
6.) - check for store inventory and pick a store with the battery in stock so you can go get it( or have it delivered if you prefer - free on $75+ orders but then you have to bring the core back ).
7.) - in the Shopping Cart screen enter the coupon code A124 in the appropriate box to save some big $$$ at checkout.

Hope it helps you out.

Just for FYI so you know going in here are the costs for the 2 batteries...

AutoCraft Gold Battery( 640 CCA )
Part#: 86-2
Warranty: 7 yrs( 3 Free/Final 4 PR )
Retail: $135.99
Core: $15.00
Subtotal: $150.99
Less Coupon A124: -$40.00
Subtotal: $110.99
Return Core: +$15.00
Final Cost: $95.99

AutoCraft Silver Battery( 525 CCA )
Part#: 86-1
Warranty: 2 yrs( Free Replacement )
Retail: $110.99
Core: $15.00
Subtotal: $125.99
Less Coupon A124: -$40.00
Subtotal: $85.99
Return Core: +$15.00
Final Cost: $70.99

They have Optima batteries as well but they start at $200+ and IMO are over priced. I have used their store brand batteries a lot in cars and my boat with excellent results. Hard to beat the coupon deal savings as well.

[todde702]

The battery corrosion could be caused by a number of things, such as the alternator putting out too much voltage, a parasitic draw across the top of a dirty battery or failed internal seals of the battery posts themselves (the fact that only your positive is corroded makes me think this may be the cause for you). You can check for the parasitic draw before you clean by using a digital volt meter. Put the positive probe on the battery plastic near the positive terminal and the negative on the same way. Don't actually touch the terminals with the probes, just plastic. If you read a voltage, then you have a parasitic draw through the dirt on the top.

In any case the first step is to clean everything up, including the whole top of the battery. Using the baking soda and water does work great, but if any get's into the battery, kiss it goodbye. I've always used plain old water that is very hot, near boiling. Just pour it over the terminal and it will dissolve the corrosion.

Next I would remove both terminals and clean everything, the posts, terminals and the entire top of the battery.

If you suspect a bad internal post seal, put some grease or petroleum jelly around the base of each post. This will slow or prevent the acid from wicking up the post to the terminal connection and corroding in the air.

Using grease/jelly on the terminals will also slow/prevent corrosion. Once cleaned and reconnected, I would now check output voltage from the alternator. Make sure it's not putting out 15 volts or more, if it is, you may need a new alternator.

Last, watch the battery terminals over the next few months to see if the corrosion returns.

EDIT: Oh yea, also once cleaned, pry off the battery caps and make sure the cells are topped up and even. If you need to add fluid, use only distilled water!