SO WHAT THIS BLUE STUFF ANYWAY?
Corrosion on your battery cables is a nuisance and can cause problems for your vehicle. It can damage quite a bit more than just your battery cables. Unfortunately, it can affect your electrical wiring, air conditioner lines and more. But, where does this stuff come from and why is it blue?
The white substance you see on the picture on the left is lead sulfate or anhydrous copper sulfate. The blue coloring comes about when the anhydrous copper is exposed to moisture. It is typically experienced with copper connectors. The corrosion is generated by hydrogen gas that is released from the sulfuric acid inside the battery. A corrosive environment is then created as the gasses react to the atmosphere. Moisture and salts accelerate this process, which means those of us living in the South Bay need to be more mindful of our car battery connectors. Typically you will find the corrosion on the negative battery terminal, which is evident of undercharging the vehicles battery. If you notice corrosion on the positive battery terminal, this means that there is an overcharging issue.
Corrosion on your battery limits electrical conductivity and will increase resistance within the circuit. With this increased resistance there will be what they call "transient current flow." Transient current flow is electricity taking a path that it was not designed to take to return back to the battery. This can lead to you not being able to start your vehicle and can possibly cause damage to other components of the engine.

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