If your car battery is corroded and you do nothing about it, chances are that it will kill your battery. There are numerous factors, which can contribute to the corrosion of your battery, and the challenge is to find out the exact cause in order to prevent it. Here is what you can do:

Make sure that the car is turned off and put on protective equipment like eyeglasses, a mask, and gloves. Battery corrosion is dangerous and toxic, so you should not inhale it or touch it directly.

Try to identify your corrosion problems and the areas of the battery that it affects. Slightly move the cable connectors with your hand. If they move with ease, it is most likely that they are corroded. You can use a knife to make a cut in the cables and look at the wires. Corroded areas are usually discolored or green.

Examine your car battery carefully. Corroded areas usually appear close to the connecting points and look like covered in dust or white crystals. Keep in mind that corrosion is toxic, so do not get into direct contact with it, and do not inhale the dust.
If you determine that the cable connectors are corroded, you also need to identify what has caused this problem. In most of the cases, the corrosion of the cables is triggered by sudden temperature changes and lack of adequate lubrication of the terminals. You have to change the cables that are severely corroded and to clean the others ones. Once done with this operation, make sure you lubricate the terminals carefully. Petroleum jelly can provide enough lubrication to prevent corrosion.

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High humidity is usually responsible for the corrosion of a car battery. If you live in a humid climate or close to a body of water, this might be the cause of your problems. You can look for anti-corrosion pads at your local auto store.