So, I'm driving along the other day.....I seemed to have a little less bass then normal.

Then I hit the brakes and the car is slowing down, my bass kicks back in to where it should be....the car stops, and it goes away......could this be due to a loss of fluid in my battery? I've noticed that my battery terminals are CAKED in crap.

Maybe it's time for a new battery? I can't top up the fluid in my battery because it doesn't have caps to do so.

I've also, accidentally, arced the battery a couple times which doesn't helped.

anyone have any other ideas? The crap on the terminals is causing a loss of voltage for sure, I checked it with a DMM.

 

I had the same problem earlier this year...the rca cables at the sub out on the processor were moving ever so slightly in and out due to an interference with a piece of trunk carpet that would deflect on braking, cornering, and accelerating. Moved the carpet and good as new.

 

YUP had the same problem with a customer of mine.....pinched the rca ends together more and the problem went away (cheap rca's).

dealing with the bad battery couldn't hurt as well

 

Yes, get that battery out of there. Had you kept it clean, it may still be good...

You can try cleaning it up, but it's probably not worth your while, as your problem was either a connection gone bad, or as you said, the acid inside sloshing around. You'll probably need to replace the car's terminals too as the corrosion most likely has eaten away at them.

Tons o' my battery tips posts piled into one at www.allstart.net/batadv.htm

 

Last I checked.....few days ago, the terminals for the car were ok, just the stereo terminals were rotten.

I have another problem too I guess I should have mentioned.....the ground terminal is soooooo caked in , that I can't get my allen key in to take it off.


I heard something about baking soda and water, but I can't remember if that's for battery acid or whitening teeth.

What should I do....I already downgraded my power terminal to Streetwires I'm thinking of doing the same with my ground now.

 

crappy tire sells a spraycleaner that take the stuff off. battery teminal cleaner.

 

I chisled away at it for a good 10 minuets, got the allen key in and proceded to strip the friggin bolt.

This crap has got to stop, I'm inches away from throwing up my arms and selling all my equipment....I've had NO luck with my system for quite some time.

Maybe it's time for new gear, or call it quits, one way or another, changes need to be made....rapidly. It's very depressing.

Anyway, I'll throw a new battery in it and see what happens...I've got a good one sitting at my mom's house, just needs to be trickle charged back up to 12 volts. Then if I can get my ground clamp off somehow, I'll try it out on the new battery after I chisle the rest of the off it.

If it still sucks, I'll put my system up for sale and try again next year.

 

Ummmm.... No.

The battery at your Mom's that's been in storage, if it's been sitting for more than two or three months and hasn't been charged during that time... in all probability is hooped too. Especially if it was over three years old in the first place. Don't waste your time, you're just going to **** yourself off more.

Corrosion is not the stereo's fault. It's how batteries are. Some batteries are worse than others. Some don't corrode at all. If you don't like maintaining your batteries, don't drive Ford, and only buy maintenance free and/or Optima batteries. Even then, the battery still needs to be kept clean. Ford's are the worst for it. When you get your oil changed, you're supposed to clean the battery terminals. EVERY time. That's every three months too...

And you're supposed to clean those terminals as soon as you see corrosion forming at all...

Simple warm water will get most of the corrosion off. For the stuff that's plugging the allan key hole, either spray corrosion stuff in there, or work at it with water and a pick. Yes, baking soda will also speed up the process a bit.

And go READ that page I linked above.... Simple maintenance will save you lotsa $$ and grief. www.allstart.net/batadv.htm

 

my other battery reads 10 volts. and it's not that old.

Trickle charging should bring it right back up.

 

^ I'd be surprised. Can't leave a battery bottomed out like that, it just wipes the out. Plus the stress of it getting bottomed like that in the first place.

I have not started the Hearse since January - checked the battery voltage this week as I was doing the wiring: 12.6v. That's a healthy battery.