bns2381

My battery and cables have completely corroded 3 times so far. The 2nd time (Aug 2019) I asked the dealership to do a full diagnostic so it won't happen again and I was assured it wouldn't. This most recent time (March 29, 2021), I asked my dealership again why it happens and I was told it happens from a bad battery. I asked if it's likely I got 3 bad batteries in a row and was told it seems unlikely. Today, my car's repair is complete and I was told the battery actually tested fine but all the cables were badly corroded and non-functional. I asked what is causing the issue if it's not a bad battery and the service tech told me the battery is a regular maintenance item and I'm supposed to be monitoring it frequently for corrosion. I asked it this is typical of Acuras (this is my 6th Acura over 25+ years and I've never faced this issue) and the response was, "I'll put it this way. I've seen it with many brands including Jaguar and Land Rover." That seems like a non-answer to me. I also reminded him that his dealership does all the maintenance on my car and if it's a maintenance item, they should be checking it. He said that they do check for that, but it may not be evident (which makes me wonder how I'm supposed to catch it).

My factory warranty expires in 21 days. Any advice on how to get the dealership to find the underlying issue? Of all my Acuras, this is the only one that's ever even been in for a repair. The other 5 were flawless the entire time I owned them. Is the tech correct that this is completely normal and I'm just not properly maintaining the car?

Thank you for any help and assistance.

thoiboi

Clean it well with wire brush and some cleaner ( and spray it on both terminals, no more corrosion

You need to handle the corrosion before it eats away at the battery clamp and leaves you stranded. Would also be a good time to confirm that the clamp is in good condition and replace the entire wire harness if needed

Just a little preventative maintenance will keep you corrosion free.

dtownfb

I had this happen on my Camry. i cleaned it off with water and baking soda and brushed the connector with a wire brush. The battery was fine.

Here's an article discussing battery corrosion: https://carcody.com/battery-terminal-corrosion/

bns2381

Just to clarify, I shouldn't be concerned that this has happened 3 times with 3 brand new batteries in relatively short order? Is the fact that I only drive about 6,000 miles a year (pre-covid) a problem?

Another potential point of interest:
In July 2019 my car was serviced and the dealership performed a "multi-point inspection" and noted no issues. 4 weeks later, my car wouldn't start. The battery had corroded, destroyed the battery harness and accompanying cables, and it took the dealership over a week to fully repair the car from all the corrosion. Seems like it happened very, very quickly. I have a 2009 Subaru that parks next to my Acura and is used very similarly. No corrosion ever, so I don't think it's an environmental factor or related to my usage.

I get my RDX back today from the dealership. They replaced the battery as well as the harness, cables, and a few other parts that they said were too damaged to be salvageable.

I'll make sure to start taking a look at my battery at least monthly to see if there's any suspicious buildup and get some of the recommended battery terminal protector spray.

Thank you.

finnigan

Take a good look at your repair. If the dealership didn't put any dielectric paste or spray or both terminals then take it back. They are fully aware that your having corrosion issues and this needs to be done to prevent further corrosion. There is no excuse for not getting what you paid for.