Cure For Battery Terminal Corrosion

[Lux]

Originally Posted by sheekeebut

Well then, now that I've established myself as a paranoid cheapass, I should just shut my trap and clean off this greasy mess.

Haha... don't stress about it too much. Hydrogen gas released by the battery is ventilated. Hydrogen gas is less dense than air, so it will rise up to the bonnet and rapidly disperse. This is a problem more specific to vehicles whose batteries are in confined spaces, such as Mercedes-Benz.

Vaseline, when impregnated into a fabric medium (such as a cotton pad), is highly flammable. Its low melting point of only 37° C allows it to migrate in hot weather. This is an issue for vehicles whose batteries in the engine compartment are enveloped by a thermal insulator that can absorb the runoff. Not a concern for the Yaris, specifically, for its absence of such an insulator.

The melting point for most lithium-based bearing greases is up to 120° C, depending on the formulation.