What are folks thoughts regarding those small red and green felt battery post pads? Are they just snake oil or do they really provide some protection of some sort? If not using these pads what if any treatments do you use when installing a new battery? Thanks -tnscouter

Petroleum jelly or the terminal spray stuff. Slows oxidation thus corrosion...

They are worth it - make sure you saturate them with spray protector

Sans pads.

I’m indifferent on the matter. My dad puts them on his fleet of yard Cadillacs.
He even still uses the battery hold down rod and brackets.
I fling those brackets off into the briar patch when I do a battery.


I can’t wait to see who will extoll the virtues of post felts. This could be an 8- pager. Maybe a pissing will breakout.

YES,yes and did I say yes? The whole NOCO battery terminal maintenance system is worth every penny. I have a half century of heavy equipment repair in the field and I'd bet about 20% of my "hurry, get here as fast as you can, I got guys standing around" service calls have involved corrosion on terminals, posts, and cable junctions. In later years as computer boards made their way into fuel and engine trans interface systems, it even became more critical to have stable voltage 100% of the time. NOCO pioneered the system, and I know nothing of the China knockoffs at auto parts. NOCO makes a cleaner aerosol, a red colored long term preservative aerosol, and of course the chemical felt pads. Remember as resistance goes up, voltage goes down, then amps go up, heat goes up, plastic and solder melt, and you have just toasted, pick one, a regulator, alternator, starter, relay, switch, mother board. Corrosion prevention is cheap compared to components. I got no beef with grease, but it is not alkaline and neutralizes nothing, it just keeps oxygen from speeding corrosion.

Count me as a believer, too. Nary a speck of corrosive build-up after 5 years with felt rings and supplied 'grease'. I replace with new ones when I buy a new battery. I am a believer in the spray stuff on battery cable connections, as well.

How about coca cola?

🤣🤦🏻

Gettin serious already. lol

Chemical composition of the corrosion, free ions, hydrates, sulfates, oxidizers, free radicals, electron shells,

Coke? My Dad said it'd rot my teeth and stunt my growth, so I stayed away from it. I did have an old timey tire man show me that a bottle of Coke or Pepsi sloshed around the bead and lock ring of a rusty grader tire worked miracles...after I'd beat myself into exhaustion pounding on it with a bead hammer.

Forgot the red and green (gimmick) washers a log time ago - need to keep those saturated. Buying other stuff at a battery shop and saw a can of impregnated felt washers - NOCO I think. Started using them - darkish sticky/messy, but worth it. As the battery ages and changes, the H off gas seems to be what causes most of the build-up. Those washers work.

Using the pads with the terminal grease is the trick. No more corrosion for me. These have been on the 4Runner for 8 years.

I sure wish I could get a battery to last 8 years. 3 years is the average around here.

Battery was installed in 2013. We only use the 4Runner for hauling the pups around, 31K miles.

Damn, you're stirring things up today Slum.
I never was good at that stuff; flunked HS Chemistry. I don't use the pads but I do use the spray, cause I saw a mechanic on the YouTube useing it.

I never thought much of them until I got some free ones with a battery once. Now I use them on all 3 of my vehicles. I just used to think they were just a gimmick. I guess there are some that aren't treated and don't work, but mine really keep the "crusties" away.

Wow. I've never seen you so charged up.

Took off my tinfoil hat...getting the voices again...uncontrolled bursts of enthusiasm over stuff that don't mean schidt...and it's 96 deg here...gin and tonic don't help. I'll get 'er under control, don't send help...yet.

Battery brush and Ox-guard, no pads.

Pop the top, shake it up, and spray it on 5th wheel and tandem sliders,
it'll get them movin'.





NV,
Short life doesn't surprise me.
A buddy runs an automotive electric shop.
Rebuilds alternators/starters, sell batteries for anything that moves.
Cars, trucks, equipment....
He always says heat is what kills batteries.
Everyone thinks it's cold, that's when they don't start the engine.
It's summer heat that actually ruins them.

Can’t tell you if they work

I have an 18 year old Ford truck with the original battery cables on it

I slathered the battery posts with petroleum jelly the day I got it

Die electric grease, Vaseline, good old bearing grease all work good. Never bought felt post pads

I appreciate all the comments. I just ordered a few NOCO chemical treated pads off Amazon for 97 cents a set. Some for our old 4020 and some for the cars. This came about because I'm putting a new battery in one of the cars so I'll hold off a few days until I get the pads. The tractor batteries get corroded fairly easily so I'll use the pads and some NOCO spray and see if that helps. Thanks again for the interesting discourse. - tnscouter

Spot on.