Earle Horton wrote:

>> Can this type of cleaning be done in a place other than the dealer?
>> how about at autozone or walmart.
>
> I have done it at the side of the freeway in the middle of the night,
> raining, tractor trailers flying by. To clean the battery right, you want
> to mix up a dilute solution of baking soda and water to rinse and neutralize
> any battery acid that is on the case. Once you secure the proper tools, you
> can do a quick cleaning without the rinse step.

Seconded, it's a relatively simple procedure. Just a couple safety tips
to remember:

When you're working the nuts on the terminal clamps, be careful not to
let your wrench touch the other terminal(!!!!!!!!). Also, it's best to
remove the negative terminal first, as it's connected to the body of the
car, and if you remove the positive with it still attached, there's a
greater chance of your wrench shorting to the body.

Once the terminals are off, a cleaning brush like the one pictured here:
http://media.wiley.com/assets/3/47/f...089-6_0306.jpg will do a
good job of cleaning them and the posts. Should cost about $3-$4 at any
auto-parts store.

While you're at the Autozone (or your store of choice), pick up some
terminal grease as well - it's a dielectric grease that you use to cover
the posts to keep the air away and prevent corrosion.