My vehicle always intermits.

Starter. Battery connection. Starter relay. Fuel pump. Ignition switch. Spark plugs. Computer. spark plug cables.

Vague description. "Intermit" is different from "does not start". Starter relay could be responsible for the latter case.

Begin at the beginning; test the battery connections. If the terminals are visibly corroded, use an old toothbrush to clean. If corrosion is extensive, use a wire brush. Put some petroleum gel (you can use common grease) before you put back the connection. Tighten securely.

baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) has no cleaning power. Never use baking soda for cleaning: it can induce further corrosion.

Also, if it “always intermits” it’s not, by definition, intermittent.

barry said:

Starter. Battery connection. Starter relay. Fuel pump. Ignition switch. Spark plugs. Computer. spark plug cables.

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Thank you , I'll try it.

FvM said:

Vague description. "Intermit" is different from "does not start". Starter relay could be responsible for the latter case.

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The vehicle has started, but discontinue. Thanks for your reply.

c_mitra said:

Begin at the beginning; test the battery connections. If the terminals are visibly corroded, use an old toothbrush to clean. If corrosion is extensive, use a wire brush. Put some petroleum gel (you can use common grease) before you put back the connection. Tighten securely.

baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) has no cleaning power. Never use baking soda for cleaning: it can induce further corrosion.

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Thank you for your detailed answer. I found it really corroded. I need to replace it.

c_mitra said:

Begin at the beginning; test the battery connections. If the terminals are visibly corroded, use an old toothbrush to clean. If corrosion is extensive, use a wire brush. Put some petroleum gel (you can use common grease) before you put back the connection. Tighten securely.

baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) has no cleaning power. Never use baking soda for cleaning: it can induce further corrosion.

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Baking soda is, in fact, an excellent cleaner. It has mild abrasive properties and since it is alkaline, it will neutralize the battery acid causing the corrision. It will not induce further corrosion, although it will cause aluminum to oxidize.

barry said:

Baking soda is, in fact, an excellent cleaner. It has mild abrasive properties and since it is alkaline, it will neutralize the battery acid causing the corrision. It will not induce further corrosion, although it will cause aluminum to oxidize.

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I repeat, baking soda, chemical name Sodium bicarbonate, has no abrasive properties. It is slightly soluble in water.

It has no alkaline properties (it is almost perfectly neutral) - unlike common soda, sodium carbonate.

It will neutralize the battery acid, true.

It does not cause oxidation of aluminum, it is not an oxidizing agent.

The major cause of corrosion is electrochemical, two different metals and a conducting liquid present.

Too many myths about baking soda!

Also the starter motor could be on the way out ....

Also - Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, has a pH of 9, making it a mildly alkaline substance.

as a mild alkali it will corrode Aluminium over time if left in contact

c_mitra said:

I repeat, baking soda, chemical name Sodium bicarbonate, has no abrasive properties. It is slightly soluble in water.

It has no alkaline properties (it is almost perfectly neutral) - unlike common soda, sodium carbonate.

It will neutralize the battery acid, true.

It does not cause oxidation of aluminum, it is not an oxidizing agent.

The major cause of corrosion is electrochemical, two different metals and a conducting liquid present.

Too many myths about baking soda!

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Sorry, but wrong, wrong, wrong. Sodium bicarbonate is both mildly abrasive (2.5 mhos) and mildly alkaline. And it WILL oxidize aluminum. Check your sources.

it is abrasive unless completely dissolved - so yes and no there ....

Sorry, but wrong, wrong, wrong. Sodium bicarbonate is both mildly abrasive (2.5 mhos)

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Calm down: it is mildly abrasive- like your fingernails. Many plastics are harder and stronger. Agreed!!
Moh's scale of hardness cannot be used for powders and your source is therefore suspect. The scale is useful for minerals and the crystal forms may or may not be same.

and mildly alkaline.

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Yes, the pH of sodium bicarbonate solution is around 8-9 (depends on who measured) - it is 8.3 as per pubchem (see reference below). For a reference for ease of comparison: most bottled water has a pH of 6-9, tap water is around 8, distilled water (pure water) pH at 25C is 7; at 80C around 6.

And it WILL oxidize aluminum.

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even pure water can oxidize pure Aluminum: the reaction is 3H2O + 2Al --> Al2O3 + 3H2
But you do not see this reaction because Aluminum has a protective oxide layer that prevents this reaction.
Sodium bicarbonate has no known oxidative properties.

Check your sources.

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1. I could not find hardness of common chemicals but I know there are minerals that contain sodium bicarbonate. But I know that fingernail can scratch talc (a common stone, used for body power) and has a hardness value of 2 (diamond has 10).

2. pH value is taken from https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Sodium-bicarbonate
(A very reliable source) It is also used as a NIST standard but that is different.

pH of bottled water and tap water are taken from random sources and they provide a range for general understanding (comparison and reference)

3. I do not know what is your understanding of basic chemistry but I can refer you to an wikipedia page that provides general idea on oxidation and reduction processes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redox. It is rather clear and simple: Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state of an atom, an ion, or of certain atoms in a molecule.

If you think sodium bicarbonate can oxidize Aluminum, why don't you write the oxidation reaction and YOUR reference or source?

Hi,

out of curiosity I did an internet search.
Found this. But did not read it.


Klaus

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_bicarbonate
Interesting section: "Cleaning Agent"

The Chinese authors make interesting observations. They were studying corrosion problems in HV DC transmission cables. Our original poster (#1) too had corrosion problems (#8) but it was rather low voltage. Corrosion can be real problem at high DC currents even when similar metals are used as connectors (say all Aluminum connectors and no steel nuts and bolts). I hope original poster's car is now running without fuss.

The Chinese researchers report that bicarbonate can be an inhibitor to corrosion and they claim that this takes place at low concentration of bi-carbonate. At high concentration bicarbonate dissolves the oxide layer.

The oxide layer is semi-porous and also an insulator- good electrical insulator but good thermal conductor.

The report (the paper) is rather incomplete because they have not gone into the chemistry of the process. But I have not understood their special interest with bicarbonate passivation of Aluminum. It is possible to build up a thick oxide layer (electrochemically) and then seal the layer semi-permanently. Aluminum passivation has many industrial applications.

Wikipedia article on sodium bicarbonate and the section on cleaning agent: the reference is from a manufacturer of baking soda. It is no more reliable than kitchen magazines that advises people to use baking soda and /or vinegar for cleaning. I guess these two chemicals can be flushed down the kitchen drain but not regular acids or alkalis. Both these chemicals are extremely cheap industrially (sodium bicarbonate and acetic acid) but extremely expensive as kitchen item.