Gen 3 bus bar cleaning

Pulling the big orange battery-disconnect will prevent any shock while you clean the bus bar.

 

I've heard don't throw the nuts in vinegar, they'll turn black right away. Not sure if it hurts them, but it's a cosmetic "fail".

Any tips for a coating, or just clean-and-dry? From the factory there's no coating?

Someone sub'd nickel (or nickel plated?) bus bars, IIRC. There was some discussion about that, pros and cons, different conductivity.

 

I'd recommend against using silicone. If Toyota didn't use it you shouldn't. I've also read it acts as an insulator - seems counterintuitive, but I tried it in my household fixtures and it turned black and kept some lights from working.
A green scrubby has the trade name of Scotch Brite. They work great for things like this, though a wire wheel, either on your grinder or on a drill may prove faster.

 

I think you mean P0A7F which is Hybrid Battery Pack Deterioration. Part of the calculation used to trigger this code is based on battery/module resistance. It would be great if cleaning the bus bars get's it to clear up for you.

The car will continue to drive normally, even with this code locked in. It's essentially letting you know the overall condition of the battery is degraded. There's no specific module failing, just overall getting older.

 

There is a grease that's conductive I think; they add some finely powdered (and conductive) metal. Still, not sure I'd want to get into that.

If I was going to use some coating, maybe assemble and torque everything dry, then a light spray of silicone.

If there's any sort of lubricant on the stud threads before torquing, might lead to over-torque?

 

I made a hack for the Di2 electronic shifters on my bike. I used silicone to seal the circuit board in the case and protect from rain. I learned the hard way that there are two categories of silicone, corrosive and non-corrosive.

 

Exactly! I had the same experience using silicone sealant in an effort to seak a non-weather-tight connection for use on a trailer. A month later, the copper all turned green.

Dielectric or silcone grease is perfectly fine... and in fact is recommended on 12v automotive battery connections.

 

Interesting read on silicone grease, conductivity:

Dielectric Grease vs Conductive Grease

 

Good read.

 

Do not use abrasive green pads, anything abrasive, and especially a wire wheel in a drill on the bus bars. You do not want to remove the thin layer of plating on the bus bars or you will risk corrosion and lack of continuity later on. Use a electronics cleaner spray, approved for use on electronics. This should remove any tarnish/coating on the bus bars and leave the plating intact. You are not removing rust/corrosion from a rusted bolt, electronics are different and much more fragile. Coating after cleaning is OK but be sure any grease or coating must be approved for use on electronics and be non corrosive.

 

Do we know there's a plating layer?

Here's a related thread btw:

I switched to nickel plated copper busbars | PriusChat

 

I would venture to guess you have never actually disassembled or worked on one of these hybrid batteries?

 

I would not opt for nickel plate, it's less conductive than the copper that came with the battery. Electricity transmit best over copper element, just clean and de-oxidize the copper bars. Use Caig de-oxit cleaner and rejuvenator, it cleans and leaves a coated film over copper bars that fights corrosion, rust, moisture & the elements. I use this product on all of my electronic equipment for the last 20 years.

 

The microscopic thickness of nickel from the plating on the bus bars would contribute an insignificant resistance change and would offer rust protection. I am all for nickel plated

Pixel XL ?

 

Here is a video for cleaning bus Bars

 

I always used petroleum jelly trade name vaseline in the UK on my battery terminals of my classic 1960s car. Would that be a no no here?

 

I use very high quality synthetic wheel bearing grease. Its not as nasty as Nolox and works really good. Its been in many connectors especially the 12 volt battery in all my cars for 40 years. Stays where you put it. Slight odor not real bad at all.

I used to install C/KU Antennas years ago. Installed alot of them. Years later would get a service call on that dish no picture well the injected power and L band on the same cable created a real rotting situation down here in florida in all outdoor connectors. All the interconnect would corrode no matter how well taped even using the Scotch 70 $70 a roll tape. Just a terribly corrosive soup. The rotting stopped when I started using this. I would come back later to replace a lightning hit LNB and the connectors looked fine. Only soup worse than that is Microwave Triax connectors this stuff works on that too.

Tried many products but this is the only product that would not connector rot. Have used it ever since now for 40 years. Its on my new hybrid battery too.

Its really good for guns too. It doesn't change its thickness over years. I haven't shot my shot gun for years looked at it the other day and it looks brand new.

ed Line Synthetic Oil. CV-2 Grease