Water on battery contacts

[Julie]

I had the misfortune to get caught in torrential rain while riding my ebike about ten miles from home, I found out my waterproof jacket and trousers were merely shower proof and I got drenched.

But my worry was about my poor ebike, not only was it enduring heavy rain, but I also had to ride through really deep puddles at the edges of the road as a lot of the roads I ride on a prone to flooding.

The bike performed wonderfully and when I got it home I dried it and removed the battery, and found a few drops of water on the battery contacts, which I find a bit concerning.

Is there anything I can put in the contacts to protect them or would it be beneficial to make some sort of cover for the battery?

 

[Fat Rat]

Hi
Just put silicone grease on the terminals
I pull all my plugs and coat them in silicone grease and all battery contacts
Prevention is better than cure

 

[Julie]

Thanks, I've just ordered some.

 

[MikeS]

Can someone answer this philosophical question about silicon grease for me please? If the grease is a good insulator why doesn't it prevent good contact being made, and if it's a good conductor why doesn't it short out adjacent contacts?
Mike

 

[Fat Rat]

Can someone answer this philosophical question about silicon grease for me please? If the grease is a good insulator why doesn't it prevent good contact being made, and if it's a good conductor why doesn't it short out adjacent contacts?
Mike

Hi
Silicone grease is a great corrosion inhibitor because it’s waterproof it also doesn’t effect rubber seals and plastics etc that’s why you use it on low voltage connections

Dielectric grease is another form of silicone grease and is electrically insulating and does not break down when high voltage is applied. It is often applied to electrical connections particularly those containing rubber gaskets, as a means of lubricating and sealing rubber portions of the connector without arcing like for example ht leads / coil packs etc on a car

Some people say not to apply to much on small spring pressure connections like automotive sensors as the grease may keep the spring pressure off the connections but I’ve never come across that in all the years I’ve used it
I have nothing but good things to say about it in the ebike and automotive application


The Dielectric grease is insulating but the contacts are still against each other so there making connections and silicone grease is such a low viscosity it’s not forcing terminal pressure apart or shielding connections

But as grease goes you won’t beat the properties of general silicone grease for this application

Hope this helps a little