Help? 2002 Saturn SC1 - Battery?

Yes, I'm a total dork and should be able to figure this out on my own.
However, I need some help.

My 2002 Saturn SC1 is dead. It won't turn over, or even "click" for
me. I tried to play with the battery posts thinking that they might be
corroded, but they weren't. I had actually never really looked before,
so I didn't realize that the posts were on the front. It was entirely
new to me So, the positive post has a bunch of battery acid (i
think) leaking from it and when I went to jiggle the post (it had a
plastic cap on it), the whole thing came off? It's all green & gunky
in there. I've driven quiet a few older cars in my day and I've never
quiet seen a battery post area look like that. I'm used to seeing
white caky stuff that I can knock of with a wrench or something. This
was nothing like that.

So, I'm curious. Since the cable completely came off of the battery,
do you think that is the problem, or do you think it's that the battery
itself is corroded? I just don't know how these things work. Also, the
fact that there is battery acid leaking just freaks me out. I'm
pregnant and don't want to get my hands all jacked up with stuff like
that. My plan was to take the battery out and have Auto Zone test it.
I've got a friend whose going to come by and help me out later tonight,
but I hoped maybe I could devise a plan in the meantime. Any help
would be apprecited.


--
zekat
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View this thread: http://www.usenetcars.com/showthread.php?t=610628

First of all, Delco batteries which Saturn uses are junk, and the greenish
goop is battery corrosion. Don't get any of it on you, the battery is far
long gone.

You need to have someone carefully remove the battery for you, especially if
you are preggers. Replace the battery with a better brand (I like Sears
Diehard). Have someone clean up all of the mess the battery left in the
engine bay before replacing the new battery to prevent further corrosion of
both the new battery and engine.
You can use Simple Green to clean things up, its biodegradable and cleans up
well.

Lastly, before and after replacing the new battery, check that nothing was
damaged by the battery acid. Have the cables replaced or repaired if
necessary. Good luck, its a tedious but not hard job; but best to have a
friend do it for you. Have some cold brews on hand as a friendly gesture,
:-)

marx404

Isn't the computer module located right under the battery in those cars?
Hope you didn't damage it.

marx404 wrote:

> First of all, Delco batteries which Saturn uses are junk, and the greenish
> goop is battery corrosion. Don't get any of it on you, the battery is far
> long gone.
>
> You need to have someone carefully remove the battery for you, especially if
> you are preggers. Replace the battery with a better brand (I like Sears
> Diehard). Have someone clean up all of the mess the battery left in the
> engine bay before replacing the new battery to prevent further corrosion of
> both the new battery and engine.
> You can use Simple Green to clean things up, its biodegradable and cleans up
> well.
>
> Lastly, before and after replacing the new battery, check that nothing was
> damaged by the battery acid. Have the cables replaced or repaired if
> necessary. Good luck, its a tedious but not hard job; but best to have a
> friend do it for you. Have some cold brews on hand as a friendly gesture,
> :-)
>
> marx404