i'm guessing you are refering to the terminal ends. for 30+ years all i have used is a simple spraying of wd40 on 'em. nothing "grows" and they stay a natural color. no greasy mess when removing them either. coatings and grease are applied only to prevent corrosion. i don't believe anything was applied from the factory, but many times stuff was applied when the dealer prepped the car for sale.