Battery Overcharging?

thetvirus · 07-03-2009

64.5 mustang, battery is leaking fluid all over the place, whole tray is caked with 1/2 thick yellow crap under the battery. Terminals have zero corrosion. The car had a generator, now has a 1 wire 140 amp powermaster alternator. Autometer voltmeter gauge shows a constant 15 volts while the car is running, 13.5 with lights on, and battery shows 12.6 volts while engine is off. Can't tell where the battery is leaking... could the battery be overcharging and boiling out? 15 volts charging is in the good range isn't it? Besides overcharging, any reason why the battery would leak?, seems like the fluid is probably coming from the top of the battery and leaking down,

429ragtop · 07-03-2009

15 volts is within range, sounds like you just have a bad battery, assuming all wiring is correct and your not having ANY OTHER electrical problems. Sulfur is yellow, its definitly leaking.

Ivy66GT · 07-03-2009

15V is a little high but not terribly so. Is there any way to easily lower it to say 14.5V which for sure is OK.

Some batteries are leakers. From my experience if it says Exide on it, it should leak probably BEFORE you put it in the car.

I got tired of dousing the battery tray in baking soda to neutralize the spilled acid. Switching from cheap Exides to slightly more expensive Interstates solved my leaking problems years ago and I haven't used the baking soda since.

cindys_sn95 · 07-03-2009

EXIDE have always been leakers!

thetvirus · 07-03-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by cindys_sn95

EXIDE have always been leakers!

WOW, my battery is an exide, how did you know?

thetvirus · 07-03-2009

Thanks for the exide info, i was just gonna get another exide and throw it in, not anymore. Anyone use the red top OPTIMA battery? They are supposed to be leak proof but wonder how long they last... Jay Leno uses them in all of his cars but he probably just gets them for free.

cindys_sn95 · 07-03-2009

OPTIMA is a good battery.

Ivy66GT · 07-03-2009

How did we know you had an Exide? Just lucky I guess.

An Optima won't leak, it can't, there isn't any fluid in it. Its still a lead/acid battery but the acid is held in more of a damp fiber affair so if you crash your battery running the Baja there isn't anything to run out and you can still finish the race.

Optima and Interstate are made by the same company, but in different factories, by Johnson Controls who makes about 1/4 of the batteries in the entire world. They are both good batteries but for normal auto usage the Optima is a bit of overkill. Because of the design it also has less storage capacity then a normal 'flooded' battery, i.e. one with liquid acid inside. So although the Optima may put out more initial Amps to start your car, the Interstate will put out a few less amps for a longer time. You will pay 2 or 3x more for the Optima and IHMO, as well as my local dealer who sells both, buy the Interstate.

Jay Leno can afford anything he wants whether its really needed or not. Unfortunately I am not in his class and I will make another wild guess to say that you probably aren't either.