Battery seeping fluid

[exdrocca]

Hi guys, so I took my truck on a 6 hour roadtrip to a family vacation. The truck drove well, except when I stopped for fuel after 3 hours in, my battery was dead trying to start back up. It smelled like battery acid also. The battery was like 2-3 years old. The acid fluid was seeping out of the top, looks like vent holes. I had AAA come with a brand new battery, and continued my journey. When I arrived at my destination, I noticed it was seeping fluid again, not a lot of fluid, but I noticed a wet stain area around the same location. It didn't smell though. I installed a new alternator and regulator the next day. Autozone tested it and it was low on output, so not overcharging it from what i understand. It's only when I drive. And never had this happen before. Anyways, still on vaca and heading home at the end if the week.
Any ideas of what can cause this? It only happened on this long drive. I drive it regularly.

[AussieinNC]

Suggest you have the charge rate of the alternator checked immediately....battery boil over will kill the new battery real quick...its usually caused by an alternator charging more than the recommended 14.5 volts...

The new battery will fail if you dont look into this asap...

Hope this helps...

[Marine-58]

I agree with Aussie, overcharging is the only thing I can think of that will cause this. You say that AutoZone checked out the Alternator and Regulator. Some of those guys are good, some not so much. Just this past weekend I swapped an alternator that had this problem but intermittently. While cold, it would run the voltage up to about 16V as measured on the voltmeter on the dash. After it warmed up, the voltage would take a bout minute to run down past 12V as it quit charging. I'm not sure an ammeter would catch this.

If you have a voltmeter in the truck, watch it at various times, cold crank, warmed up etc...

[exdrocca]

So Autozone checked the old alternator and external regulator. Their scan tool read that the regulator failed. I installed new alternator and regulator. So I had them scan it again, and the regulator failed again. It was putting out the correct amount at idle. Not sure if there could be another underlying issue. I won't really need to drive until I head back home.

[exdrocca]

And I do not have a voltmeter in truck. I have a 5 speed, and rpms are pretty low at high way speeds

[exdrocca]

Is there a simple way to check how the voltage is running while driving home?

[Marine-58]

Sorry had to switch to the cell phone. IT made a change to out computers and it appears to be Internet challenged right now.

Anyway you can get a cheap voltage gauge and install it. If they will loan you a multimeter, check batt voltage not running, at idle and at 2,500rpm. Doesn't monitor while driving but a quick and dirty test before heading out.

Something else that can cause this is heat. Are you having any issues with that?

Good Luck... hope you make it home safe...

[randy500]

Find a harbor freight and buy a $5 multimeter, hook it up to the cig lighter wire and dash ground to monitor voltage while driving, should be about 14 volts anymore and it will boil the battery

[VetteVet]

Originally Posted by exdrocca

So Autozone checked the old alternator and external regulator. Their scan tool read that the regulator failed. I installed new alternator and regulator. So I had them scan it again, and the regulator failed again. It was putting out the correct amount at idle. Not sure if there could be another underlying issue. I won't really need to drive until I head back home.

See if you can exchange the regulator and alternator for an internally regulated one from an 86 or newer gm vehicle. A 12 SI, and bolt it in place of the stock alternator. Then wire it according to a 1000 of posts I've written on how to do it.






You're regulator most likely isn't getting a sensing signal from the circuit voltage and is defaulting to full output which will burn up the mechanical points inside it, along with the alternator which is putting out full voltage, and the battery which is overcharging.

Your sensing wire is the red one in the regulator plug which is connected to full time positive voltage (12 volts.) Check that wire and also check that the regulator ground to the sheet metal for a good solid ground. Maybe even run a ground wire to the engine block.

Here is the stock alternator with the ground wire from the regulator.

[mike16]

sounds like its over charging

new battery's need to be charged up prior to installation, if not the voltage regulator if its an old mechanical one can jam in a position where it causes the alternator to overcharge the battery. bugs, dirt or spider webs or corrosion can cause it to jam. but thats an old mechanical one, not a new one or an electronic one.

[garyd1961]

Is the battery getting hot? Some times when a battery goes bad will overheat and you will smell rotten eggs. If the new battery does this it is probably over charging.
Check the voltage and if it's between 13.5 and 14.5 it should be ok. If not get a new regulator. It's not that hard but I don't know if I would try rewiring for an internal regulator while on the road.

Edit, Just as a side note some batteries will seep acid no matter what. I work at Toyota and they make great cars but their batteries are cheap crap. They all seep acid and most barely make it past the warranty. Wal-mart batteries are a lot better but personally I like the NAPA Legend batteries.

[Andy4639]

You can check the alternator regulator your self very easily if you have a volt meter. You can also as stated above hook it up to any 12 volt source inside the cab and ground the other lead and it will read the voltage coming into the cab and the electrical system while driving it.
It sounds form your description though it's over charging.

[exdrocca]

Hey guys, thanks for all the feedback! I mean it was a hot day driving, but not like terribly hot, and I only sat in traffic in the first part of the drive.
Yeah it definitely smelled stinky when the battery died, and the battery was sizzling.
Vetted Vet, thanks for that post, I'm gonna do that when I get back.
I think my game plan bis to buy a multimeter and check what it's doing.
I have 200 miles of free towing from AAA, soooo...fingers crossed haha

Thanks fellas!

[special-K]

It's definitely over charging and that could be either the second regulator is faulty or something in the wiring between components. I've been through this and the last time it happened I converted to internally regulated alternator