Battery Issues...

[Gogso1]

Hi,

For the last couple of weeks we've had a faint eggy/sulphury smell in our van (1981 Aircooled T25), which I can promise you was nothing to do with me!. To be honest, I hadn't worried too much, as it wasnt that strong and was pretty intermittant. However...........last weekend, while on our way up north for a night away, the smell got stronger over the course of the 50ish mile journey. When we arrived on site we hooked up, and within 2-3 minutes our main battery was redhot and really fizzing/bubbling away. We unhooked pretty sharpish, and it was really only at that point that it became obvious that the smell was coming from the battery.

Now I'm not sure if the smell and the hookup problem are related (and have no technical knowledge whatsoever)...........but before I start pouring money into another black hole, does anyone have any advice?

Thanks a lot.

[1664]

Sounds very much like the battery as it was ponging before you hooked up anyway. Is your leisure battery a lead acid type too? If it is, try swapping them and see how the leisure battery behaves. I wouldn't trust a battery that got red hot further than I could chuck it (which in this case is probably the bin). The plates tend to get bubbles of gas forming during charging but it shouldn't get 'hot'.

[Gogso1]

Ta. The battery works ok and doesnt heat up when I'm driving about, but I think I'll replace it to be on the safe side. Is there any reason why it would only heat up like that when I'd hooked up on-site - are there likely to be more sinister gremlins at work?

[1664]

If you have a battery charger that switches on when you're hooked up it could be that which is at fault. Can you select which battery it charges? If you can, try charging the leisure battery and see if it starts to heat up. There shouldn't be any other connection between the batteries and the hook up system.