Vehicle Battery Leak
Moderators: User administrators, Moderators
- organicmatter
- Registered user
- Posts: 91
- Joined: 16 Aug 2009, 21:34
- 80-90 Mem No: 13066
- Location: Edinburgh
Vehicle Battery Leak
Any tips on how to clean up?
Just found a small pool of liquid in the battery tray had a vinegar smell.
I have cleaned the liquid out and put a solution of water and bicarb in, have undone the edge of the carpet panel that is attached to the back of where the battery goes, can feel a bit of moisture there.
Should I douse the area in bicarb and try and rinse out?
Not much access as have a camping interior in the way and some of the carpet is well glued down.
Just found a small pool of liquid in the battery tray had a vinegar smell.
I have cleaned the liquid out and put a solution of water and bicarb in, have undone the edge of the carpet panel that is attached to the back of where the battery goes, can feel a bit of moisture there.
Should I douse the area in bicarb and try and rinse out?
Not much access as have a camping interior in the way and some of the carpet is well glued down.
1992 Holdsworth Villa 3, 1.9 Petrol
- kevtherev
- Registered user
- Posts: 18832
- Joined: 23 Oct 2005, 20:13
- 80-90 Mem No: 2264
- Location: Country estate Wolverhampton Actually
Re: Vehicle Battery Leak
Where is the leak on the battery?
If its the vent then the tube needs attaching to the outside.
Has it boiled (overcharging)?
If its the vent then the tube needs attaching to the outside.
Has it boiled (overcharging)?
AGG 2.0L 8V. (Golf GTi MkIII)
- Oldiebut goodie
- Registered user
- Posts: 7514
- Joined: 18 Apr 2008, 01:19
- 80-90 Mem No: 11135
- Location: Eastern Angle
Re: Vehicle Battery Leak
Keep on with the bicarb until there is no more fizzing - it is then neutralized. Then mop/dry up as best you can. This is where a wet vacuum comes into its own as you can put the bicarb in the water and then clean it up.
Last edited by Oldiebut goodie on 17 Nov 2015, 13:49, edited 1 time in total.
1.6D 2019 VW T-Cross
200hp VW T6
1̶Y̶ ̶1̶9̶8̶7̶ ̶H̶i̶-̶t̶o̶p̶ ̶C̶a̶r̶a̶v̶e̶l̶l̶e̶
5̶0̶8̶d̶ ̶M̶e̶r̶c̶
200hp VW T6
1̶Y̶ ̶1̶9̶8̶7̶ ̶H̶i̶-̶t̶o̶p̶ ̶C̶a̶r̶a̶v̶e̶l̶l̶e̶
5̶0̶8̶d̶ ̶M̶e̶r̶c̶
- organicmatter
- Registered user
- Posts: 91
- Joined: 16 Aug 2009, 21:34
- 80-90 Mem No: 13066
- Location: Edinburgh
Re: Vehicle Battery Leak
kevtherev wrote:Where is the leak on the battery?
If its the vent then the tube needs attaching to the outside.
Has it boiled (overcharging)?
the vent tube had popped off
1992 Holdsworth Villa 3, 1.9 Petrol
- organicmatter
- Registered user
- Posts: 91
- Joined: 16 Aug 2009, 21:34
- 80-90 Mem No: 13066
- Location: Edinburgh
Re: Vehicle Battery Leak
Oldiebut goodie wrote:Keep on with the bicarb until there is no more fizzing - it is then neutralized. Then mop/dry up as best you can. This is where a wet vacuum comes into its own as you can put the bicarb in the water and then clean it p.
I do have a vax ill will get that on it next
1992 Holdsworth Villa 3, 1.9 Petrol
- ghost123uk
- Registered user
- Posts: 6855
- Joined: 10 Mar 2006, 10:15
- 80-90 Mem No: 2585
- Location: John in Malpas, in the very S. W. part of Cheshire.
- Contact:
Re: Vehicle Battery Leak
Under normal circumstances battery acid should not come out of the vent tube, just gasses. I would strongly be looking into why this has happened.
Got a new van, but it's a 165bhp T4 [shock horror] Accurate LPG Station map here
- kevtherev
- Registered user
- Posts: 18832
- Joined: 23 Oct 2005, 20:13
- 80-90 Mem No: 2264
- Location: Country estate Wolverhampton Actually
Re: Vehicle Battery Leak
Quite right.ghost123uk wrote:Under normal circumstances battery acid should not come out of the vent tube, just gasses. I would strongly be looking into why this has happened.
Overcharging from the alternator is a usual suspect.
AGG 2.0L 8V. (Golf GTi MkIII)
- Oldiebut goodie
- Registered user
- Posts: 7514
- Joined: 18 Apr 2008, 01:19
- 80-90 Mem No: 11135
- Location: Eastern Angle
Re: Vehicle Battery Leak
That and overfilling on ones that can be topped up.
So..is it a sealed one?
So..is it a sealed one?
1.6D 2019 VW T-Cross
200hp VW T6
1̶Y̶ ̶1̶9̶8̶7̶ ̶H̶i̶-̶t̶o̶p̶ ̶C̶a̶r̶a̶v̶e̶l̶l̶e̶
5̶0̶8̶d̶ ̶M̶e̶r̶c̶
200hp VW T6
1̶Y̶ ̶1̶9̶8̶7̶ ̶H̶i̶-̶t̶o̶p̶ ̶C̶a̶r̶a̶v̶e̶l̶l̶e̶
5̶0̶8̶d̶ ̶M̶e̶r̶c̶
- organicmatter
- Registered user
- Posts: 91
- Joined: 16 Aug 2009, 21:34
- 80-90 Mem No: 13066
- Location: Edinburgh
Re: Vehicle Battery Leak
Oldiebut goodie wrote:That and overfilling on ones that can be topped up.
So..is it a sealed one?
not sure its a unipart samson gba4063
I did take some readings with multi meter a few before when looking at an issue with the leisure battery 12.69 then when engine was on it was 14.12 and 13.6 with lights etc on
1992 Holdsworth Villa 3, 1.9 Petrol
- ghost123uk
- Registered user
- Posts: 6855
- Joined: 10 Mar 2006, 10:15
- 80-90 Mem No: 2585
- Location: John in Malpas, in the very S. W. part of Cheshire.
- Contact:
Re: Vehicle Battery Leak
Those are perfectly respectable readingsorganicmatter wrote:[I did take some readings with multi meter a few before when looking at an issue with the leisure battery 12.69 then when engine was on it was 14.12 and 13.6 with lights etc on
Got a new van, but it's a 165bhp T4 [shock horror] Accurate LPG Station map here
- Oldiebut goodie
- Registered user
- Posts: 7514
- Joined: 18 Apr 2008, 01:19
- 80-90 Mem No: 11135
- Location: Eastern Angle
Re: Vehicle Battery Leak
Refillable then - but as you didn't know I don't suppose that you have topped it up then!
1.6D 2019 VW T-Cross
200hp VW T6
1̶Y̶ ̶1̶9̶8̶7̶ ̶H̶i̶-̶t̶o̶p̶ ̶C̶a̶r̶a̶v̶e̶l̶l̶e̶
5̶0̶8̶d̶ ̶M̶e̶r̶c̶
200hp VW T6
1̶Y̶ ̶1̶9̶8̶7̶ ̶H̶i̶-̶t̶o̶p̶ ̶C̶a̶r̶a̶v̶e̶l̶l̶e̶
5̶0̶8̶d̶ ̶M̶e̶r̶c̶
- organicmatter
- Registered user
- Posts: 91
- Joined: 16 Aug 2009, 21:34
- 80-90 Mem No: 13066
- Location: Edinburgh
Re: Vehicle Battery Leak
Oldiebut goodie wrote:Refillable then - but as you didn't know I don't suppose that you have topped it up then!
I've not topped it up, not sure if i should get a replacement don't really want this happening again
1992 Holdsworth Villa 3, 1.9 Petrol
- ghost123uk
- Registered user
- Posts: 6855
- Joined: 10 Mar 2006, 10:15
- 80-90 Mem No: 2585
- Location: John in Malpas, in the very S. W. part of Cheshire.
- Contact:
Re: Vehicle Battery Leak
I know what you mean. Sulphuric acid is very bad for your metal bits, you can't have too much Bi-Carb, but watch out for when rinsing. If you have not fully neutralised the acid, putting water on it can flush it into places you cannot get to. This is the big problem with anything more than a drip or 3, if it's a puddle you don't know if it's run down into seams / welds etc in the battery tray. It happened to me years ago when I had a car battery fall over in the passenger foot-well of a car I was driving. Took a hell of a lot of cleaning up that did, but I still wonder what the edges of the floor to sill joins were like a year or two laterorganicmatter wrote: not sure if i should get a replacement don't really want this happening again
If you are confident that it is never getting overcharged, i.e. more than 14.5 Volts (max) for long periods, then personally I would buy a modern maintenance free one. Maintenance free and worry free
Got a new van, but it's a 165bhp T4 [shock horror] Accurate LPG Station map here
- organicmatter
- Registered user
- Posts: 91
- Joined: 16 Aug 2009, 21:34
- 80-90 Mem No: 13066
- Location: Edinburgh
Re: Vehicle Battery Leak
ghost123uk wrote: If you are confident that it is never getting overcharged, i.e. more than 14.5 Volts (max) for long periods, then personally I would buy a modern maintenance free one. Maintenance free and worry free
is this the sort of thing i should be looking at http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Type-110-Car- ... 3641.l6368" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
probably worth adding a something like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/35136863 ... ue&ff13=80" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; to make sure wasn't because of over supply
in the mean time my plan is to keep feeding bicarb solution to the area it leaked into, to try and neutralize any acid effects
1992 Holdsworth Villa 3, 1.9 Petrol
- organicmatter
- Registered user
- Posts: 91
- Joined: 16 Aug 2009, 21:34
- 80-90 Mem No: 13066
- Location: Edinburgh
Re: Vehicle Battery Leak
Got a smaller Bosh battery from Europarts (very near my house) on discount and found another on line 12%
1992 Holdsworth Villa 3, 1.9 Petrol