If you are a car owner, you are pretty much familiar with the term leaking car battery. You see, the battery is leaking, and the fluid is overflowing from the annoying battery case. But not to worry because fixing that kind of problem is very easy and you can do it by yourself in your garage.
How to Know If Your Car Battery Is Leaking?
The first and foremost question is, how can you know that your battery is leaking? The answer is straightforward.
Crack
A major or minor crack in the casing of the cell is a sign of a leaking battery.
Spilling liquid
Sometimes you see the distorted appearance and even some liquid spilling from the case as well as bubbled up.
Smell
Your car battery will smell like rotten eggs. From chemistry classes in high school, you definitely know that’s the smell of sulfuric acid. The inside of your battery contains a mixture of sulfuric acid and water. And due to overheating, that mixture starts to boil causing that heinous smell.
Sweat
Your car battery will sweat. And this phenomenon seems to happen because fumes of hydrogen sulfide start to condense outside the battery. Which in turn happens because the battery is failing at consuming charge and apparently seems to be overcharged.
Corrosion
You will see corrosion forming around the terminal caps. Aging is the primary reason behind it, the metals in the battery corrode due to oxidation. Hydrogen is emitted from the battery which mixes with a bunch of other chemicals under the hood. The end result of that is the corrosion of terminals.
Why Do Car Batteries Leak?
Do you ever wonder? Why does your battery leak in such a bizarre way? There are plenty of reasons for this problem. Among them
Overcharging
Overcharging is a pervasive problem. People often charge their car battery overnight, and for a reason, the liquid inside of the cell expands and flows out of the battery case.
Vibration
Vibration is also a reason for leaking battery. If a car goes through a bumpy road, the battery may shake vehemently to the car’s body. That may lead to a fracture in the case and leak.
Chilly Weather
Sometimes extreme weather also causes this kind of leakage. Too chilly or hot weather, both are unsuitable for your battery health. The specialist says that below zero degrees Celsius and above 40 degrees Celsius, both are equally catastrophic for your battery.
Severe Cold Weather
In cold conditions, the chemical inside your cell that is in liquid form may freeze and expand. That causes severe damage to the casing and metal plate of the battery. On the other hand, in sweltering weather, these liquids boil and manage to bubble up and spill over the housing.
Damaged Regulator
There is a regulator inside every car battery that regulates the voltage level of it. Sometimes this regulator malfunctions, and that’s why battery overcharges and heats up.
After that, liquid may expand and flow out of the case, causing severe leakage.
How to Fix a Leaking Car Battery? – Step by Step
So, if you are facing these things, you are sure that somehow your battery is leaked, and now all you need to do to follow these simple steps to repair it on your own.
Collect Ingredient
The ingredients you need are a sealant, sandpaper, some baking soda, Epsom salt, a plastic pail, etc. At first, collect them all.
Access into Chemical
Now remove the caps from the top of the battery to get access into its chemical.
Empty Battery Case
Empty the battery case by removing the liquid formula into a plastic pail. In this time, please be careful because this liquid is highly harmful to your body as it contains sulfuric acid.
Neutralize
As this solution is acidic, neutralize it using baking soda.
Repair the Outer Case
As the cracked battery case is empty sand, repair the outer layer of the situation until it levels to the body and it becomes smooth.
Fill With Sealant
Now apply the sealant to the cracked area to fill it and let it dry.
Recondition
Now you need to recondition the solution. For this boil three cups of distilled water to 150 Fahrenheit and add one cup of Epsom salt to the solution and let it cool down.
Pour Water
Now grab the solution and pour the water with salt dissolved into it.
Pour Solution
After that, pour the solution into the battery case with preclusion. Make sure that none of the excess solutions left above the case because it may cause corrosion of the metallic connector.
Replace Caps and Charge
Now take the caps and replace them into the terminals of the battery tightly. Take a trickle charger and charge the battery up to 36 hours.
Doing this procedure, please be careful because the acid is very harmful to your skin and health. Perform these in a well-ventilated room and wear gloves and aprons for extra security.
Conclusion
The saying ‘prevention is better than cure’, applies a lot to batteries. Since now we all know how to fix the leaking battery, there is no reason to worry. But every car battery has a limitation of its living state. Therefore, if your battery is in a very critical condition, it is best to replace it.
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