[Shop-talk] battery tender

[David Scheidt]

On Sat, Jul 9, 2011 at 4:56 PM, Todd Walke <racertod at racertodd.com> wrote:
> Bob wrote:
>
>> Overcharging--charging at too high voltage--will cause a lead-acid battery
>> to vent hydrogen gas
>
> B  B  B  B I have personal experience with this.
>
> B  B  B  B 15 years ago I bought a used Chevy van for work. B The previous
owner
> must be a hunter or fisherman who camped in the vehicle regularly. B He had
> installed a 2nd battery in the far left rear corner of the cargo area for
> 12v accessories with the vehicle off. B There was a battery isolator up
front
> with a wire running from it back to this auxiliary battery.
>
> B  B  B  B So three days after buying the van, I'm driving around when I
smell
> an odd smell. B I've been wrenching on cars for years and I knew all the
> usual car smells - burnt electrics, melted v-belts, hot fluids, overcooked
> brakes, etc. B This was none of them.

Boiling batteries have a very distinct smell.  I used to smell it from
time to time when I worked at service station along a highway. I think
it's hydrogen sulfide or something like that.  I always told people
'hey, you're battery is boiling' but was always ignored.  Did tow a
few of the cars back, though....

--
David Scheidt
dmscheidt at gmail.com