[Mo Cruze]

I had a bad battery. Battery was dead could not start car when I opened Hood there was lots of powdery acid corrosion around the terminal. I jumped the car and went and got a new battery two weeks later there's a bunch of powdery acid on this new
battery could the battery be bad or does this mean that my alternator is overcharging? Any help would be much appreciated thank you

 

[EricSmit]

What kind of battery did you buy? Picture? What year vehicle? What engine?

 

[obermd]

Before installing the new battery did you clean the area around the battery, including all the terminal connections? If not you are probably looking at leftover from the old battery.

 

[Mo Cruze]

It's a 2013 1.4 buy a Duralast from AutoZone

Definitely cleaned it up. Not with any kind of liquid or anything but scraped It Off real good. had the AutoZone guy put it in and applied the Vaseline stuff as well to protect it from the acid build-up. two weeks later it was super covered again.. had water outlet pipe replaced today at Chevy and they told me they saw acid leaking out of the battery that it was a bad battery but it's brand new that's why I'm wondering if it was the alternator or the battery

 

[Mo Cruze]

Update I just went to Advanced Auto and had them test the battery and charging system (said it was charging a little high)and he told me the battery was okay that it's the regulator or a sensor or something. Can anybody help me figure this out here are the pictures from the test.

 

[EricSmit]

None of your pictures posted; of the test or of the engine bay.

 

[obermd]

Define high on the charging system. 15v is normal for charging a 12v battery.

 

[Mo Cruze]

He said it could be this sensor here is a pic and of the battery

 

[Mo Cruze]

Testing pictures

 

[Mo Cruze]

Battery test result: voltage 12.58 volt. Measured 811 CCA. Rated 730 CCA. Temperature 106 degrees Fahrenheit

Charging system test result: no load 15.17 volt 2.9 amp. loaded 14.59volt 1.9 amp. Ripple 44mv

Starter test results: voltage 11.51. Amps 132.2 ttime 2.26 seconds

 

[Robby]

Just because it tested OK has nothing to do with this concern.

Each battery post is (supposed to be) sealed were it exits the case......otherwise, acid and hydrogen gas wick up the post and destroy the cables (and anything else it gets on).

If the battery is actually being overcharged it will outgas from those 2 little vent ports sticking out the side of the case (unless the installer forgot to pull the shipping plugs).

Rob

 

[Mo Cruze]

so are you saying you think it's the battery itself? It's weird cause my last battery that was doing the same thing died went bad and now this new ones doing it too made me think it wasn't the battery but Chevy said it was the battery was leaking and advance Auto hearts said it wasn't the battery. SMH I actually bought it at AutoZone and is under warranty but I didn't want to bring it and say the battery was bad and then it wasn't the battery and they might void my warranty if it was my charging system messing it up.

 

[Robby]

I am saying the battery case seals at the terminal exit points are not sealing as designed. A construction defect.

It sounds like you had a post seal failure in conjunction with a internal battery (electrical) with your previous battery.

Post seal failures are uncommon but I see several a year........you are the lucky one that got two in a row.

The battery is leaking at the posts.....return it for one that doesn't.

Rob


Edit and addition: Last year I replaced the battery on one of my motorcycles......never had terminal corrosion till this replacement.
Yep, leaking at the positive post......vendor replaced it without whining.

Just a fyi.

Rob (again)

 

[Mo Cruze]

Thanks I will bring it back to AutoZone and have them replace it hopefully they don't give me a hard time

 

[NickD]

Battery test result: voltage 12.58 volt. Measured 811 CCA. Rated 730 CCA. Temperature 106 degrees Fahrenheit

Charging system test result: no load 15.17 volt 2.9 amp. loaded 14.59volt 1.9 amp. Ripple 44mv

Starter test results: voltage 11.51. Amps 132.2 ttime 2.26 seconds

At 106*F your no load charging voltage should be no greater than 14.2V, 15.17V is way too high, you are overcharging, sounds like your field transistor is partially shorted.

All I can say as about nine years ago, no longer made in the USA, made in China someplace.

They no longer replace the voltage regulator, just replace the entire alternator.

Looks like you have two problems, the alternator and the battery, like Robby said, should not be leaking at that terminal, does have vents. If you had caps, would learn the electrolyte is low.

China does not have to put up with the EPA, OSHA. ERA. the IRS, high property tax bills, and chipping in with high health insurance cost, so can outbid us buy a penny a unit. Also a 40 hour week with vacation and holiday days off. So another nice factory gathering dust. Consumer pays the price.

 

[Mo Cruze]

Battery test result: voltage 12.58 volt. Measured 811 CCA. Rated 730 CCA. Temperature 106 degrees Fahrenheit

Charging system test result: no load 15.17 volt 2.9 amp. loaded 14.59volt 1.9 amp. Ripple 44mv

Starter test results: voltage 11.51. Amps 132.2 ttime 2.26 seconds

At 106*F your no load charging voltage should be no greater than 14.2V, 15.17V is way too high, you are overcharging, sounds like your field transistor is partially shorted.

All I can say as about nine years ago, no longer made in the USA, made in China someplace.

They no longer replace the voltage regulator, just replace the entire alternator.

Looks like you have two problems, the alternator and the battery, like Robby said, should not be leaking at that terminal, does have vents. If you had caps, would learn the electrolyte is low.

China does not have to put up with the EPA, OSHA. ERA. the IRS, high property tax bills, and chipping in with high health insurance cost, so can outbid us buy a penny a unit. Also a 40 hour week with vacation and holiday days off. So another nice factory gathering dust. Consumer pays the price.

Not good news. So it's definitely my alternator?do I need to replace it? It can't be anything else? Like a sensor or something?

And the battery is also damaged? it should not be leaking even if it's being overcharged?

I don't want to bring the battery back to AutoZone to be replaced if something is wrong with my alternator and it's going to ruin the next battery to? Also if I bring it to be replaced and they say my system is overcharging is that going to void the warranty I just paid $160 for this battery like 3 weeks ago. Advice?

 

[Mo Cruze]

If my alternator was overcharging or something was wrong with it wouldn't a light or code show up on the dash or would there be other signs?

 

[obermd]

At 106*F your no load charging voltage should be no greater than 14.2V, 15.17V is way too high, you are overcharging, sounds like your field transistor is partially shorted.

If this were true then we would never see our in-car voltage meters showing 14.6V. Mine routinely shows 14.6V in the middle of the summer and I have seen 15+ volts on rare occasion. The Cruze has a variable output alternator and it will indeed output 15 volts when called for. My car was assembled in Oct 2011 and it's still on the original battery after 100,000+ miles.

Start by doing as Robby suggested and get the battery replaced under warranty.

 

[Mo Cruze]

At 106*F your no load charging voltage should be no greater than 14.2V, 15.17V is way too high, you are overcharging, sounds like your field transistor is partially shorted.

If this were true then we would never see our in-car voltage meters showing 14.6V. Mine routinely shows 14.6V in the middle of the summer and I have seen 15+ volts on rare occasion. The Cruze has a variable output alternator and it will indeed output 15 volts when called for. My car was assembled in Oct 2011 and it's still on the original battery after 100,000+ miles.

Start by doing as Robby suggested and get the battery replaced under warranty.

OK thank you ober I'll do that

 

[AzSandSlinger]

Go with an Optima Redtop. Requires some foam spacing but I'll probably never go back to Standard Batteries ever again.

Just my .10