# Cooked leisure battery help!



## adonisito (Nov 6, 2009)

Just be out to try to find what the funny sulphur smell is in the van, suspecting the water tank. But no, some careful listening and the leisure battery emits a bubbling sort of noise and is warm to the touch, there is also a little bubbling coming out of the drainage thing on the top. Obviously I have taken it off hook up (its been on for 21 days) and switched everything off. But what next, is it knackered, dangerous even ? The reading I get seems OK at 12.8v.

Thanks


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

Sounds to me that your battery is shot, 12.8v after 21 days charge isn't "alright" at all. And that "bubbling coming out of the drainage thing on the top" should be vented to the outside of the van, the fumes are dangerous and explosive, they should never be allowed to be discharged into a confined space of any sort.

VERY IMPORTANT: Ventilate the van imediately, take your battery off and get it tested as a matter of urgency before you have a fire situation on your hands.


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## adonisito (Nov 6, 2009)

Going out with the spanners now!


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

adonisito said:


> Going out with the spanners now!


I hope they're brass spanners. 8O

Seriously, several times during my working life I've worked for insurance companies investigating accidents on battery powered vehicles and the most dangerous situation is usually when a "fuming" battery is disconnected from its charger in a confined space. Even the professionals get it wrong on a regular basis, a minute spark can cause a serious explosion. Eye damage is the most common outcome.


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## adonisito (Nov 6, 2009)

Right, its in n the drive. Next course of action ? Its booked into a dealer for maintenance on Saturday.Curiously ,the other one appears to be fine, they are both rated at 110A. This is the newer of the 2 at 3 years old, made by Powermax.


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

adonisito said:


> Right, its in n the drive. Next course of action ?


Phew, you had me worried for a moment.

It sounds as if you've got a shorted cell or similar. Leave the battery off and it'll stop fuming. Take it in to the dealer when you get the van serviced. If your other battery is OK, just connect that one to keep the habitation supplied - but keep an eye on it as there's always the chance that the charger is faulty. Your dealer should be able to diagnose the cause.

Oh - and make sure the vents are connected properly when you get it back.


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Like many of us, I breathed a sigh of relief when you said that it was in the drive, then thought has he actually taken the battery out. Please say you did not, the slightest spark would have ignited the fumes from the battery.This seems like a classic case of only replacing one of the two leisure batteries at the time. your best bet now is to replace both batteries.it will save you money in the long run.

cabby

If you do replace with batts that need venting make sure the vent tube does lead to the outside downwards.


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## adonisito (Nov 6, 2009)

Yes, the battery is on the drive in sub zero temperatures. I did leave the doors of the van open for a short period before I removed it. It was installed by a large dealer down here, but I am a little concerned with the lack of a ventilator as it was underneath the bench seat in a battery box. Thank god I go out there daily to check things. If I hadn't, the worst could have happened I think.

What worries me most is that this only happened very recently, the van/battery has been fine hooked up until the cold snap.


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## tony50 (Oct 16, 2007)

Always wear goggles when working on or near Batteries , I was in the motortrade and was working on a Landrover once and a I knocked a spanner on to the terminals of the battery one spark , one explosion , ( it must have been gassing ) one (me) nearly lost his eysightas (in those days blew out screw in battery tops ) today it would have Blew up the Battery . Another time one of my Technians was using a hand held grinder and sparks went across a Forklift Battery and the Battery weighing about a half a ton blew the top out ( it was nearly the time to change my underwear ) it was an enormous bang , and cost me about £2000 that really hurt .
Tony A.


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## DJP (May 9, 2005)

Can you check if the other one has acid in it or is a sealed one? The reason I ask is that the fault could be the charger not switching off at peak power detection and is continuing to charge the batteries and they will eventually boil dry. If the other is sealed, be very careful. ask the dealer to check out the charger just to be sure.


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## Fatalhud (Mar 3, 2006)

I usually keep a spanner with the shaft & opposite end protected with insulating tape handy, for working on batteries :wink: :wink: 

Alan H


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