mslipac

my two batteries have been getting wet on the top lalely...ive checked the fluids in the cells only one cell was low and I topped it up...

volt meter shows 14volts and truck starts ok

thanks

mishkaya

It could well be condensation. I have seen that when the weather warms up after a bitter cold. The batteries are still cold enough to attract the moisture out of the air.
Just my .02
Mishkaya

Tazman

I found mine tended to "puke" all the time. Always a crusty spill down and around the sides.

Not sure of the exact cause, arressive charging for a battery, not venting properly Dunno.

Fixed it with a set of Optima Red Tops. No liquid, no puke.

John Faughn

How old are the batterys , I am thinking that one of two things the ALT. is over charging or one or more of the batterys has got a bad cell whitch can cause the ALT. to over charge , do or have done a load test on both , if you have a bad cell in one of the batterys make sure you replace them as a pair groups of batterys are like a chain its as good as the weakest link, usally one will go first so use the other as a single in a other car.

Geico266

This is a major cause of corrosion under the batteries. I have seen fenders rusted through, cruise controls ruined, wiring eaten up due to battery acid leaks. What you are seeing is batter acid. Try putting alittle baking soda and water on it and watch it boil as it nuetralizes the acid.

Gel cell batteries don't leak. Your next batteries should be Optimas.

Hemi Cat

The wettness you are describing is the residue from the electrolite bubbeling from being charged. Sometimes the posts loose their seal and leak. When you drain the batt and recharge it, sometimes it will produce larger amounts of gas. The gas is hydrogen gas and is EXPLOSIVE . When there is hydrogen gas and a spark, you get an explosion inside the batt. Back to your question, The wettness has a high acid content and attracts moisture, and collects dirt. If you put a volt meter on the top of the batt and to one post, you will measure current flow, slowly discharging the batt. The acid will get on the posts and connections and corrode the cables. The older the battery the more gas it produces when charging. If a cell goes bad it will produce a lot of gas and get very hot, sometimes boiling out all the electrolite and then a spark goes accross the top of the plates and grenades the batt.
When you see this wettness you should wash it and flood the batt and tray with water to dilute the acid and use compressed air to dry it off, and clean the cables. If you are getting frequent build ups of wettness, the batt is probably just about gone, so replace it before it lets you down or grenades under the hood.
The baking soda trick does neutralize the acid and is good, but be carefull it does not get in the batt cells, it will neutralize that too.

mslipac

yeah the batteries are look to be original with the truck...they still work fine...but ill consider optima's next winter

Geico266

Make sure they have not leaked on to the fender well, or wiring harness, or cruise control servo modual under the battery. Take the driver side battery all the way out to check. You will may be surprised at the damage.

mslipac

good tip!

will do that next service

thanks