Smoke or steam from battery.

[Gerbutt]

Hello

 

The other day when starting my tw150(older version so battery's beside fuel tank) it was turning over dead slow and I noticed some steam or smoke coming from the negative terminal on the battery? The battery doesn't have a cover on it and it was raining a tad but it's usually fine like that. Once it'd started once it was fine for the rest of the day. What may have caused this? Also, the plug heater light sometimes works and sometime doesn't, any ideas why?

 

Cheers

 

 

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[scraggs]

Possibly a bit of corrosion in the terminal.

Take it off and clean it up with a bit of sandpaper then put it back together and see if it makes a difference.

But a battery in the rain is not good for it.

Normally smear a bit of Vaseline over the terminal when done to help stop corrosion

Edited November 29, 2014 by scraggs

[Gerbutt]

I'll have a good at that scrags. It is a new ish battery, do the earth cables degrade after a while? I'll have a go at making a cover for it too, I'm sure it's probably meant to have one?

 

 

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[scraggs]

They are normally ok so long as the terminals are clean and tight.

A cover would be a wise move

[spudulike]

The battery contains sulphuric acid, if the annodes heat up, it will boil off the water and if it isn't this, it may be hydrogen which is another by product from sticking leadd in an acid solution.

 

A battery shouldn't smoke have you made sure it is topped up with DI water - don't use tap water:001_rolleyes:

[Gerbutt]

I think it's one of the ones you can't fill up spud so it shouldn't be that? It's a Bosch that was quite dear to get the required Amps and only a couple of months old. Maybe water has got down the plastic cover on the earth cable and corroded it?

 

 

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[scraggs]

if water has got into the battery that could explain if it has terminal corrosion.

[Gerbutt]

I meant under the cover of the cable scraggs, not into the battery.

 

 

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[IVECOKID]

Simple explanation is .....if it was turning over slow and earth cable wet then you will find the cable has got hot with load with it turning over slow and bad earth ..hence steam/smoke of wet cable

 

 

Ste

[BobG]

Check for corrosion between earth strap and chassis. It's well worth buzzing out the circuit with an ohm meter to locate the source of any excess resistance but remember to disconnect the battery first.

 

Using a Multi meter on Your Boat - BoatSafe.com