Electrical woes.....Is this a bad alternator or what?

[Vito117]

Replaced alternator in May with new one , lifetime guarantee, from O'Rileys. Also just replaced battery last week.
Now I was driving home from work and when I got into the driveway I could tell the car just wasn't right. You guys know the feeling.
Anyway I turned off the car, tried to restart and once again DEAD BATTERY time.
So I popped the hood and noticed some leakage out of new battery top. Enough to bubble/ blister some paint near the batttery. What the?

So my questions:
Is this a sign of a bad/defective alternator? Did it "overharge" the battery causing it to meltdown inside thus causing a battery leak?
I checked all of my grounds and wires to and from alternator and everything looks OK.
What about battery cables? Even though they looked Ok visibly ,can they cause weird electrical problems if they are old?

 

[Mr Anonymous]

More likely a bad battery, but when you exchange the one you just got under warranty, first make sure it's completely charged before starting the car, and then take the car for a charging system test to make sure the alt is good.

If your old batty was bad for an extended time, it might have fried the regulator in the alt.

 

[Vito117]

I called the guys at O Rileys and told them about it.
I told them I want a new battery and new alternator since everythings under warranty.
The guy didnt give me any trouble and said just bring the 2 in for an exchange. I'l keep you posted how it goes tommarow.

I guess I just dont trust those kids running the testing equipment at those auto parts stores.
I get the feeling they are total idiots at times.
Where should I get the charging system really tested? An auto electric joint?

 

[rangerj]

Vito117,

A boiled battery is a sure sign of a failed regulator.

For those who are interested, if you should notice the volt meter go to the high side (More than 15 volts), while driving, turn on everything electrical until you get the meter back in range.

Turn on things that draw a lot of electricity, such as the rear window defroster, the blower motor fan, the headlights, etc. rangerj

 

[HopefulSHO]

I wish I had a voltage gauge
Be nice to see how my alternators doing after 155k...

<small>[ July 28, 2003, 10:55 PM: Message edited by: HopefulSHO ]</small>

 

[SHOZ123]

A digital voltmeter is a must have tool for any car. They are cheap and easy to use.

My car currently will show a voltage of a bit over 15V while driving. This is the battery and is one of two things. Either the battery is going bad and the internal resistance is going down because of the plates becoming less porous.

OR

The voltage will also rise as the strength(concentration) of the acid increases. As the electrolyte drops the voltage creeps higher.

I need to go check it but I plan on getting a new Odyssey for winter anyway.

 

[projectSHO89]

Better plan on a new alternator also, yours is overcharging.

15 vdc is too high and will cook your battery.

Judge the battery condition while the engine is not running. A fully charged battery with no surface charge should measure 12.6 V. This value will vary depending on the specific gravity of the electrolyte.

As the plates in a battery age, the internal resistance of the battery increases. This causes (while under load) a diminished capacity for maintaining a rated output voltage at a rated load. While charging, this same increased internal resistance causes less charging current to flow through the battery giving it a weaker charge. It can also cause a weak regulator to allow the output voltage of the alternator to rise, leading to further damage of the battery. The regulator that is integral to our alternators is preset to limit the output voltage. Yours sounds a bit marginal.

Steve

 

[Vito117]

Well....I replaced the alternator and battery. O'Rileys was pretty cool about it. No hassles at all.
Sure enough everything's Ok now. runs like it should.
No goofy ass light show on the dash board now.

Thanks guys.