Car battery leak? Help Mechanics!?

Question

I have a small leak down the inside right fender and it appears to be a leak from the battery,about two or three tablespoons has leaked on the garage floor two nights in a row, I have not overfilled the water in the battery, do batteries develop cracks or leaks and/or may be defective, it is one year old. What would cause this, yep, I am a woman, so ANY advice is much appreciated.

Answer 1

not likely a battery leaking ... but its not hard to drive to any auto shop and say would you check my battery...... or open the hood and look at it.... best you just ask a shop to look at it  

Answer 2

You're not gonna help it, it's done for.  Go get another one.

Answer 3

What's being a woman got to do with it? Your battery may have a cracked case, or it could be getting overcharged and is venting it's contents. A Sears or Autozone can check it out for you if you don't have a regular mechanic. If you want two opinions, that's fine as well. The battery may be covered by a warranty. If you can tell who makes it, and you have the paperwork, you are all set. Get the same battery and you may save some money. If there's no warranty, you can get any high quality battery.  

Answer 4

sometimes they develop leaks around the terminals! nothing really you can do but replace the battery!

Answer 5

have your charging system checked out as the alternator could be charging too much and boiling water out of the battery.

Answer 6

make a bucket of water with a box of baking soda mixed in it and rinse dowm anywhere the battery leaked on. After you go out and get a new battery.

Answer 7

Don't be hard on yourself for being female!  There are lots of guys that don't even know what the battery is! Also some don't even know how to open the hood (really!)

Now I do not know of anybody that markets car batterys with a 1 year or less warrany!  So the best thing would be to take it to whoever sells this brand and have them look at it, - possibly it does need replaced, -- and if so,- then you will pay a "pro-rated" fee, based on length of time already in use!  This should cost  you considerably less than a new battery!

You have not been "topping battery up" regularly have you? normally I don't mess with batterys (if you still have one that is even serviceble)-- I just make sure that the liquid is a little bit above the plates in battery, -- it does not have to be to the "split ring" as the placard on battery says!  And you use ONLY distilled water!   If too much water kept in battery, when charging it may push a little bit out, - and each time topped up, -it gets a little weaker (due to loss of acid overboard), and therefore "boils more (or puts out bubbles of hydrogen)- making it push extra out more easily and in greater quantity!

The soda water is a very good cleanup mix, - but do not pour on battery if it is leaking much--, as- if it gets inside battery, it neutralizes acid to some degree, - then you have a "weak cell" and car no longer starts! When done with battery problem, get about a gallon of tap water and put about 3 tablespoons of bakng soda in it, shake up good and irrigate everything in area of battey and battery tray, then rinse off with a lot of clean water, this will remove acid from everywhere, and prevent it from "eating metal things up"!t Do not touch cloths after touchiing battery or anything in areqa, - and wash asap,,- as acid soluton if strong enough can burn your skin fairly quickly! Not a big problem though a long as you are careful!

Now as last resort, - if you can't get satisfaction with battery people, and you can wipe battery down and find source of leak, you may be able to patch it so it no longer leaks!  There are a number of eopxies and sealers that might work!   Just be aware that you need to find leak,put battery in plastic tub or something (keeps acid off tables and things better),and block bottom on one side (so it tips) if nescessary to get acid below leak, after which you can get very clean (and wipe with damp paper towel with water only,-- a few times to make sure nothing is still "bleeding" around leak)!  That epoxy stuff Billy Mayes advertises on TV will work probably JB weld too (if very clean, and you scuff up area with sandpaper so it has something to stick too)!, -- even RTV silicone sealer will probably work ok, -- but if on a corner where it is getting rubbed, also put a thin layer of rubber or plastic in with sealer for strength and abrasion resistance!