Battery smoking hot

[Panos]

Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by gathermewool
What you SHOULD do, on a go-forward basis, is spend the $15 (or less) to get a multimeter. You can even buy a cheap lighter-socket plug-in that will display voltage. Why in the world would you guess that the alternator might not be up to snuff when you can spend seconds checking it???


I don't need any tool to tell me the alternator isn't charging. Most cars sold in the last 80 years have a gauge or battery light on the dash that illuminates when there is a charging problem.


Two years ago I was in a vehicle of a friend of mine on a trip for a weekend.After driving for 2 hours and stoping to idle rpms engine died and we had no electric power to start the engine.
The Battery was completely drained and it proved to be a faulty alternator that did not charge properly.
The light on the dash did not came up (not even flickering).
A multimeter is like a swiss knife , useful in many everyday situations and quite cheap,gives clues in seconds.Don't be negative on the matter.

 

[vw7674]

No mention of this 2011 battery having wet cells & access to each cell.
You can measure each cell for function/volts by attaching a voltmeter on DC from - post & dipping the + probe in the electrolyte of each cell chamber.
The one no where near 2.2 volts is a flat one. Find that, recycle that battery.
And wash the probe off too. Acid eats stuff.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by gathermewool
What you SHOULD do, on a go-forward basis, is spend the $15 (or less) to get a multimeter. You can even buy a cheap lighter-socket plug-in that will display voltage. Why in the world would you guess that the alternator might not be up to snuff when you can spend seconds checking it???


I don't need any tool to tell me the alternator isn't charging. Most cars sold in the last 80 years have a gauge or battery light on the dash that illuminates when there is a charging problem.



Hmmm, I don't recall you mentioning anything about a gage or the battery light being illuminated................

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by gathermewool
What you SHOULD do, on a go-forward basis, is spend the $15 (or less) to get a multimeter. You can even buy a cheap lighter-socket plug-in that will display voltage. Why in the world would you guess that the alternator might not be up to snuff when you can spend seconds checking it???


I don't need any tool to tell me the alternator isn't charging. Most cars sold in the last 80 years have a gauge or battery light on the dash that illuminates when there is a charging problem.


I got a ford contour real cheap where the fuse for the dash had blown, which prevented power from getting to the alt idiot light, which prevented the field circuit from working, so it didn't charge.

I got a camry real cheap where the 100 amp main fuse blew, knocking out all non-essential electrics, including both the alternator, and it's light.

It can and does happen.

 

[atikovi]

Originally Posted by gathermewool
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by gathermewool
What you SHOULD do, on a go-forward basis, is spend the $15 (or less) to get a multimeter. You can even buy a cheap lighter-socket plug-in that will display voltage. Why in the world would you guess that the alternator might not be up to snuff when you can spend seconds checking it???


I don't need any tool to tell me the alternator isn't charging. Most cars sold in the last 80 years have a gauge or battery light on the dash that illuminates when there is a charging problem.



Hmmm, I don't recall you mentioning anything about a gage or the battery light being illuminated................


I didn't.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by gathermewool
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by gathermewool
What you SHOULD do, on a go-forward basis, is spend the $15 (or less) to get a multimeter. You can even buy a cheap lighter-socket plug-in that will display voltage. Why in the world would you guess that the alternator might not be up to snuff when you can spend seconds checking it???


I don't need any tool to tell me the alternator isn't charging. Most cars sold in the last 80 years have a gauge or battery light on the dash that illuminates when there is a charging problem.



Hmmm, I don't recall you mentioning anything about a gage or the battery light being illuminated................


I didn't.


Then what in the heck was your point? You responded as if you hooking up the battery pack was for some obvious reason...with the battery in parallel.

 

[Lubener]

Originally Posted by atikovi
Just bought this car with probably the original battery from 2011. It was dead so I connected a jump box to it and left it on for the 30 mile drive home. After getting home I see vapor coming out of the vents and the case is too hot to even touch. Why did it get so hot?

Shorted cell? Had the same thing happen years ago.

 

[meep]

battery has a shorted cell. ditch it quickly.

 

[kb27]

A battery with a shorted cell, will be super hot with an alternator charging.

The next thing to happen is that it can explode, if you try to crank the engine.