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I think I overcharged my battery. Help!

bwfdrums

bwfdrums

NAXJA Forum User
NAXJA Member
Location
ohio
I set my dead jeep battery on the charger for probably about 7 or 8 hours or so. When I remembered I rushed to go shut it off. it was a making a bubbling noise and it looked like it may of been leaking a little bit around he terminals.

Is it safe to use?
 
That there is hydrogen escaping. Sweet!
Check water level. Measure voltage, add a load and re-measure. If you are at 12-13. Roll with it.
 
Pfffft!

Like was mentioned, check the standing voltage, check the electrolyte level, finish charging the battery.
 
Bimmerjeeper is that you?

Pop the covers, add water iff neccesary

Check voltage, load test, then check voltage again, report back
 
Remember to charge in an area with good ventilation.
had a tractor batt blow up 2-3' from my face once in the field, not fun
wear safety glasses and if possible a long sleeve shirt
 
I don't trust myself to open a battery. I'll just use this putty knife and do it my garage floor.
 
e5u2u5a4.jpg


Currently seeking medical attention.
 
bwfdrums said:
I set my dead jeep battery on the charger for probably about 7 or 8 hours or so. When I remembered I rushed to go shut it off. it was a making a bubbling noise and it looked like it may of been leaking a little bit around he terminals. Is it safe to use?
Click to expand...

What size battery charger where you using?
Lead-acid batteries bubble when taking a heavy charge, releasing explosive hydrogen gas...that' normal.
If you were using a typical home-type charger (6-10-amps), you should not have damaged anything, as long as the water level never dropped below the plates...run it.
You will find out real quickly if you screwed it up.
 
Lead-acid batteries bubble when taking a heavy charge,
Click to expand...

They only bubble when the battery is fully charged, or nearly fully charged, or if the charger voltage is too high, if the battery is not defective.

The bubbling is electrolysis of water, splitting it into O2 and H2 gasses and requires an overvoltage to happen.

If the charger is a smart charger, with a float control setting it should not over charge (over voltage) and bubble. Cheap rapid chargers can over charge and damage the battery if not watched closely. Usually when they start bubbling they are fully charged.

I had a bad one boil and gas like crazy during a recharge, that never recharged, it was defective internally. It sat unused for too long. It started out acting like it was charged (very low current), but later started charging at max current and nearly boiled the thing in just an hour.
 
Mine is a 10 amp, automatic, and normally it drops off the current to a trickle when the battery is charged (which the charger senses as a higher charging voltage), but it will bubble a little at that point.

The bad battery was hot, very hot, bubbling and still pulling 10 amps when I checked it after about 2-3 hours. The charger voltage never got high enough to shut off, in spite of the charger being automatic!!!! But that battery was only pulling 1-2 amps at first. So I turned on the head lights to clean the plates (no doubt they were sulfated from storage), for 3-4 minutes, then charged it again and it started drawing about 3-4 amps. An hour later it was pulling 8-10 amps, and after another 1-2 hours later the battery had failed, likely was shorted out internally I think.
 
bwfdrums said:
I set my dead jeep battery on the charger for probably about 7 or 8 hours or so. When I remembered I rushed to go shut it off. it was a making a bubbling noise and it looked like it may of been leaking a little bit around he terminals.

Is it safe to use?
Click to expand...

Why was your Jeep battery dead?

How old is the battery?
 
There is some kind of crazy parasitic draw that happens over night. I can't find the source. I really have no idea how old the battery is. It has been at least 3 years. It is duralast gold.
 
Sounds like you need a jeep parasite detector, otherwise know as a multi meter, LOL. Just look for a hot power draw wire by wire.
 
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