5 Causes Why Your Car Battery Is Leaking And How To Fix It

Car battery leaking can put you in a dangerous situation and cast you highly. So, you have no chance to avoid battery leaking.

Unfortunately, many vehicle owners avoid this in the first place. But, we should always keep an eye on car batteries.

When you overlook your car battery leaking, it also drains your car battery completely and makes the battery obsolete quickly.

This in-depth guide will tell you the proper reason why your car battery is leaking and how to fix this and whenever needed.

After you read today’s detailed explanation, you are be able to know why your car battery is leaking acid, how to fix a leaking battery, and the symptoms of car battery leaking here.

What Are The Causes of Car Battery Leaking

The most common causes of car battery leaking are expired car battery, too cold weather and overcharged car battery and corrasion around the battery and battery performance lose will be noticeable when your car battery is leaking.

Here are common reasons why the car battery is leaking:

1. Using An Old Car Battery
2. Overcharged The Car Battery
3. Extreme Cold Weather
4. Cracks In The Car Battery
5. Overfull The Battery

1. Using An Old Car Battery

You may know that a car battery life expectancy is typically between four to six years. But, many factors determine how long your car battery will last when it comes to car battery life.

If you are using a car battery for a long time, the battery consumes all of the chemicals into the battery. The battery is getting weak, and the battery can’t provide enough power to the car.

If your car battery is old already enough to change, then you should change the battery. That’s why maintenance of the car is essential. Wherever you maintain the car, you should test or check the car battery.

As an automobile mechanic, I always recommend, You should go for maintenance of the car regularly and properly by a reliable technician.

If your car battery needs to be replaced, the technician will help you to replace that battery.

2. Overcharged The Car Battery

Overcharging a car battery is always bad for the car battery. Overcharging your car battery might be another reason why your car battery is leaking.

As you know when your car’s alternator gets overcharged it produces more charge to the battery, which eventually makes your car overcharged. Whether you are using a new car battery or an old car battery overcharging is not applicable.

Overcharging a car battery brings serious damage to your car. For overcharging a car battery, the battery can burst at any time.

You can charge a car battery without a charger and also with home electricity. But, I recommend you charge a car battery with a compatible battery charger.

For avoiding the overcharge of a car battery using a smart battery charger because smart chargers recognize when your car battery gets full and smart chargers automatically stop providing charge in your car battery.

3. Extreme Cold Weather

Extreme levels of cold weather can make your car battery leaking acid. Whether it’s an extreme level of cold or hot weather, both weather is not suitable for car batteries.

Extreme levels of cold can freeze up the car battery acid and doesn’t allow the battery body to expand. And eventually, which causes batteries to leak.

When your car battery’s body can’t expand as it should, it will pressure the battery cells. So, this issue also damages your car battery cells.

If you want to keep your car battery safe from leaking acid, you can keep your car in a warm garage, or you can remove the car battery and store the battery indoors.

4. Cracks In The Car Battery

Car battery leaking is obvious: if your car battery has cracks. The car battery case used to contain all of the battery’s chemicals into the battery.

So, if your car battery crakes, this is another reason why your car battery is leaking acid or leaking from the bottom.

There could be many reasons why your car battery creaks; some of the common reason include :

• Excessive Shaking: Excessive shaking is a very common reason why your car battery creaks. When you drive a car through very rough roads, the car battery sharks so excessively, and the car battery can creak.
• Extreme temperature: Whether it’s too hot or too cold weather, both are not suitable for your car battery and eventually, the extreme temperature can cause your car battery to creak.

Recommendation: When you drive a car through a rough road, you should drive slowly and smoothly especially, if your car has bad suspension.

I shared earlier that extreme temperature not only makes your car battery creak, it also could be a reason why your car battery is leaking.

5. Overfill The Battery

Fill-up the battery is necessary for any circumstances. If you added too much water before charging the car battery, the electrolyte level would expand, which will damage your car battery and cause the car battery to leak.

Whether it’s a new car battery or an old one, you should check them first then filling the battery.

Most of the time, I see new car batteries come with a full, but if it’s not, you need to fill it up. But, old car batteries need to fill up regularly and maintain them properly.

Whenever you fill up a car battery, there are chances to get it overfull. So, follow the proper duration when you fill up a car battery. If you overfill the battery, tip out the spare.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7_3l7XLNjw&ab_channel=LouisonAutomotiveInc.

The Symptoms of Car Battery Leaking

Now, I’m sharing with you how you can tell if your car battery is leaking. If you notice any of these signs in your car battery, you should check the battery for leaking. These signs are obvious to detect the battery leaking:

Here are some most common symptoms of car battery leaking:

• A Rotten Egg Smell Comes Out Of The Battery
• Corrosion Around The Battery Terminal Cabs
• The Battery’s Casing Looks Bloated, Swollen or Warped
• The Battery Is Sweating or Wet
• The Low Level Of Battery Fluid

A Rotten Egg Smell Comes Out Of The Battery

Yeah, I know this is gross. Whenever you get the smell of rotten eggs around your car battery, you should check the car battery properly.

A good healthy car battery should not produce any kind of bad smell. If your car battery leaks acid, you will get a bad smell from the car battery and not only from the battery, and you also get this rotten egg smell from the car’s exhaust.

So, if you detect this smell from your car, you should get a consultation from a professional.

Corrosion Around The Battery Terminal Cabs

Corrosion around your car battery terminal cabs is the most common and easy to detect sign that your battery is leaking acid.

I highly recommend you stay away from corrosion as acids are leaked from your car battery because leaked acid is harmful to your health.

The Battery’s Casing Looks Bloated, Swollen or Warped

After you open your car’s hood, you see the battery looks weird, not as it should be. Looks like the battery is bloated or warped. Which indicates your car battery is leaking. So, check the battery properly.

The Battery Is Sweating or Wet

An unaffected or damaged battery couldn’t sweat or wet. Sweating or wetting the battery tells your car battery is not ok. And if you notice your car battery sweating, you need to check for a leak of acid.

The Low Level Of Battery Fluid

If you see your car battery fluid level goes down often, this means the battery’s fluids are leaking. And if your battery fluid low eventually, your car battery will leak acid.

Refilling the battery fluid or battery electrolyte fluid is not rocket science. It’s really easy and you can do it by yourself.

How To Fix A Leaking Car Battery

Leaking acid from your car is not good for your car and harmful to your health and the environment. There are many types of leaking and many ingredients leaking from your car.

Some of them include: Car leaking fluid, car battery leaking brown liquid, leaking red fluid or white stuff, etc. All of them indicate your car battery’s weak performance.

If you notice any symptoms of your car battery leaking acid, you should take action right away. If your car battery situation is not that bad, then you can repair or dispose of the car battery by yourself,

If car battery symptoms are pervasive, I recommend checking your car battery by a professional mechanic.

Requirement for fixing a leaking car battery:

• Plastic pail or bin
• Baking Soda
• Sealant 
• Sandpaper
• Epsom salt

Here’s step by step guide how to fix a leaking car battery:

Step 1:

Whatever you do in your car battery, you have to uncap the battery posts.

Step 2:

Bring the plastic pail or bin and transfer the battery electrolyte into that plastic bin.

In this step, you have to be careful when you transfer the battery electrolyte because the battery electrolyte is acidic, which can harm you.

Step 3:

Put baking soda in the plastic bin to neutralize the sulfuric acid.

Step 4:

When you make your car battery casing empty of liquids, now you need to sand the cracked area of your car battery with sandpaper until the creak is level and smooth to touch by your hand

Step 5:

Bring the sealant and spread on the cracked surface, and leave it alone to dry properly.

Step 6:

In this step, you need to recondition the electrolyte. And also, you need to heat (150 F) three cups of distilled water.

Step 7:

Now, you need to dissolve one cup of Epsom salt into the heated water and let the water be cool.

Step 8:

Pour the cool water (dissolved water by Epsom salt) into the electrolyte. And transfer the electrolyte back to the battery.

Step 9:

Make sure you wipe dry any spill on the surface of the car battery because excess water on the surface can bring corrosion and rust to the battery.

Step 10:

Replace the caps on the battery terminal posts and make them tightly secure.

Step 11:

In this final step to fix a leaking car battery, you just need to shake the battery for about 5 minutes and charge the battery for at least 36 hours with a trickle charger

Caution For Fixing A Leaking Car Battery

As a car mechanic, I always said to people that you should maintain proper safety measures whenever you work around a battery.

If you work around a battery, you have to wear rubber gloves and goggles. Make sure you wear a long-sleeve shirt and footwear to prevent any harmful ingredient that comes out from a car battery.

Another thing you should consider when you work around a battery that is a well-ventilated area. Bring some water beside you because if anything spills on your body so that you can wash it off with water.

FAQs – Car Battery Leaking

How to clean up car battery acid?

You can clean up car battery acid using many things. A toothbrush can be used to clean up the battery acid, and a toothbrush is most commonly used to clean up battery acid.

Proper towels or thick cloth also can be effective when you clean up acid. Vinegar and lemon mixture juice you can spill on the car battery to clean up acid by using a cotton swab. Vinegar and lemon mixture will neutralize the acid.

Is it safe to drive with a leaking battery?

Driving with a leaking battery is not safe because the car battery acid is sulfuric acid that is dangerous for your health and the environment.

For an extensive car battery, a leaking acid car won’t start. Leaking acid brings so much corrosion and rust all around your car battery and other components in your car.

So, check your car battery for leaking acid regularly, and if you notice your car battery leaking acid, you should replace the car battery.

Can I still use a leaking battery?

When your car battery is leaking, it is not functional. That means, the battery won’t be able to produce a sufficient amount of energy to your vehicle.

If your car’s leaking battery still provides power for starting it still not safe and a leaking battery can damage your car’s electrical devices and lead devices to repair. So, if your car battery is leaking, you should not use that battery.

Final Thoughts

Car battery leaks are common for car owners. That’s why we seek the solutions and the proper reason why car batteries are leaking.

The most common reason why your car battery leaking is for your car battery is old or you overcharging your car battery. Consistently car battery leaking will make your car battery out of order.

By knowing how to repair a leaking car battery, you will be able to fix you car battery leaking and save lot of money.

But, always remember, you are working with a battery that contains lots of acid and harmful ingredients. So, you better be careful and work properly.