The last thing you need is for your car battery to leak. If it does, it could contaminate the surrounding area and damage the battery itself. Plus, sulfuric acid that’s leaking from your car battery can cause serious burns if you’re not careful. Don’t worry, though: A leaking car battery isn’t necessarily a death knell for you or your vehicle. It just means that you need to know how to fix a car battery leak before swapping out the existing one with a new one. To help, we’ve put together this short explainer on everything you need to know about fixing a leaking car battery and what to do if yours is damaged beyond repair.
How to tell if your battery’s leaking
There are a number of ways to tell if your battery is leaking. If you see liquid underneath the car, that’s a good indication that your battery is leaking. The liquid will be very acidic and can damage paint or other surfaces if left unattended for long periods of time.
It’s important to check the battery itself for corrosion as well. Corroded terminals are a sign of past leakage and may also cause leaks in the future. If there is corrosion on any part of the battery, it should be replaced immediately before it causes further damage to other parts of your vehicle or electronics inside your car!
It’s also possible for batteries to crack or bulge due to internal pressure caused by overcharging or overuseage—both signs that indicate there might have been some internal damage prior to this point which made it susceptible now when conditions were right again (i.,e., too much heat). Another way this could happen would be through excessive vibration during driving conditions like heavy rain–especially if you live near high elevations where air pressure changes can cause more activity than normal!
A car battery should last about six years
Battery life is affected by the number of times it is charged, so a battery that is used frequently will need to be replaced sooner than one that isn’t. If you frequently drive your car, it may be time to replace your battery if it’s more than 3 years old.
Once you’ve determined that your car battery needs replacing, check out the video below for tips on how to install a new one!
Use care when handling the acid, even if it’s diluted
While the acid in your battery is diluted, it can still cause serious injury if you come into contact with it. To avoid this, wear protective clothing such as a long-sleeved shirt and pants, safety glasses, gloves and shoes. Also make sure to work in an area that is well-ventilated so that fumes don’t build up. If there are any spills on the floor or other surfaces near where you’re working, clean them immediately with household cleaner and water before neutralizing any remaining acid with a battery acid neutralizer product such as Battery Acid Neutralizer or Muriatic Acid Blixxer by Household Chemical Corporation (HCC).
Check for corrosion on the cables and connections
Check for corrosion on the cables and connections. The first thing you’ll want to do is check your battery terminals. If you notice any corrosion, use a wire brush to clean off the terminals, then apply a small amount of grease or petroleum jelly on the terminal posts before connecting them back up (this will help prevent future corrosion). Then take a look at the battery cable ends and see if they’re damaged from repeated removal—if so, replace them immediately with new ones. Finally, examine the length of your battery cables: if they’re frayed or worn out in any way (especially near where they connect with other components), it could be time for an upgrade!
Read also: How To Clean Car Battery Terminals
Check your battery’s terminal ends for damage
- Remove the battery from the car.
- Identify the positive and negative terminals on your battery and clean them thoroughly with a wire brush or sandpaper until they are shiny, bright, and free of corrosion.
- Check your battery cables for damage by pressing a finger gently between each cable clamp around its circumference; if you find any areas that feel soft or spongy, replace those cables as well
Test the battery with a hydrometer or a voltmeter
If you suspect that your battery is leaking, there are two tests that can be performed. The first involves using a hydrometer to measure the specific gravity of the electrolyte in your battery. If this quality is below 1.225, then it will need to be replaced. If not, then there may be an issue with your charging system or starter motor and you should have this looked at by a professional before replacing anything on the car yourself.
The second test uses a voltmeter to measure the voltage between each terminal on either side of your car’s battery terminals (black for negative and red for positive). You should read 12-14 volts if everything is working properly with no issues detected as previously mentioned above regarding electrical systems in general which do not apply here since we already know what happened here!
Check for a loose or corroded ground cable
- Check the ground cable for corrosion. If it is loose or corroded, you will need to clean it and tighten the connections.
- Check that there are no loose connections between the battery terminal and cable.
- Inspect your battery case for any damage that could cause a leak, such as cracks or holes in the cover or around vents on top of your car’s battery compartment. If there is any physical damage, contact an auto repair shop for assistance in fixing this problem before continuing on with this diagnostic guide.
- Check that there are no tears or rips in your battery tray (the metal box where your car’s battery sits).
To save your life and your car, learn how to fix a car battery leak
You can test your battery with a voltmeter. The best time to test the voltage of your battery is first thing in the morning, when it has had plenty of time to rest and recharge. If you have an analog meter, turn off any accessories that might drain power from your car for a few minutes (like headlights or windshield wipers) and read the voltage from one terminal to another; if you have a digital meter, simply touch each terminal with one lead from the voltmeter until you reach 12 volts. If either reading is below 12 volts (or 0V), then it’s time to replace or repair that part of your vehicle’s electrical system!
Conclusion
If you’re not sure how to fix the problem yourself, or if the signs of a leak are too much for you to handle, take your car in for service. Your mechanic will check on the battery and see what needs to be done. You can also have them give it an acid test, if they don’t do it automatically as part of their inspection process. The key is that once you know there’s a leak in your system, get it fixed ASAP!
