Continuing to drive with this battery issue is not recommended because it can harm your car, especially if the acid is leaking on your other parts. ConclusionĪ swollen battery is a problem that you need to take care of quick. Try to make a habit of checking the car battery regularly, especially for current leaks. Starting the car often is another good way to keep it functional in lower temperatures. If you don’t use the car often in winter, the best thing to do is to remove the battery and put in a warmer place. In colder temperatures, avoid as much as you can battery discharge. To avoid battery bulging as much as possible you need to carry out preventive measures such as cleaning the battery terminals, cleaning the gas exhaust system. How to prevent the car battery from swelling? Also the pressure that hydrogen and oxygen cause when they come out is not that high to cause an injury or an explosion.īut even if you manage to recover the battery after cleaning, recharging or defrosting, it will not work as before, so the best solution is replacing with a new battery. After that check the battery to see if it has no cracks where electrolyte might leak.Īfter that check the battery’s voltage, it should be around 12.6 V, if it’s below 12, then the plates are damaged.Ī clogged gas exhaust can be cleaned since the holes are usually clogged from the outside, and you can do this without removing the battery. If at the beginning of recharging the electrolyte boils, then there is a strong symptom that the battery’s plates are damagedĪ high voltage in the battery terminals and battery walls that are not swollen are the signs that the battery may have recovered. Leave the battery there until it completely warms up, and charge the battery with low current, no more than 10% of the battery capacity, for example 6 amperes for a 60 ah battery. For that you will need to take the battery to a room temperature of about 19-22 degrees Celsius or 66-73 degrees Fahrenheit. If the battery body is cracked, or the plates are damaged, then the only solution is to buy a new battery.įor a frozen electrolyte, defrosting and charging the battery can eliminate bulging. Overheating cause the electrolyte in the battery to boil.Īlthough there are some fixes for this problem, they are not recommended.Battery overcharge because of a failing alternator voltage regulator.Battery was charged with too much high current.Another cause could be an active formation of gasses because of high temperatures or a malfunction.īut why does this process of gases inside the battery alter? Here the exhaust system is to blame because it is clogged with dust, dirt or impurities. Thus, a battery swells because these gases are not eliminated. Why do car batteries swell at high temperatures?ĭuring electrolysis, hydrogen and oxygen are released inside the battery. The gas formation intensity depends on the temperature, and for those gases to be eliminated, gas exhaust system is used. Thus, it is important to control both the battery charge and the electrolyte density in winter. Also, because we turn on heating systems and we use the lights more often in the cold season, there is an undercharging. In winter, the decrease in density is natural as the air temperature drops. And if the battery is almost fully discharged, the battery can bulge already between -7☌ to -10☌ or 19.4☏ to 14☏. If the electrolyte’s density drops to the corresponding of 50% of the battery charge, the liquid will freeze at -24☌ or -11.2 ☏. The normal freezing point of the electrolyte is -60☌ or -76 ☏. As it freezes, the liquid increases in volume, bulging the battery sides. Why does a car battery swells at low temperatures?Īs I have mentioned, in the cold season, the battery can swell because of frozen electrolytes. The bad thing is that, if the battery has a warranty, most likely it won’t be replaced without costs because it is considered that the operating conditions have been violated. Most of the time the electrolyte is to blame for a swollen battery, either is frozen or boiled. A bad or failing voltage regulator in the alternator.Short circuit of positive and negative plates.Damage to the battery’s case due to blows or mechanical stress.Condensed or freezing electrolyte that has lost its density.How to prevent the car battery from swelling?.Why do car batteries swell at high temperatures?.Why does a car battery swells at low temperatures?.
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