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Passenger (aux) Battery Keeps Boiling

krys2130

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krys2130 New Member

krys2130

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I have a 2004 Chevy Silverado 6.6 Diesel 2500 HD. When I bought the truck I put new batteries in it and after a few months the passenger side battery started boiling, I checked the alternator output and it was reading 14.7 so I changed the battery thinking maybe it had a bad cell. A few months later same thing, so I put in a new alternator and batteries. Then a while later once again same thing passenger side battery leaking, and starter not engaging sometimes so I put in a new starter and battery. My question is what is causing my passenger side battery to boil over? is there a isolator switch on there that I should be looking at or some type of relay or diode? I am stuck here...I just can't seem to find the problem and hoping to get an answer soon.

 

Thanks, any suggestions would be appreciated

Super 8 Enthusiast

Super 8

Posted
Posted
I have a 2004 Chevy Silverado 6.6 Diesel 2500 HD. When I bought the truck I put new batteries in it and after a few months the passenger side battery started boiling, I checked the alternator output and it was reading 14.7 so I changed the battery thinking maybe it had a bad cell. A few months later same thing, so I put in a new alternator and batteries. Then a while later once again same thing passenger side battery leaking, and starter not engaging sometimes so I put in a new starter and battery. My question is what is causing my passenger side battery to boil over? is there a isolator switch on there that I should be looking at or some type of relay or diode? I am stuck here...I just can't seem to find the problem and hoping to get an answer soon.

 

Thanks, any suggestions would be appreciated

Just curious, what brand/brands of batteries are you replacing with?

krys2130 New Member

krys2130

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I have a 2004 Chevy Silverado 6.6 Diesel 2500 HD. When I bought the truck I put new batteries in it and after a few months the passenger side battery started boiling, I checked the alternator output and it was reading 14.7 so I changed the battery thinking maybe it had a bad cell. A few months later same thing, so I put in a new alternator and batteries. Then a while later once again same thing passenger side battery leaking, and starter not engaging sometimes so I put in a new starter and battery. My question is what is causing my passenger side battery to boil over? is there a isolator switch on there that I should be looking at or some type of relay or diode? I am stuck here...I just can't seem to find the problem and hoping to get an answer soon.

 

Thanks, any suggestions would be appreciated

Just curious, what brand/brands of batteries are you replacing with?

 

 

 

I am replacing with Exide batteries

Super 8 Enthusiast

Super 8

Posted
Posted
I have a 2004 Chevy Silverado 6.6 Diesel 2500 HD. When I bought the truck I put new batteries in it and after a few months the passenger side battery started boiling, I checked the alternator output and it was reading 14.7 so I changed the battery thinking maybe it had a bad cell. A few months later same thing, so I put in a new alternator and batteries. Then a while later once again same thing passenger side battery leaking, and starter not engaging sometimes so I put in a new starter and battery. My question is what is causing my passenger side battery to boil over? is there a isolator switch on there that I should be looking at or some type of relay or diode? I am stuck here...I just can't seem to find the problem and hoping to get an answer soon.

 

Thanks, any suggestions would be appreciated

Just curious, what brand/brands of batteries are you replacing with?

 

 

 

I am replacing with Exide batteries

 

For what it's worth, I copied this from another site for you.

 

I teach automotive electrical system training and have just recently assisted in developing a bid spec for batteries to be used in our fleet of vehicles. So I have a little bit of experience in this area. One of the most important factors that is often over looked is the construction of the plates.

 

Lead-acid batteries have plates that are constructed from lead. Pure lead is not strong enough to withstand the vibration that an automotive battery is exposed to. Because of this lead must be combined with another material to make it stronger. Battery manufacturers for years have combined lead with antimony to give the plates strength. Antimony is the ingredient that causes lead acid batteries to gas.

 

Years ago Delco pioneered the use of batteries that had no antimony. The plates were reinforced with calcium. This virtually eliminated gassing. Because gassing was eliminated there was no water loss from charging. This eliminated the need to have filler caps to replace lost water. The maintenance free battery was born. Today most automobiles come with sealed maintenance free batteries as standard equipment.

 

Lead-calcium batteries are more resistant to charge than lead-antimony batteries. Because of this the charging system must charge at a higher voltage to keep them fully charged. The voltage levels that are used for lead-calcium batteries will overcharge a standard lead-antimony battery. If a standard maintenance type battery is installed in your truck you can expect to have excessive gassing and acid spewing.

 

The major drawback to maintenance free lead-calcium construction is that they are not very resistant to deep cycling. If you run your battery to a low state of charge, there is a good chance that it will cause damage to the battery and it’s life will be shortened.

 

I always recommend replacing a sealed maintenance free batteries with the same type to prevent overcharging. Recently, in speaking with a representative from Exide, he told me that their batteries were lead-calcium construction. They still have caps to fill them so I’m not completely convinced that this they won’t be a problem. But we have some in service that we are testing in GM vehicles to see if we experience excessive gassing.

 

In my personal vehicles (GM products), I always replace them with the original equipment Delco batteries and have had very good luck them. I seem to get very good life from them. Also, I don’t have problems with rust and corrosion because there is no acid present in the engine compartment.

Kodiak450 Senior Enthusiast

Kodiak450

Posted
Posted

I got 6 years out of my original battery, and I plow snow in the winter so battery gets worked! Also have a powerful sound system in my truck as well. I replaced it with OEM battery which cost more, but if I can get 6 years life span out of it and work it hard, then imo it is a great choice of battery. Normally I would get 4-5 yrs tops with my other trucks using different batteries over the years. I recommend the OEM battery.

Diesail Enthusiast

Diesail

Posted
Posted

There has been a lot of discussion on this topic on one of the diesel forums. First in the Diesel there is no relay or isolator. The batteries are wired in parallel and get the same charge currents and load when starting. There are a few possible explanations;

 

1) IMO the most like explanation is the passenger side battery is in general area of the turbo and at the firewall where there is little or no air flow causing that battery to be much hotter than the forward mounted battery. A hot battery is a common cause of it boiling over.

 

2) There has been some talk of one of the bolts being too long in the side post connectors causing it to bottom out and damage the case. Check the length of these bots and also your bad battery for damage.

 

3) It has been suggested that water drips on the battery from hood, while a maintenance free battery does not require adding water it is not sealed and water infiltration could cause the battery to be overfilled and thus boiling over during the charge cycle. The caps should pop off even if it is a maintenance free battery, take a look. If the cause of the boiling over is heat or a damaged case the level is going to be at or below the plates. If is water getting it the battery will be over filled.

 

Unfortunately the only solution seems to be to switch to an AGM battery which is completely sealed. Optima of course is the brand every talks about the most but I am not there biggest fan. I do like the sears Diehard Platinum or if you want to get real serious Odyssey makes the best battery out there IMO.

cfeiring Enthusiast

cfeiring

Posted
Posted

I read this somewhere, I am on a few truck boards so do not want to take credit, cause they are not my thoughts.

 

Try and make sure the grounds are all making good contacts and the Positive leads as well make firm contact.

 

Some times the wires at the post connectors break/fail/come loose and any one of these and or a combination will cause this problem.

 

A member on one of the sites I am a member had the similar problem that you are having they found the solution by checking all the above and if I remember it was the post connections had a problem on one of the batteries and the one that has the failure is the one that is not getting boiled over, but that part I'm not sure is correct as to which battery is the one with the failure.

 

I hope that helps before you throw money on batteries and continue to have the same problem, find the problem then get new batteries, that way the new ones will last vs getting damaged.

Super 8 Enthusiast

Super 8

Posted
Posted
Since GM got in trouble their batteries are now made by this company.

http://www.johnsoncontrols.com/publish/us/en.html

GM's batteries have been made by Johnson Controls for many many years. In fact Johnson also makes Optima that everybody is so fond of as well as Duralast, Diehard, Walmart, Honda and many more

 

Dealer told me it was recent, I guess he was wrong. I see Johnson aquired Dephi global battery business 3/22/05

http://www.aftermarketnews.com/Item/32967/...y_business.aspx

 

Here is a list of all battery manufactuers

http://www.jgdarden.com/batteryfaq/batbrand.htm

jro909 Senior Enthusiast

jro909

Posted
Posted

i'm on my 6th year on my oem factory battery and still works awsome, had no problems cranking the motor when it was -27 last winter

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