Battery acid spew...

normde2001 · Oct 14, 2004

Just get a "redtop". One size fits all.

Twanger · Oct 14, 2004

Just talked with dealer and with the 4310 and Deere has known about the problem and new tractors should be coming with sealed batteries. They are looking into my problem. Baking soda and water is all the answers for now I have recieved.

LeRoi · Oct 15, 2004

Not directed at anyone in particular, but just a little information from high school chemistry. When you neutralize battery acid with baking soda and water, the resulting compound is NaCl (sodium chloride) or salt. Make sure you wash the battery compartment with soap and water to remove the salt.
HTH
Leroy

Steve_Miller · Oct 17, 2004

I got digging into the leaky battery a little deeper and discovered that the acid level I think is too high. The dealer had the acid right to the top thus when the battery tries to relieve any pressure it pushs acid out as the cap vents are submerged in the acid. I removed enough acid to leave about one inch over the plates and now there is about an inch between the acid level and the vent tube on the battery cap. Will report if this is a solution to the leaky battery.

Steve

TMcD_in_MI · Oct 17, 2004

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( When you neutralize battery acid with baking soda and water, the resulting compound is NaCl (sodium chloride) or salt. )</font>

Sorry for the nit-picking comment here, but battery acid and baking soda make three products: water, carbon dioxide, and sodium sulfate. No sodium chloride is made, although it's still great advice to rinse everything off really well.

LeRoi · Oct 17, 2004

Well, in my defense, I only heard it once when I was awake in high school chemistry (a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away), but I have noticed that the battery box will still continue to rust if you don't wash and rinse after you use baking soda and water to neutralize acid.

Steve_Miller · Oct 19, 2004

Follow-up, used tractor for about two hours with and without backhoe, plenty of bouncing around and no acid leaked out of the vents so far.

Steve

rockyridgefarm · Oct 20, 2004

So, before you lowered the fluid level, you were able to detect leakage?

slowrev · Oct 20, 2004

"discovered that the acid level I think is too high"

I just bought a new riding lawnmower battery a few weeks ago and had to fill it, seemed to take 2 steps to get it right, Had to wait quite a while for the bubbles to get out and for the acid to saturate the plates before I could get the level right. And yes they will overflow when charging if the electrolyte level is too high. Maybe the acid spew is not a design problem but a common dealer setup problem. This would explain why some owners have the problem and some do not. Just a thought based on my experience with filling batteries. Makes me feel better about the tractor engineers.

Ben