Battery Fluid a Bubble'in Mess !!

[kozak]

Battery Fluid a Bubble\'in Mess !!

Hi all. My turn to have problems.

I know this has been discussed on this forum in the past but the search utility function is not working.

I bought a new NH battery from Dealership this winter with no ill side effects. As the temperatures got warmer I first started noticing a small leak at the front of the tractor, but it was so small I did not look into it further. As time went on I started noticing a yellow stain discoloration on the front axle beneath the battery area. Opened up hood & my fears were confirmed. More corrosion evident on bottom pan/plate that battery sits on & also noticed some dried white trails down the sides & front of battery.

Took a voltage reading of battery with tractor off & read 12.6V....took another voltage reading with tractor on & read 14.6V.....From these reading it does not look like the battery & charging system are at fault. Looked at fluid levels within battery to see if overfilled. Fluid level was at bottom tube section of each fill port.

So what is it......just a crappy NH battery ???? Getting some good corrosion going on & I'm bummed !! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Is there a solution I can use to remove the rust or will I have to take bottom plate completely out to clean ??

Thanks for any advice.

Vic

 

[SteveInMD]

Re: Battery Fluid a Bubble\'in Mess !!

At the very least wash everything down with lots of water. Adding some baking soda to the water wouldn't hurt. Then either lower the battery electrolyte so it just covers the plates, or replace the battery with an AGM battery (Optima is one brand). Installing a plastic battery box may be another option.

If you want to be more thorough, remove as many pieces as possible, then clean and repaint them. Or treat them with "rust converter".

It's not just a crappy NH battery. You will find this problem with many brands of tractors and brands of batteries. I think this problem is worse on NH tractors due to mounting location. In my opinion an AGM battery should be installed at the factory. They are much better suited to this application.

 

[MikePA]

Re: Battery Fluid a Bubble\'in Mess !!

I removed the battery, flushed everything with a water and baking soda mixture, rinsed with water, dried, sanded all the rust away, primed and repainted. I then replaced the original battery with one I bought at TSC. Later I replaced that battery with a Odyssey dry cell.

 

[PineRidge]

Re: Battery Fluid a Bubble\'in Mess !!

It's normally a mess by the time you find the battery leaking. Since our repair the area has been acid free. Here's our solution

 

[bayoublue]

Re: Battery Fluid a Bubble\'in Mess !!

I had the same problem. I trashed my old battery and got an AGM battery. To get rid of the rust I used a product called 'OSPHO' it causes a chemical reaction and turns the rust to a white powder, then I cleaned it up, primed it, and sprayed a heavy rubber coating from a can that I bought at Harbor Freight normally used to coat tool handles.

 

[kozak]

Re: Battery Fluid a Bubble\'in Mess !!

Thanks all for your responses. Very helpful. I did clean up most of it last night with water but some of it was very difficult to get at. I think I will try the backing Soda idea to give it a better clean & try to disconnect as much as I can to refurbish metal surfaces. The battery is only 6 months old so would be money thrown out the window. I will try to give the Dealership a call back & see if I can get some kind of a refund back. Good luck right !!

Thanks Again,

Vic

 

[Highbeam]

Re: Battery Fluid a Bubble\'in Mess !!

I had the same problem with my tractor. The battery fluid would exit the battery. Even "sealed" and "maintenance free" batteries that use liquid electrolyte will always be vented. The only way to avoid an acid mess is to put the battery in a plastic battery box like what is available at walmart or switch to an Absorbed Glass Mat battery like the optima. I used the plastic box on my bulldozer since there was no battery hold down gear to deal with and I used a replacement gel battery for my tractor that bolted right up since the hold down gear was very important and wouldn't work with a battery box.

I actually took my 6 month old battery back to the dealer for a refund, well a credit actually. The application is to severe for an acid battery. An AGM battery can be mounted upside down.

Even my truck uses an AGM battery. I just think it is wiser to not use a plastic bucket filled with acid in any application.

 

[have_blue]

Re: Battery Fluid a Bubble\'in Mess !!

Same problem here last year, but died to boot. I got a fair $$ adjustment from NH, but they didn't have a new battery in stock. They gave me cash instead, and cross-referenced a group and type in a standard car battery. I found one at O'Reilly for cheap. It's just a maintenance free car battery is all. The new battery cost ~the same as the adjustment. No more fizz, corrosion, dust balls, or worries!

My thinking is that since tractors jar batteries to death, I may as well get a cheap one. The "good" ones cost 2X or 3X more, but will probably not last 2X longer.

 

[Egon]

Re: Battery Fluid a Bubble\'in Mess !!

Don't forget to check the battery cables.

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[h10doc]

My tc45 did the same thing the first time i ever used it. Made a nasty mess, But nh removed and installed a jell type batt, and no more mess our spill.