Battery-Smells Like Rotten Eggs?

[FordBoss88]

Hello Ram Heads,

Yesterday, I had to jump start my 2002 Grand Caravan (3.8L). The battery has seemed weak since I purchased the van 8 weeks ago. I did notice some moisture leaking from the "positive" rectangular cap. I wiped the area, removed both cables, and gave it a full battery maintenance treatment. The van does start, but now it smells like rotten eggs. Is this odor coming from the battery? If not, where? And if it is coming from the battery, why would t smell like rotten eggs?

Much Thanks,

[jsinton]

Your battery is weak. Sounds like the van sat a lot during the cold, and now it's trying to charge it up. That's why the liquid it leaking. The rotten egg smell is probably the sulfuric acid leaking from the battery. My recommendation is to just replace the battery with a new one because while your battery is weak like that, the rest of the charging system is working overtime trying to charge it. This could lead up to a burned up alternator. You don't know how old that battery is anyway, and they just die after 5 years no matter what you do. You don't want it to die, they always seems to die at the worst time. Go to Walmart and get a replacement battery, they only cost $50 to $60, and they're rated #1 by Consumer Reports. I think Walmart will install it for free, and test your charging system, although I never had this done myself.

[FordBoss88]

I did some research and had the bejesus scared out of me. Basically, I believed that the fumes hissing from the battery could and would explode. I hustled over to my local Dodge Dealership and purchased a new battery (75.00). Before I replaced the battery, I put a voltmeter on the faulty battery and it read about 13.9 volts. I waited for the meter to rise, but thank God, it did not. The battery had a faulty cell. When the alternator kept asking the battery if she was charged, the battery would say no. So the alternator kept trying to charge the battery to the point of boiling. I do not know if this is true, but I was told that the battery could not have exploded if you smell the sulfur. The sulfur odor meant that the battery internal pressure was being relieved. Whatever. Everything seems to be going well now. I appreciate the help as always.

Thank You,

[jsinton]

Interesting story. Probably had you continued to use the old battery, it would have failed soon. You would come out in the morning and it would have been dead. You get a jump, and go to work, but when you get ready to go home, the battery would be dead again. That's what usually happens to me.

[Mrbizness1]

Originally Posted by jsinton

I think Walmart will install it for free, and test your charging system, although I never had this done myself.

I went to Walmart a few weeks ago for a battery. The girl said she would check it with their battery testing tool for free. I had checked the alt. output with a multimeter and it read 14.2.
She had me raise and lower the idle, turn on and off accessorys for a few minutes. When I asked her what reading she was getting she replied, oh I don't know but the tool says REPLACE THE BATTERY. I just laughed and told her to install it.