Battery seeping around fill plugs.

I always disconnect the negative cable from the battery when parking the jeep overnight or while in storage, so I get lots of opportunities to see this...

The top of the battery is damp around the fill plugs. After shutting off the engine and when disconnecting the negative cable, I can hear the gas escaping from the cells. If I gently crack the caps, they hiss noticeably. I expect this is hydrogen and is powerful enough to bring down large dirigibles..

So, 6V generator system. Standard VR-4 6volt regulator, pos or negative. It's been this way a long time. 6.64 volts at the battery when disconnected. 7.6 volts at the battery after starting, but revved up a little I get 8.2 volts. Am I overcharging/overheating and out gassing the battery?

Battery is a Megatorque 45 and is several years old.

I tried to read and comprehend the regulator adjustment in the SM but it was a little deep for me...

Is there a simple way to adjust regulator output?

Thanks,

Randy

 

As far as altering the regulator output, I would say if it ain't broke don't fix it. It shouldn't have changed by itself.

Voltage readings seem fairly reasonable as is, if they aren't going higher at RPMs. Some gassing is normal, but modern-style batteries hide it better. One test is if the battery is more than slightly warm, then it's getting too much charge.

A simple old-fashioned hydrometer will tell you if the battery is getting tired or has a weak cell... that might be the problem, if there is one. "Several years" is old for these.

 

Had this problem with mine also.. Turned out it was over filled.
Took out excess and problem solved...

 

Thanks Pete.

The battery does not get warm to the touch...and it seeps even when being charged with a plug-in charger. It is probably just getting old, as it wasn't the best quality to start with.

Is there any real advantage to going with an 8 volt battery? I suppose then I would have to tweak the regulator..

I'll check the fluid levels......good idea....

 

No advantage upping to 8 volt battery. 8 volt battery will require adjusting the regulator and it will overwork the generator. The generator will have to charge over 10V to keep the 8V battery up. It is more likely you have a weak cell in the battery or you are over-filling the battery. The regulated 8.2 volts is a normal reading. Have a load test done on the battery at your local FLAPS.

 

In 1963 I got my first Jeep, a 1947 CJ-2A. We were both 16 years old. Starting became a problem and my Dad had an 8 volt tractor battery put in. Had the regulator set up then. The light bulbs started burning out right away. We got a resistor put in for the lights. It still had really bright headlights. By the time I got home from three years in the Army the starting problems had returned. I sold the Jeep and purchased a new Plymouth Sport Satellite. In hind sight I should have kept both the Jeep and the car. There are a multitude of problems that can cause electrical problems. More volts is not always the answer.

 

A friend rebuilds old VW's..I initially asked about finding 6v accessory type light bulbs, like the ones in the speedometer for internal lighting, and the whole 6v verses 8v conversation started. I think with the some VW's since the battery is so far from the engine/starter the 8v can help. The battery-to-starter wiring in the jeep can hardly be more direct..

Since I replaced all the battery/starter cables and cleaned the contacts starting has not been an issue. There were plenty of times when on the ranch the old jeep would be down to one or two more labored cranks before it would kick over and go...I just thought that since a new battery is not far in the future I'd get an 8v if there was any advantage, but a good Interstate or Optima 6v ought to do just fine........

 

I don't know much about 6 volt systems or generators. Having said that, I would start by measuring the voltage at the battery terminals with the motor off, then measure voltage again with it running. Then maybe rev up the motor and see what the voltage does.

I guess what I'm getting at is that it's easy to measure voltage so why not do so before deciding the voltage regulator needs to be adjusted.

I you don't have a volt meter you can buy them for very cheap.

 

See post # 1....