Optima Red top-boiling and smells like Rotten eggs

[calsum2]

I thought I blew a head gasket but when I opened the hood I noticed that the batery was hissing and the smell of rotten eggs was coming from that side of the engine compartment The top of the batery looks a little wavey as if there is a lot of pressure building up.

It only seems to happen when I drive on the highway +100 miles. Come to think of it I remember looking at my amp meter 2/3 rds of the way into the trip and it was reading 30+ which should have told me something was wrong in the first place.

Any ideas on how I identify the cause? when I put my turn signals or lights on it draws under 30+, same if I put on my head lights.

 

[D'Animal]

You have a major grounding problem or your voltage regulator is out of wack.


Have you checked your battery cables for corrossion and the cleaned the surfaces they are mounted to?

 

[Joe Egolf]

2x on D'Animal's diagnosis

 

[joeyg1973]

The smell of rotten eggs is sulfur coming from your battery. I never dealt with one of them but once you get the electrical worked out you should replace the battery especially if the plastic is all warped.

 

[Pighead]

Pighead thinks maybe you let your battery voltage get too low?...maybe the rig had sat for a while? and I hear you're supposed to trickle-charge those Optimas when that happens. But your alt didn't do the trickle-charge bit and tried to charge it up too fast and boiled it.

 

[calsum2]

Thanks guys. Pighead yes my rig sits all winter and on more than one occasion I have had to jump start it due to non use. I rarely do trips more that 100 Miles. Every time I have smelt that sulfer smell and thought I had head gasket issues. Diferance is this time I heard the battery hissing and urecka I realized it was a batery issue.

I assume in everyones opinion this batery is toast. I checked the batery again the top is no longer warped I guess there was alot of pressure released.

I assume everyone is talking about the main ground wire that attaches to the frame. I will check it out. a few years ago I had a similar issue and it caused the hot wire to the starter to burn up. The voltage regulator is about 6 years old for CCOT. I would be suprised if it were shot but it just maybe and issue. So I guess I should start trusting my voltage meter since it did indicate that I was +30.

 

[marks69cruiser]

I have never heard of an optima doing that. I contacted optima about my red top not holding a charge. They were great. They told me to hook up my battery to a regular (non dry cell) battery with jumper cables. Then hook up the automatic charger to that other battery. Optima's require a different type of battery charger. It worked in a pinch. Or your could just go buy a new battery with the correct charger and be done with it!

 

[KillerPea]

I wouldn't worry too much about it. It sounds like a very discharged Optima getting heavily charged. I would put it on a charger at the house and get it healthy again and try not to take off on a roadtrip with a discharged battery. You can get a voltmeter that will plug into your cigarette lighter that will read battery voltage...a far better way to tell if you have a bad regulator or alternator in my opinion.

 

[numby]

Thanks guys. Pighead yes my rig sits all winter and on more than one occasion I have had to jump start it due to non use. I rarely do trips more that 100 Miles. Every time I have smelt that sulfer smell and thought I had head gasket issues. Diferance is this time I heard the battery hissing and urecka I realized it was a batery issue.

For a number of years I drove my vehicle in winter only as I needed the use of a full size pick-up in summer. I simply disconnected the battery (optima) cables for the season and reconnected them again when it was time to put the vehicle in service. 30 seconds of cranking followed by a shot of ether and the vehicle has always started right up. If you're storing in winter put the battery in the basement to prevent freezing. My battery is now 8 years old and will probably go paws up any day.

I've been told that optima batteries leak corrosive gas from the top vents almost continually. The hot rod industry (which favors hi amp one-wire alternators) seems to have a a problem with corrosion around the optima battery location as their vehicles sit unused for long periods and then end up getting charged up too quickly when put back into use.

 

[tlc_4play]

It could also be that you are overcharging the battery - Voltage regulator might be shot and Voltage to battery is too high.

But sounds like the Optima is now toasted.