Battery overheating!

[Thrawn]

So I was taking a 6 hour trip today, and about an hour from home we started smelling something odd. First we thought it was something on the road, then thought it was something in the fields they were spraying. About 5 mins from home we realized it was the car, and it was getting stronger. Car was not overheating, so I was a little confused. We pulled in the driveway and I popped to hood. No smells nothing seamed odd. Walked around the car and popped the trunk. It was a lot stronger back there. I could also hear a sizzling sound. I raised the floor cover in the trunk and the battery was smoking and sizzling and stunk really bad. I was afraid it was about to burst into flames so I unhooked it and pulled it out of the car. I set it at the end of the driveway away from everything. Now I am not sure if it was the battery that went bad, it is only 2 years old, or something went wrong with the car and it over charged the battery. This is on a 2013 x5 with the 6 cylinder engine. Any ideas where to start looking?


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[80stech]

Check the battery and charging voltage first. Was any work done recently ?

[Thrawn]

Originally Posted by 80stech

Check the battery and charging voltage first. Was any work done recently ?

Nothing recent. Battery was replaced 18 months ago. Nothing else has changed and car has been running fine. No lights or anything on. I can put a code reader on it. Not sure if anything will show up.


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[Thrawn]

Originally Posted by Thrawn

Nothing recent. Battery was replaced 18 months ago. Nothing else has changed and car has been running fine. No lights or anything on. I can put a code reader on it. Not sure if anything will show up.


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Battery voltage is showing 13.09v but it is still hot and stinks. I can try putting another battery in the car and see if I can start it. That way I can check the alternator voltage.


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[80stech]

That's a good idea, if charging voltage checks out then battery might have a shorted cell.

Be careful not to make any sparks near the stinky battery.

[Thrawn]

Originally Posted by Thrawn

Battery voltage is showing 13.09v but it is still hot and stinks. I can try putting another battery in the car and see if I can start it. That way I can check the alternator voltage.


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I got the car started and read the codes. Nothing showed up. Checked the voltage and it is 14.17



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[80stech]

If it leveled off at 14.17 then that is good. Sounds like a shorted battery then. What brand/type of battery for interest sake ?

[Thrawn]

Originally Posted by 80stech

If it leveled off at 14.17 then that is good. Sounds like a shorted battery then. What brand/type of battery for interest sake ?

Well the 14.17 is fine, but if it never stops charging then that could still be the issue.




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[Thrawn]

Originally Posted by Thrawn

Well the 14.17 is fine, but if it never stops charging then that could still be the issue.




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The battery says 4/22 but was purchased 12/22


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[80stech]

I would have thought an AGM battery is pretty short-proof but maybe not. If voltage levels off then that is where charging levels off, it doesn't "keep charging." There could be a problem which hasn't shown up yet and it would have been nice to have a voltage reading on the charging battery before you took it out but if the voltage was over charging then I would expect the at rest voltage on the original battery would have been higher.

I don't think it makes that much difference but was the battery logged in as an AGM when it was replaced?