How to repair a hole in a battery
Administrator
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 87,478
Likes: 4,223
From: Clayton MI
First of all, I don't recommend doing anything besides replacing the battery.
Glass and most plastics are acid-resistant. Metal and your entire body is not.
Plus, acid is fast and does it's damage deliberately and potentially permanently, and is not easy to neutralize. You are probably safer and would end up with fewer injuries if you decided to play rugby with hornets while naked, although it will feel about the same.
Batteries can and do explode, and a leak anywhere except the very highest point in the battery is basically the recipe to make yourself a nice bomb, with acid-soaked lead as the payload. All you have to do to arm it is to charge it, which is pretty much what having it hooked up to your truck at all involves, and the detonator requires a spark, which is built in. This post probably is being read by Homeland Security this very second. Oh well.
Unlike most people, I have seen a battery explode while in a vehicle with the hood up and someone working in the engine bay. I was a kid at the time, but some things leave an impression.
I sure as hell hope you wear glasses when you're within a hundred yards of that truck and it's leaky battery.
You could try putty epoxy. But I wouldn't, because I can't drive when I'm blinded by acid, so it seems kind of pointless to try to me.
If you can't afford a used or some kind of battery, park the truck until you can. You say it "works great". Works great as what?
Glass and most plastics are acid-resistant. Metal and your entire body is not.
Plus, acid is fast and does it's damage deliberately and potentially permanently, and is not easy to neutralize. You are probably safer and would end up with fewer injuries if you decided to play rugby with hornets while naked, although it will feel about the same.
Batteries can and do explode, and a leak anywhere except the very highest point in the battery is basically the recipe to make yourself a nice bomb, with acid-soaked lead as the payload. All you have to do to arm it is to charge it, which is pretty much what having it hooked up to your truck at all involves, and the detonator requires a spark, which is built in. This post probably is being read by Homeland Security this very second. Oh well.
Unlike most people, I have seen a battery explode while in a vehicle with the hood up and someone working in the engine bay. I was a kid at the time, but some things leave an impression.
I sure as hell hope you wear glasses when you're within a hundred yards of that truck and it's leaky battery.
You could try putty epoxy. But I wouldn't, because I can't drive when I'm blinded by acid, so it seems kind of pointless to try to me.
If you can't afford a used or some kind of battery, park the truck until you can. You say it "works great". Works great as what?
I wholeheartedly concur though. Exploding batteries are not any fun, at all.
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Captain
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 679
Likes: 0
Well I bought it the fourth of July so I was hoping I could avoid shelling another $100 for a battery. I meant working great as in full charge and each cell bubbles when I charge it. And I've seen what acid does, everything under the battery tray is corroded 
I guess I'll try to get it replaced under warranty and if not just replace it.
I guess I'll try to get it replaced under warranty and if not just replace it.
Personally I wouldnt try a repair myself. I spent almost 20 yrs in the business of vulcanizing all types of rubbers and plastics together. Yeah the plastic is unaffected by the acid but when you "melt" the plastic there will always be some imperfection at the seam. True vulcanizing uses a combination of brand new uncured material and a combination of heat, pressure and time to "cook" the material together. Even this process is not a perfect weld in most situations; theres always a weak spot. The pressure built up inside a battery is nothing to screw around with. About 12 years ago I was on a job and the 35 ton crane that we were using wouldnt start. I was running the crane and the "mechanic" from the quarry was on the ground trying to get me rolling. Went to crank it with booster cables hooked up and one of the batts blew up...guy got F-ed up pretty good and always had that on my conscience being the one that turned the key. Just my 2 cents worth...and yeah it was a freaking long 2 cents worth wasnt it?
Legend
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 8,663
Likes: 8
From: Central Oklahoma
Well I bought it the fourth of July so I was hoping I could avoid shelling another $100 for a battery. I meant working great as in full charge and each cell bubbles when I charge it. And I've seen what acid does, everything under the battery tray is corroded I guess I'll try to get it replaced under warranty and if not just replace it.
I guess I'll try to get it replaced under warranty and if not just replace it.
Champion
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,015
Likes: 8
From: Western NY,
I'm not suggesting the OP do either as its his call... but just to clarify the vague assumptions I'll make some educated assumptions without the bias of the fear of the unknown...
The way I understand it the battery has vents in the top to prevent any type of pressure from becoming an issue unless its completely sealed... I've also seen people get burned from battery acid... and it was caused by the person who was improperly trying top off a battery while charging it... it takes other issues to cause a battery to explode and it would leak acid everywhere from the vents with or without a repair on the side of the battery...
you would know whether the repair is strong and holding up well after the repair is done and again after charging the battery...... If you were that worried about the long run in the vehicle you could just buy one of those $20.00 marine battery cases..which would contain any possible acid spills in any case... plus you could further protect your battery from the elements...
All that said If it were me it would totally depend on how big of a hole were talking about and were on the battery it is.... if it were towards the bottom I would likely just replace it out of convenience and piece of mind...I too would worry about the unknown variables such as the plastic repair being affected by the cold freezing temps and such..