66 Dart 225 Slant Six has a smoking battery problem

nicobeenicobee Member Posts: 6
edited March 2014 in Dodge
I got into my car a few days ago and my battery was totally dead. It would not start at all. I had noticed that the last few weeks my lights have been going dim as well.

I pulled the alternator and had it tested. It tested bad. I put in the new alternator, pulled the battery out of my car and put it on a 10amp charge overnight and put it in my car this morning. Started her up and the she wouldn't catch (that's nothing new, she never starts on the first try). Started it again and nothing happened and then my positive battery post began to smoke.

I pulled the battery out asap and am now at a loss as to what is the problem. I suspect the voltage regulator but that thing was just replaced about a year ago. The wires look fine as well. The battery was not hooked up backwards and the battery is also the type that doesn't get refilled so what in the world could be going on?
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Comments

  • texasestexases Member Posts: 10,968
    How old was the battery? Since it's sealed, no way to test the cells, but sounds like something's wrong with it.
  • nicobeenicobee Member Posts: 6
    No idea. I got it with the car (two years ago) and they never marked the date on the battery. I'm just wondering though if it being a bad battery would cause it to smoke. I am hesitant to put in another battery not knowing what the problem is.
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 10,968
    Besides the battery, it could be a bad alternator (even though new) - have it checked at a different parts store. But it's hard to imagine either the alternator or the regulator making the battery smoke...
  • nicobeenicobee Member Posts: 6
    The alternator was tested before I bought it....I've gotten bad parts right out of the box so it's always good to check.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Sure once a battery, especially an old one, goes completely and utterly dead, it can easily be damaged internally by a re-charge. The plates inside can warp and short out.

    Another possibility is that your starter motor is dragging and drawing HUGE amperage. A dragging starter can demand 400 amps! That'll smoke a battery for sure.

    So I'd say battery or starter, not alternator or regulator.
  • nicobeenicobee Member Posts: 6
    Perhaps. The starter was replaced about a month ago though....
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Replacement means nothing in diagnosis. That's how you get tripped up, assuming that a replaced part is good. You have to test everything in a proper diagnosis. A starter draw test isn't that hard to do if you have the right type of amp gauge (shunt type, NOT little voltmeter!!!).

    Autozone could test your battery for a short using a load tester.

    Remember, an old battery being completely and utterly drained is a death sentence for that battery.
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 10,968
    And 2 years known plus who knows how long before is an old battery. As for the starter, the great thing with the slant 6 is being able to pull it in 5 minutes, have Autozone test it, and put it right back in (speaking from experience).
  • 0patience0patience Member Posts: 1,712
    I misread the post the first time.

    If the terminal smoked, check to make sure that it didn't damage the battery posts.

    Also, check all connections. Check to make sure all positive and negative connections are good. That will make sure that part of the system is good.
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