Battery oozing electrolyte - 2009 SE

[ww812su]

Just noticed electrolyte spill on top of the battery. I guess it has been running for some time as it started to corroded the frame structure underneath.

I washed it off with the the solution of baked soda.

I guess it is not normal for the battery to spill (boil out?) acid.

Is this happening because of hot weather? Or overcharging?

Thanks for any insight.

[SSBN]

I had the same problem with my wife's 08 XLE. They tested the battery, cleaned up and repainted the mounts. They should have replaced the battery in my opinion. See if you can get your dealer to replace it. Why doesn't Toyota use a maintenance free battery?

[Proliphik]

Funny you mention this, i just noticed the same thing on my battery this morning. Last people to touch it was the Toyota Dealer... Would they actually do something about it?

[my.rims.are.stock]

What Dealer? Checkered Flag?

[Proliphik]

Nah, i need to change my location. Just moved to Cali...
Checkered Flag was the best Toyota Dealer ive ever been to
These people over here are sloppy

[ww812su]

But really, what may be the problem that leads to the leak?

[JohnGD]

Excessive heat in the engine compartment or boiling of the electrolyte from overcharging as mentioned are most likely the causes. Most likley the former. You can verify by measuring the charging voltage, should be between 13.5-14.5V.

Take it back to the dealer and have them clean it for you. They should also replace corroded battery cables and fix the body corrosion for free.

Originally Posted by ww812su

Just noticed electrolyte spill on top of the battery. I guess it has been running for some time as it started to corroded the frame structure underneath.

I washed it off with the the solution of baked soda.

I guess it is not normal for the battery to spill (boil out?) acid.

Is this happening because of hot weather? Or overcharging?

Thanks for any insight.

[TOYO-ED]

Also, you wanna spray both terminals with anti-corrosive spray. My Gen4 use to do that a lot; clean it up, and get the spray from your local auto parts store.

[Asteroid]

The batteries have vented caps so if the pressure builds up too much it will spill out the top. It is not leaking, as such. I've never noticed more than a little moisture on top of the caps however, not actually spilling over. I wonder if the battery has been over filled?

[Yazovets]

On my first battery around the terminals I developed some sort of green "salt" build up. When the battery started dying (I had to call the tow truck for a boost once or twice a week) then the green stuff increased even more. The tow truck guy said to clean with water and baking soda but of course I don't want to bother with that dirty job so I had my mechanic put in a new battery. Problem solved. Car starts every time and no green substances. Tow truck man can keep his baking soda hobbies to himself.