My battery is expanding..!!! Help?

[TriumphVitesse]

Apologies for sounding dim but the battery on our Rover 45 is starting to expand, i.e. its bulging out at both ends. A friend of mine reckons it will explode at any time and should be changed immediately, someone else says its simply corroding and will probably start to die soon. Now its working fine, starts perfectly and seems to be full of life.


So should I :

a) Change it NOW as its about to EXPLODE
b) Wait for it to become lazy & change it then
C) Go to the pub

Cheers!

[E30M3SE]

Change your battery and check your alternator, as it may well be overcharging the battery which is what has caused the bulging.

Edited by E30M3SE on Monday 6th June 15:29

[jhfozzy]

E30M3SE said:

Change your battery and check your alternator, as it may well be overcharging the battery which is what has caused the bulging.

This, battery acid does your chassis / engine components no good at all.

[rhinochopig]

Something like this will happen if you leave it.

[cheadle hulme]

Get a multimeter over it with the engine running. Anything over 14v and your alternator or regulator is knackered, taking the battery with it.

[jhfozzy]

cheadle hulme said:

Get a multimeter over it with the engine running. Anything over 14v and your alternator or regulator is knackered, taking the battery with it.

Not quite.

At a fast idle (not high rev's) the multimeter should read between 13.5v and 14.5v.

Anything under / over this would suggest an alternator/voltage regulator problem.