Battery acid dripping on floor pan

You have 450 Ah rated capacity so 500 is close enough. Definately move it to LA 13.4 volts. Turn off any automatic equalization.

Is that temperature compensated? Charging/floating on a hot day (100+) will have the batteries gassing more.

Looks like fluid might be dripping off that right hand cable. (first pic) I would be tempted to tie that cable up so it does not collect moisture and direct it down on the pan. Or put a plasic pan under it after you clean up the metal.

BTW my batteries are are in a trailer so not necessarily a fair comparison. Although I did wipe them off once. Mine float at 13.3v

I have to say that smkettner's batteries look like new. If that is what everyone's batteries look like then I'm a little embarrassed of the way mine look. Anyway, I have been doing a lot of reading and research on my Xantrex inverter/charger and think I might have found something. The remote RC7 is set to default which is for gell cell batteries and for 500AH float charge of 13.6V at 2.5 hr's. Not that much different than Lead acid at 13.4V but maybe enough to make a difference. I'm still trying to figure out what AH to set it at. My batteries are stamped 225 AH and under that is 125 AH. There are 4 of them Do I take the total, 900AH of the 4 batteries or just the 1 battery to set up the remote at 225AH? Thanks again to all for your help.

Google "water miser" battery caps and switch to them. I had the same problem for years and this solves it!! It's cheap and it works.

Something is wrong as that should never happen with a good charging system and batteries.

And no, switching to AGM's isn't the answer....that's a myopic response.

First on my list to suspect is a bad battery or more and second would be a problem with the Xantrex. Depending on the model and age it might not have temp compensation so it could overcharge if it just has a fixed float voltage. Could even be a wrong setting.

It's also possible that you have a problem with the engine alternator/regulator but that's less likely.

Find another dealer and have these checked out more thoroughly.

Something has happened to cause an overcharge condition. If it's the Xantrex the problem might go away by switching to AGM's but you would destroy them...different problem.

den60 wrote:

... I asked the RV tech I used in Little Rock, Ar about replacing them and he said that the AGM's would not last near as long and I would not be happy with them.
...

I wouldn't ask that person any more questions!

Did that RV tech tell you HOW to make your wet batteries last longer, or what you may have done wrong?

I sure am happy with mine since converting to AGM in Jan 2009. That was the last day I saw battery acid or its effects.

HTH;
John

Combination of old batteries gas more, probably a bit over filled, possibly the float voltage is higher than necessary, may need better ventalation.

How old are the batteries? Have them tested if you remove them. Charge and let sit disconnected 48 hours and see if they hold 12.6+ volts. 6.3v for 6v batteries.

Charge first then fill to 1/8" to 1/4" below the split ring. Anything above the plates is actually fine. Just touching the split ring is the very max and may still push some acid out.

Check and post the charge setting and the inverter model. Also take voltage measurements and post the results.

Ventilation.... seems like a lot of oil/grease/dirt so there must be some air moving.

The white stuff on the terminals is lead sulfate and is water soluble. Use lots of water to rinse away. Then use a spray on cleaner rinse again and use a spray on protectant after reassembling the cables etc.

This is what six year old batteries should look like:


If you can fit the batteries in a plastic tub it may further reduce the risk of damage to the RV.

Thanks 2oldman for your input and about replacing with AGM batteries. I have read on here where quite a few people have done that and are happy with them. I asked the RV tech I used in Little Rock, Ar about replacing them and he said that the AGM's would not last near as long and I would not be happy with them. I guess I should have asked more questions. By the way, I like the picture I posted that you re-sized. It looks a lot better. I will have to do some reading on how to do that.
For now, I will clean the post and cables and get some of those felt washers. Thanks again everyone.

Replace batteries with AGM. Your pics are fine, just too big. Using a height parameter helps with that.

The white stuff is not "white dried battery acid," it is the corroded metal. Battery acid is a liquid at room temperature, and will not dry. It actually will pull moisture from the air, so it gets wetter, instead of drying. That said, it is evidence that corrosion is going on.

Couple things you can do. One is to see if it is coming from somewhere, usually this would be the terminals on the top/side of the battery where the battery cables hook on. Any auto parts store sells battery terminal corrosion inhibitors, little felt pads, usually colored red and green, and the deal is you remove and clean the battery cable clamps from the terminals, slip the felt pad (gotta make sure you get the right one on the right terminal), then reinstall the cable clamp.

You can also remove the corrosion and rust with water and maybe a wire brush, then throw down a coat of some auto primer to help prevent more forming. Couple coats of primer and finish off with a coat of regular paint, and you should be good to go.

They sure look dirty to me. I think I will clean them myself. Thanks gatorcq for the help. Oops, posted the wrong picture. Try this one,