Negative battery cable smoking?

[CManT1914]

I was trying to start the car earlier (difficult to do since the battery is weak) and I saw smoke coming out from under the hood. I popped it and saw the negative battery terminal was smoking and was extremely hot to the touch. I did get it started after a minute, and the smoking stopped. Any ideas why it was doing that? Is the battery shot? Bad ground somewhere? The battery is real weak from sitting for a while and doing compression tests and stuff. Maybe it just needs to be replaced?

 

[DerekStangGT]

I was trying to start the car earlier (difficult to do since the battery is weak) and I saw smoke coming out from under the hood. I popped it and saw the negative battery terminal was smoking and was extremely hot to the touch. I did get it started after a minute, and the smoking stopped. Any ideas why it was doing that? Is the battery shot? Bad ground somewhere? The battery is real weak from sitting for a while and doing compression tests and stuff. Maybe it just needs to be replaced?

please dont tell me you never replaced that battery after all the trouble youve had with it. you better replace that thing ASAP. dont try to charge that one either, i would be scared it would pop on you

 

[CManT1914]

please dont tell me you never replaced that battery after all the trouble youve had with it. you better replace that thing ASAP. dont try to charge that one either, i would be scared it would pop on you

What's up Derek?! I haven't seen you in a while.

I had replaced it a few months before my heads/cam swap. The thing is, it sat for a while after my heads/cam swap while I was hunting down issues with the motor. Then I was doing compressions tests (cranking it over for 5 or 6 seconds per cylinder with the coil disconnected) so that drained it a lot. Now that I think about it, I think the battery is shot. The same thing happened to one of the batteries in my dad's truck while Mike and I were at the coast. They both went dead, and one was smoking and bubbling over since it was shot. Hopefully it's just that.

 

[DerekStangGT]

What's up Derek?! I haven't seen you in a while.

I had replaced it a few months before my heads/cam swap. The thing is, it sat for a while after my heads/cam swap while I was hunting down issues with the motor. Then I was doing compressions tests (cranking it over for 5 or 6 seconds per cylinder with the coil disconnected) so that drained it a lot. Now that I think about it, I think the battery is shot. The same thing happened to one of the batteries in my dad's truck while Mike and I were at the coast. They both went dead, and one was smoking and bubbling over since it was shot. Hopefully it's just that.

when it sat all that time, did you have any stero stuff hooked up? if so, thats what could have shot the battery. if mine sits more than a week or so, i have to jump it. maybe when you did all the comp tests you didnt let it run beforehand so the alt could charge the batt again just throwing around ideas. if the battery is only a couple months old, it shouldnt be bad already. did you get a warranty?

 

[HISSIN50]

Chris, is there any chance you might have forgotten to attach a motor ground or any other grounds (during the head swap, etc)?

I might check that over real quick, check/replace the battery cables and at least bench charge the battery (being careful of the possibility of explosions, etc).

Good luck bud.

 

[CManT1914]

Derek, I did have all my stereo stuff hooked up, although I never ran any of it. I think the constant on/off while working on the car and the constant removal and installation of the battery terminals might have jacked it up.

JT, I have all my engine grounds hooked up good, unless one came loose. The only one I even took off with the heads/cam swap was the one in front of the oil pressure sending unit. I'll check that one out. But it just started today, so it would be strange to not have a groudn hooked up this whole time, and all of the sudden it start doing it's thing.

 

[94-302-vert]

I bet that due to the lwoer voltage of the battery it was drawing more amps to get the same amount of power to turn over the motor.

I vote check connections and change the battery. If it is that new is is proably fully covered by a free replacemnt warranty anyway...

 

[Crash Gordon]

check your alternator. If that little plastic isolation piece on the alt brakes off, or if the cable is touching any part of this it will cause this exact reaction.

 

[95CobraMike]

I vote check connections and change the battery.

a very wise man.... sounds like a loose ground connection on your battery... loose connection= smaller touching surface area to draw lots of amps through= very very hot and possibly smoking

 

[mo_dingo]

yeah, this is a loose/bad connection issue, nothing else could cause it.

Unless it was the water in the battery is boiling, then your battery has a nice thick layer of sulfur on the bottom and is shorted out. But I doubt this is the case, from the way you descrived it.
Scott

 

[CManT1914]

Looks like the terminal wasn't on the post good enough. It was not pushed down all the way, and was not tightened. I got it on there better and it hasn't given me problems since. Now I just gotta get a new cap for my EGR bung.

 

[95CobraMike]