smell like battery acid

[Brett Dikeman]

At 1:12 PM -0500 1/30/01, Mathieu Tetrault wrote:
>I got a 1986 audi coupe gt.
>
>when i stop the car after a good ride it smell like battery acid.
>
>i think its the voltage regulator who charge to much my battery but on the
>voltmeter it apear ok 13volt
>
>can something else can smell like boiling battery acid?

Well, look for signs the battery has boiled over before you spend 
time looking all over the place for engine problems; it's easy to 
check.  Phil P and I had a conversation about troubleshooting; it's a 
careful balance between ease of checking, and likeliness.

Checking the battery is incredibly easy and would take all of a 
minute.  Checking the engine isn't and wouldn't.  Is it more likely 
to be the engine?  Possibly.

It'll be very obvious; there will be acid residue all over the place. 
Don't touch any residue; if there is some, dissolve some baking soda 
in a large pitcher of warm water and use it to zap the acid(be 
careful of course; glasses would be a good idea.)  This little 
procedure won't work very well on a car with the battery inside the 
car because the water would not have anywhere to drain.

Another possibility is that the acid smell is burning hydraulic 
fluid.  It has a nasty smell that's very much unlike motor oil.  Look 
on your garage floor for leaks, inspect the engine compartment around 
hydraulic hoses and components(rack, pump, reservoir.)


Brett
-- 
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Brett Dikeman				Systems Engineer
ProAct Technologies Corporation		914-872-8043
(formerly CFN[formerly iClick, Inc])		914-872-8100(fax)
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