Melted positive battery post

P

preferred

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Jul 21, 2004
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14520
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Hi my batteries are in series, new battery was installed 4 weeks ago. Plugged into shore power for 5 days while we went back home. we arrived back to the boat and the engines wouldn’t start I checked the batteries and the positive post on the new battery melted in to the casing.
I have read in some post that a battery can have a dead cell or a short in the battery?.
any thoughts ?
 
Yes a shorted or dead cell is possible but that wouldn’t met a terminal. Usually terminals will melt if the terminal is loose as the loose connection will heat up the terminal. And since you said the battery was replaced recently, a loose connection would be possible.

How many batteries do you have, and how many banks. You said your batteries are in series yet “a battery” was replaced. Replacing one battery in a bank is never a good idea unless the bank is almost new. Also, do you only have one battery bank for both engines? Not a good setup as you just found out.
 
PascalG said:
Yes a shorted or dead cell is possible but that wouldn’t met a terminal. Usually terminals will melt if the terminal is loose as the loose connection will heat up the terminal. And since you said the battery was replaced recently, a loose connection would be possible.

How many batteries do you have, and how many banks. You said your batteries are in series yet “a battery” was replaced. Replacing one battery in a bank is never a good idea unless the bank is almost new. Also, do you only have one battery bank for both engines? Not a good setup as you just found out.
Click to expand...
I have 4 batteries in series, the battery was replaced 4 weeks ago. Before we launched the boat in the spring, I checked the batteries and one had leaked into the battery box. We have had the same house, start battery system for 14 years with no issues. The batteries are on two battery switches on the wall, with breakers , so you can shut off one or the other. 5 years ago I replaced one bad battery with a new one, didn’t change all batteries?
can a short in one of the cables cause the problem?
some battery web sites have mentioned melted positive batter post if the battery is compromised with a dead cell or short.
question is what is the real answer?.
 
You are WAY OVERDUE for some new batteries.

george
 
preferred said:
I have 4 batteries in series, the battery was replaced 4 weeks ago. Before we launched the boat in the spring, I checked the batteries and one had leaked into the battery box. We have had the same house, start battery system for 14 years with no issues. The batteries are on two battery switches on the wall, with breakers , so you can shut off one or the other. 5 years ago I replaced one bad battery with a new one, didn’t change all batteries?
can a short in one of the cables cause the problem?
some battery web sites have mentioned melted positive batter post if the battery is compromised with a dead cell or short.
question is what is the real answer?.
Click to expand...
PascalG pretty much nails the real answer. You had excessive resistance which equals heat. Bad cable, corrosion, loose connection, etc. I would not be surprised to find your battery cables have corrosion deep inside them, especially if they are original. It might even be a short inside the battery. maybe the terminal was damaged turning the cable attachment by excessive twisting. Hard to say,
 
preferred said:
I have 4 batteries in series, the battery was replaced 4 weeks ago. Before we launched the boat in the spring, I checked the batteries and one had leaked into the battery box. We have had the same house, start battery system for 14 years with no issues. The batteries are on two battery switches on the wall, with breakers , so you can shut off one or the other. 5 years ago I replaced one bad battery with a new one, didn’t change all batteries?
can a short in one of the cables cause the problem?
some battery web sites have mentioned melted positive batter post if the battery is compromised with a dead cell or short.
question is what is the real answer?.
Click to expand...
The real answer is that your description is confusing.

You say you have 4 batteries in series… either you are using 6 vokt batteries in series to make a 24 volt bank or your four 12 v batteries are in PARALLEL not series. Or you have 2 pairs in series then connected in parallel

Hard to help without proper description…

If you replaced 1 battery 5 years ago, and not the others it’s a miracle it worked that long.
 
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