{"id":173552,"date":"2025-07-04T18:43:08","date_gmt":"2025-07-05T01:43:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/?p=173552"},"modified":"2025-07-04T18:43:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-05T01:43:11","slug":"what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does a Leaking Car Battery Look Like?"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><style>.kadence-column173552_227ee4-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column173552_227ee4-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column173552_227ee4-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column173552_227ee4-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column173552_227ee4-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column173552_227ee4-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column173552_227ee4-65{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column173552_227ee4-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column173552_227ee4-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column173552_227ee4-65 inner-column-1 qk-look-widget\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-row ultp-block-b5dc93  qk-main-wrap\"><div class=\"ultp-row-wrapper\"><div class=\"ultp-row-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-column ultp-block-9aae9b\"><div class=\"ultp-column-wrapper\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading173552_e96324-f7, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading173552_e96324-f7[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading173552_e96324-f7\"]{text-align:center;font-size:20px;font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading173552_e96324-f7 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading173552_e96324-f7[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading173552_e96324-f7\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-family:Inter;font-weight:500;font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading173552_e96324-f7 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading173552_e96324-f7[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading173552_e96324-f7\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"kt-adv-heading173552_e96324-f7 summary-title wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading173552_e96324-f7\"><span>Summary<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When a car battery begins to leak, you&rsquo;ll notice chalky green acid deposits forming around the battery terminals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A bloated, swollen, or warped battery casing means the battery has overheated, and during that process, acid will steam out of the battery.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Overcharging is one &nbsp;common cause of battery faults, but there are many others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"524\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/leaking-car-battery.jpg\" alt=\"leaking car battery\" class=\"wp-image-173572\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/leaking-car-battery.jpg 524w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/leaking-car-battery-300x275.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/leaking-car-battery-150x137.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 524px) 100vw, 524px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A leaking car battery with chalky green acid deposits | Image Source: Richard McCuistian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>When a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/battery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"car battery\">car battery<\/a> begins to leak, you&rsquo;ll notice chalky green acid deposits forming around the battery terminals.<\/strong> <strong>This is acid weeping up out of the battery case up past the place where lead posts pass through the plastic case, but it can also mist out of the battery cell cap vents and dampen the top of the battery with acid moisture.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This causes the same chalky white or green deposits on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/battery-hold-down\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"battery hold-down bracket\">battery hold-down bracket<\/a>, the metal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/battery-tray\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"battery tray\">battery tray<\/a>, and on the terminals as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The battery case can also leak if damaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the charging process, the acid fumes can be forced out of the battery and are drawn onto the cable terminals, nearby wiring connections, and battery tray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This isn&rsquo;t as much of a problem when you&rsquo;re using a trickle charger as it is when you charge with a shop-grade high-current charger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But because the engine compartment is so hot, many batteries will be enclosed in a plastic box to prevent the acid from boiling due to engine compartment heat. If the plastic battery enclosure has been removed when the vehicle came with one, the battery may boil in hot weather while driving even if nothing else is wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"article-search-widget\">\n<div class=\"cp-search\">\n<div align=\"center\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cld.partsimg.com\/image\/upload\/w_auto,dpr_auto\/carparts\/blog\/wordpress_assets\/CP_LOGO_COLOUR_RGB_Blue\" alt=\"CarParts.com\" width=\"300\" height=\"56\">\n<\/div>\n<form id=\"cpsearchform\" name=\"cpsearchform\" action=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/search\" method=\"get\" target=\"_blank\" accept-charset=\"character_set\" aria-label=\"search CarParts.com\">\n    <input type=\"text\" class=\"keyword\" name=\"q\" placeholder=\"Search for parts on CarParts.com\" value=\"\" aria-label=\"Search CarParts.com\"><input type=\"submit\" class=\"btn-search\" value=\"Search\" aria-label=\"Search\">\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Overcharging the Battery<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A bloated, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/swollen-car-battery-causes-and-other-related-faqs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"swollen\">swollen<\/a>, or warped battery casing means the battery has overheated, either from overcharging, high engine compartment temperatures, or issues within the battery itself. There will typically be acid steam due to these factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overcharging is one common cause of battery faults, but there are many others. It can cause the battery to swell, buckle the internal battery plates, and make misty acid deposits, but the alternator won&rsquo;t overcharge the battery unless there is an issue with the voltage regulator or its circuits. When charging the battery, if the voltage goes higher than 15.5 volts, it means the battery is sulfated and needs to be replaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The maximum voltage is lower for AGM batteries, which stands at 14.5 volts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also, overcharging the battery can cause the active plate material to disintegrate and fall out of the supporting grid framework.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>When a car battery begins to leak, you&rsquo;ll notice chalky green acid deposits forming around the battery terminals. This is&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1651,"featured_media":173572,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[52,3744],"tags":[73],"ppma_author":[2607,2985],"class_list":["post-173552","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-diy","category-ignition-system","tag-battery","entry"],"acf":{"adrotate_specific_mobile_ad":"","adrotate_specific_desktop_ad":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What Does a Leaking Car Battery Look Like? - In The Garage with CarParts.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A leaking car battery will often manifest in various symptoms. Find out what they are by reading this article.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Does a Leaking Car Battery Look Like? - In The Garage with CarParts.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A leaking car battery will often manifest in various symptoms. Find out what they are by reading this article.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"In The Garage with CarParts.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-05T01:43:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-05T01:43:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/leaking-car-battery.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"524\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"480\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"CarParts.com Research Team, Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/CarPartscom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"CarParts.com Research Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\\\/\"},\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"$id\":\"1651\",\"name\":\"CarParts.com Research Team\",\"jobTitle\":\"Expert Automotive Writer\",\"description\":\"The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. Guided by CarParts.com&#039;s thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust.\",\"knowsAbout\":\"Auto Repair, Car Maintenance, Auto Parts, Car Reviews\",\"publishingPrinciples\":\"\\\/blog\\\/our-team\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/thecpteam\\\/\",\"sameAs\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/carpartscom, https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/CarPartscom, https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@CarPartscomOfficial\\\/, https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/carpartscom\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"$id\":\"1651\",\"name\":\"Richard McCuistian\",\"jobTitle\":\"ASE Master Automobile Technician\",\"description\":\"Richard McCuistian has worked for nearly 50 years in the automotive field as a professional technician, an instructor, and a freelance automotive writer for Motor Age, ACtion magazine, Power Stroke Registry, and others. Richard is ASE certified for more than 30 years in 10 categories, including L1 Advanced Engine Performance and Light Vehicle Diesel.\",\"knowsAbout\":\"Auto Repair, Car Maintenance, Auto Parts, Car Reviews\",\"publishingPrinciples\":\"\\\/blog\\\/our-team\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/richardmccuistian\\\/\",\"sameAs\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/richard-mccuistian-2681891b\\\/, https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/McCuistian\"}],\"headline\":\"What Does a Leaking Car Battery Look Like?\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-05T01:43:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-05T01:43:11+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":424,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/leaking-car-battery.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"battery\"],\"articleSection\":[\"DIY\",\"Ignition System\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\\\/\",\"name\":\"What Does a Leaking Car Battery Look Like? - In The Garage with CarParts.com\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/leaking-car-battery.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-05T01:43:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-05T01:43:11+00:00\",\"description\":\"A leaking car battery will often manifest in various symptoms. Find out what they are by reading this article.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/leaking-car-battery.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/leaking-car-battery.jpg\",\"width\":524,\"height\":480,\"caption\":\"leaking car battery\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"In The Garage with CarParts.com\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"CarParts.com\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/cp-itg-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/cp-itg-logo.png\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":398,\"caption\":\"CarParts.com\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/carpartscom\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/carpartscom\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/carpartscom\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@CarPartscomOfficial\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9f8a8b00e1b9f62f86295617b525e1f0\",\"name\":\"CarParts.com Research Team\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/thecpteam.jpg485c93be26f8b27acc17cbe4a2313397\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/thecpteam.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/thecpteam.jpg\",\"caption\":\"CarParts.com Research Team\"},\"description\":\"The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. Guided by CarParts.com's thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/thecpteam\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/carpartscom\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/carpartscom\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/CarPartscom\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@CarPartscomOfficial\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/thecpteam\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What Does a Leaking Car Battery Look Like? - In The Garage with CarParts.com","description":"A leaking car battery will often manifest in various symptoms. Find out what they are by reading this article.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What Does a Leaking Car Battery Look Like? - In The Garage with CarParts.com","og_description":"A leaking car battery will often manifest in various symptoms. Find out what they are by reading this article.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\/","og_site_name":"In The Garage with CarParts.com","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom","article_published_time":"2025-07-05T01:43:08+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-07-05T01:43:11+00:00","og_image":[{"width":524,"height":480,"url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/leaking-car-battery.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"CarParts.com Research Team, Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/CarPartscom","twitter_site":"@carpartscom","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"CarParts.com Research Team","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\/"},"author":[{"@type":"Person","$id":"1651","name":"CarParts.com Research Team","jobTitle":"Expert Automotive Writer","description":"The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. Guided by CarParts.com&#039;s thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust.","knowsAbout":"Auto Repair, Car Maintenance, Auto Parts, Car Reviews","publishingPrinciples":"\/blog\/our-team\/","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/thecpteam\/","sameAs":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom, https:\/\/twitter.com\/CarPartscom, https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@CarPartscomOfficial\/, https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/carpartscom\/"},{"@type":"Person","$id":"1651","name":"Richard McCuistian","jobTitle":"ASE Master Automobile Technician","description":"Richard McCuistian has worked for nearly 50 years in the automotive field as a professional technician, an instructor, and a freelance automotive writer for Motor Age, ACtion magazine, Power Stroke Registry, and others. Richard is ASE certified for more than 30 years in 10 categories, including L1 Advanced Engine Performance and Light Vehicle Diesel.","knowsAbout":"Auto Repair, Car Maintenance, Auto Parts, Car Reviews","publishingPrinciples":"\/blog\/our-team\/","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/richardmccuistian\/","sameAs":"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/richard-mccuistian-2681891b\/, https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/McCuistian"}],"headline":"What Does a Leaking Car Battery Look Like?","datePublished":"2025-07-05T01:43:08+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-05T01:43:11+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\/"},"wordCount":424,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/leaking-car-battery.jpg","keywords":["battery"],"articleSection":["DIY","Ignition System"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\/","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\/","name":"What Does a Leaking Car Battery Look Like? - In The Garage with CarParts.com","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/leaking-car-battery.jpg","datePublished":"2025-07-05T01:43:08+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-05T01:43:11+00:00","description":"A leaking car battery will often manifest in various symptoms. Find out what they are by reading this article.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-leaking-car-battery-look-like\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/leaking-car-battery.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/leaking-car-battery.jpg","width":524,"height":480,"caption":"leaking car battery"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/","name":"In The Garage with CarParts.com","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"CarParts.com","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cp-itg-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cp-itg-logo.png","width":2048,"height":398,"caption":"CarParts.com"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom","https:\/\/x.com\/carpartscom","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/carpartscom","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@CarPartscomOfficial\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9f8a8b00e1b9f62f86295617b525e1f0","name":"CarParts.com Research Team","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/thecpteam.jpg485c93be26f8b27acc17cbe4a2313397","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/thecpteam.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/thecpteam.jpg","caption":"CarParts.com Research Team"},"description":"The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. Guided by CarParts.com's thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/thecpteam\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/carpartscom\/","https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/CarPartscom","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@CarPartscomOfficial\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/thecpteam\/"}]}},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/leaking-car-battery-524x400.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/leaking-car-battery.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"CarParts.com Research Team","author_link":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/thecpteam\/"},"authors":[{"term_id":2607,"user_id":1651,"is_guest":0,"slug":"thecpteam","display_name":"CarParts.com Research Team","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/thecpteam.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/thecpteam.jpg"},"author_category":"","user_url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/thecpteam\/","last_name":"","first_name":"CarParts.com Research Team","job_title":"","description":"The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. Guided by CarParts.com's thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust."},{"term_id":2985,"user_id":1646,"is_guest":0,"slug":"richardmccuistian","display_name":"Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/richard-mccuistian.png","url2x":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/richard-mccuistian.png"},"author_category":"","user_url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/richardmccuistian\/","last_name":"McCuistian","first_name":"Richard","job_title":"ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician","description":"<div class=\"auth-social-links\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/richard-mccuistian-2681891b\/\" class=\"btn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"linkedin\" aria-labelledby=\"linkedin\">LinkedIn<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/McCuistian\" class=\"btn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"instagram\" aria-labelledby=\"instagram\">Youtube<\/a><\/div>\r\n\r\nRichard McCuistian grew up in Alabama learning from his father who ran an automotive repair shop. Richard has worked for nearly 50 years in the automotive field as a professional technician, an instructor, a freelance automotive writer for Motor Age, ACtion magazine, Power Stroke Registry, and others (published every year since May 2000). He has developed training courses and written or edited training material for companies in the U.S. Canada, and the Netherlands, and even Bulgaria. He maintained an \u201cask a mechanic\u201d website for 10 years answering questions emailed to him from all over the world.\r\n\r\nRichard has an instructional automotive YouTube channel \u201cMcCuistian\u201d with 13,500 subscribers and over 1,300 videos. Much of his professional work requires photography and videography in shop environments, but Richard also enjoys taking pictures of landscapes, skyscapes, old barns and houses, small towns. He has produced a coffee table book of digital watercolors called \u201cMemories of South Alabama\u201d created from his personal photos, along with a dozen Christian fiction short original novels and a collection of short stories, all available in Kindle or softcover format. Richard has written a 2,500-word Bible study every week for the past 20 years and uses it to teach a small group at his church every Sunday morning.\r\n\r\n<strong>Credentials:<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"author-list\">\r\n<li><p>ASE Certified for more than 30 years in 10 categories, including L1 Advanced Engine Performance and Light Vehicle Diesel.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Professional Mechanic\/Technician for 25 years with experience on diesel and gasoline engines, vehicles and equipment (including hydraulics).<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Spent 5 years in fleet maintenance, 20 years in independent shops and dealerships (VW, Mazda, Renault, Jeep, Ford, Lincoln), specializing in driveability and electronics for the last 14 years of his career at the same dealership.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Senior Contributing Editor at Motor Age Magazine, first published in Motor Age in May of 2000 and every year since. He has won two International Automotive Media Awards for technical articles published in trade magazines.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Has attended hundreds of hours of automotive training from OEMs including GM, Volkswagen, Mazda, Renault, Jeep, Chrysler, as well as additional training at events like KC Vision and MACS (Mobile Air Climate Systems Association).<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Taught college level auto mechanics for 19 years.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Has written for automotive training companies (including course development work for training companies in Canada and the Netherlands) and has been hired to teach professional trade show technician courses at multiple training events in Texas and Alabama.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>While still teaching at the college level, Richard launched a new automotive program in Geneva, Alabama, setting up a dual enrollment department in a new building, organizing the shop and classroom, teaching morning classes to high school students for 2 years while still teaching at the college in the afternoon.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Richard\u2019s college program at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College worked at professional shop speed during his tenure to prepare graduates for production level work in the real world.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/173552","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=173552"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/173552\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/173572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=173552"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=173552"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=173552"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=173552"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}