Battery Leak... what's causing it?

[Excelsior]

Okay, here's the deal: I've got a 2010 Tacoma DC with the TRD S/C.

My Battery seems to be venting. I've attached a picture in case you need it.

This truck has 4800 miles on it, so I doubt it's old age.

As far as electronics go, I'm running a Warn M8000, and two Hella 4000 lights.

I asked one of my more car-knowledgeable friends about it, and he thought it might be a problem with the charging system overcharging the battery.Any thoughts?

I was going to replace it with a yellow-top soon anyway, but if that one's going to go bad too, it seems like a bit of a waste.

 

[Antichrist]

Overcharging is a common cause of battery boiling.
For a new battery, I'd seriously consider one of the Sears Platinum models. Made by Odyssey and a much better battery.

 

[burnoil]

x2 on the Sears Platinum. Great juice box.

 

[Excelsior]

Any ideas on why my 3-month-old truck would be overcharging the battery?

 

[burnoil]

Unless the battery is defective and no issues with stock or added wiring, I can't see why it would do that. The alternator could even be the culprit. Have you come close to deep cycling the battery? I know sometimes an alternator can overcharge a battery that has been severely drained.

On edit: The voltage regulator (built in to most if not all alternators) could be screwy, too.

 

[CA-RJ]

At the very least, take it to your dealership and have them warranty a new one for you so you have a new battery on your shelf for a backup.

 

[code4beer]

At the very least, take it to your dealership and have them warranty a new one for you so you have a new battery on your shelf for a backup.

x2 - assuming you bought it from the dealer, take it back and have them check it under warranty.

 

[Excelsior]

Okay, I'll take it to the dealership tomorrow and have them check it out.

I was hoping to avoid them if possible: The dealer in Santa Fe is a bit too popular, when I took my truck in to get the S/C done, I had to wait in line behind 15 other cars, at 6:00AM.

 

[corax]

Make an mid-morning appointment if you can and drop it off to avoid the morning rush.

Do you use your winch often? A massive / quick discharge can also cause a battery to get hot. Are all you battery connections adequate size and clean?