I own a 1998 Honda Civic. My battery is boiling and smelling. Is it a faulty battery, or is the alternator causing the battery to over-charge?
You need to replace the battery to start with. you cannot test the charging system with the battery the way it is or you will get a false reading. Once you replace the battery, you can then test your charging system to see if the alternator is causing the problem. If its charging more than 14.8 -15 volts, its too much and you will need to replace the alternator.
Not always alternator but sometimes the voltage regulator. Depends on your system. If not replaced since 1998 then you definitely need to do put in some replacement parts (if still worthwhile)
It does sound like the alternator is overcharging,a check with a voltmeter at the battery posts will confirm this,normal voltage at the battery with the motor at idle will be around 14.8V,15.5V to 16V at idle will be an overcharge.
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All tips were helpful, so thanks guys. I took the alternator off and the battery out last night and ran them by Advance Auto Parts today. It turns out that my battery still tested fine. When they put the alternator on the tester, it immediately ran a ton of unreadable voltage. The guy working there said "oh yeah, you could say it is overcharging!" That was actually good news because I got to the core of the problem quickly, before I blew up the battery and did unthinkable damage.I appreciate everyone's time taken to submit an answer. Thanks!
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