Sulphur smell from batter

[mountaingoatz]

When plugging my 350 Diesel Sportsmobile van into shore (house) power to charge the battery, I noticed a sulphur smell coming from the battery area. It got so strong it set off the Co2 alarm in the Sportsmobile.
Does that signal the battery is going bad? It's a Thermal Oil battery?
Thanks,
Mountaingoatz

[BroncoHauler]

It should be a lead acid battery.

The smell is coming from the battery, but is the battery bad or is something in the charging system causing the battery to go bad? As a start, I'd remove the battery (be careful and use latex/nitrile glove, and use eye protection just in case) which will be especially heavy if it's the house/coach battery, and take it to an auto parts store or battery shop and have them test it.


Herb

[mountaingoatz]

Thanks. The battery is about 5 years old, so it probably needs replacing. Any suggestions?

[86Scotty]

Originally Posted by mountaingoatz

Thanks. The battery is about 5 years old, so it probably needs replacing. Any suggestions?

Yep, don't look at the price. You may faint. Just hand them your credit card.

[daveb]

depending on the size, you might want to consider an AGM type battery. I'm not sure how the oil type batteries perform but know they were a thing until the AGM's came out. My guess is the Thermoil batteries work similar to a regular lead acid wet cell type battery like Herb noted. There are several pros to AGM type batteries over the typical wet cell types. Look at the FAQ's or search AGM battery...lots of threads here.
Make sure you prep the area the old battery was sitting. Chances are acid spewed and that should be cleaned up before installing the new one.

[lobo_q3a]

what's the best battery to go with for the house batteries? I have two AGMs now but they don't seem to be holding a charge (floating now at 6 volts). They are 6or 7 years old.

[daveb]

How well you maintain batteries has a lot to do with longevity. I've always thought there are a couple routes to take. Buy a premium brand battery and hope you don't kill it before its normal death or purchase a battery on the cheap and plan to replace it more often. I had Deka at one time and it seemed to do a good job but I've had great results with Lifeline and continued to stick with them.
There are a few smaller sized batteries like those made by Odyssey that can be taken to lower state of charge than the typical 50% other AGM's are limited to. I've never tested out their claim though.
Finding a place that sells blems might be a good plan or find a place that has a good return warranty. Don't know how Costco deals with batteries.

[arctictraveller]

Originally Posted by daveb

Don't know how Costco deals with batteries.

Full replacement during the warranty period, no testing or questions asked. Just bring em in and get a refund.