n8cas4 Posted June 6, 2014 Posted June 6, 2014 Bought an Exide stowaway deep cycle marine battery Yesterday at tractor supply and put it on my backseat in my truck. It tipped on its side and leaked some liquid onto my cloth seats. The seats are pretty saturated in 2 small areas. The model number of the battery is 27MDCST. What is that liquid??? How should I get it out of my cloth and foam seat? And is my battery ruined? Pretty dumb move on my part - I know. Quote
RAMBLER Posted June 6, 2014 Posted June 6, 2014 Maybe battery acid. If so, it will eat the seat. Quote
Super User deaknh03 Posted June 6, 2014 Super User Posted June 6, 2014 Hopefully water, could be acid though. Quote
FrankW Posted June 6, 2014 Posted June 6, 2014 That is a lead acid battery and very slim chance that you got just water out of the battery. More than likely it is diluted acid and will eat your seat cover. You can check it by rubbing your finger on the spot and then lightly touch your finger to your tongue. If it is acid you will taste it. Don't lick your finger, just touch the tip of your tongue. You are dealing with a poison. I would saturate the spots with water and baking soda and rinse many times. Don't know if the battery is ruined. How you restore it depends on how much acid leaked out. If it is a minor amount you should be able to just add more water and charge the battery. Frank Quote
BigMoneyGrip Posted June 6, 2014 Posted June 6, 2014 That "liquid" is sulfuric acid. It will eat the cloth, probably the foam and if it gets to metal, it will rust that as well. Depending on how much leaked out, you could have a small problem on your hands. Most parts stores have a neutralizer that will help stop it. You also might be able to mix up a solution of baking soda and water that will help to neutralize it. The battery isn't ruined, you can top it off with more acid. The seat, well,....... Quote
Super User Choporoz Posted June 6, 2014 Super User Posted June 6, 2014 I've tipped mine a couple times. Never had much leak except some 'wetness' on the side of the battery. Both times, the battery wouldn't take a charge until it sat for a few hours. I guess the solution needs to settle. Battery works as good as new, now. However, I don't think I'm going to taste it next time it happens. 3 Quote
MemphisFF Posted June 6, 2014 Posted June 6, 2014 Not sure bout the taste test part, Moma told me don't put things in your mouth that don't belong in your mouth.. 1 Quote
Super User Deleted account Posted June 6, 2014 Super User Posted June 6, 2014 Maybe battery acid. If so, it will eat the seat. Yeah, I'd go shopping for a new seat. "taste it its poison".... priceless. 6 Quote
Josh Smith Posted June 7, 2014 Posted June 7, 2014 Sulfuric acid... That spray that was mentioned is just baking soda in water and pressurized. I would get some of the pressurized stuff, poke a needle hole in the seat, and run the spray's straw down through it. Let 'er rip! Josh P.S. Wear goggles. Quote
KritterGitter Posted June 7, 2014 Posted June 7, 2014 Just FYI....If the battery is low, only used distilled water to refill it. As far as a taste test, well being a lifelong mechanic, Im not opposed to it. Try Skydrol sometime, non toxic, yet its a burn like no other.... Quote
Josh Smith Posted June 7, 2014 Posted June 7, 2014 Just FYI....If the battery is low, only used distilled water to refill it. As far as a taste test, well being a lifelong mechanic, Im not opposed to it. Try Skydrol sometime, non toxic, yet its a burn like no other.... I was in auto tech school once-upon-a-time. It was during the transition from electronic carburetors to TBI, so I had to learn both. I got singled out for most of the diagnostics by the instructor, and then I passed the stuff down the line to be fixed by other kids who had other specialties. So one day I brought my Jeep Cherokee in. It had stopped heating, and I didn't know much about the climate controls. Lambert (instructor) opened the passenger door and said, "Yep. Smith, you see that water running down from the heater core?" "I do," said I, "but I was running defroster and the A/C pump kicked on. Are you sure it's not water?" "Taste it!" "Taste it, Lamberto? But it's poison!" "Eh, a little won't hurt you. Taste it!" And he stuck his finger in it and tasted it himself. I followed suite. It tasted sweet, like Kool-Aide. "That's antifreeze, Smith! And you have a leaking heater core!" And thus I learned automotive climate control diagnostics and the pure joy of changing modern heater cores. I still taste antifreeze when I need to be sure. Hasn't hurt me yet... I don't think. Josh Quote
KritterGitter Posted June 7, 2014 Posted June 7, 2014 Yup anti-freeze, engine oil, jet fuel, skydrol, transmission fluid, de-ice fluid etc. sometimes smell just dosent do it... Quote
FL Bass Abducter Posted June 7, 2014 Posted June 7, 2014 I've used the taste test for battery acid for years. Now I use AGM's and don't have to worry about that anymore. Quote
Super User Way2slow Posted June 8, 2014 Super User Posted June 8, 2014 You need to start shopping the junk/salvage yards for another seat that matches yours because yours is junk now. Don't worry about finding something to try and clean it, it was destroyed within minutes of the battery spilling on it. If you check, you will probably find the fabric is already coming apart. Also, be sure to lay plastic over those areas, they will cause damage to anyone's clothing that sits on them and can still cause skin burns. A replacement seat will probably be cheaper and better than the repair job. Quote
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