Electrical problem
2001 Acura EL 4 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic 94000 miles
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Hi,

I recently noticed a bad smell while driving. When I got home the smell remained. When I opened the hood, my battery was hissing and smoking and was extremely hot to touch. I thought I had a bad battery. So I bought a new one.

Everything was fine for a month and now the smell, hissing, smoking and heat has returned.

Someone told me it could be the alternator overcharging the battery, or some regulator thats dead.

If it is this, how do I fix it, can I do it myself?

Thanks for any information you can offer

sounds like it needs a top up with distilled water, the plates are drying out. If it's very low it may need an acid top up. The other cause could be your charging rate is too high or not cutting off when fully charged.
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Hi divito,

To test the charging rate, attach a voltmeter between battery terminals and start engine.

Should be between 13.5 to 14.5 volts at all times even when revving the engine.

If it is the alternator overcharging, only thing you can do is get a replacement.