Poor Battery Placement Design

[Hnz]

Does anyone have an issue with the back battery (closest to the passenger seat) overheating and causing the metal underneath to rust? A mechanic told me it was a bad design and there is not enough airflow to cool the battery properly so acid overflows and eats away underneath.
If you do have this problem, do you now of any solutions to rectify? I'm tired of cleaning rust stains off the driveway.
Thanks!

2002 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD

[Mark Rinker]

Welcome aboard!

As for 'poor design', I'm not sure where else the batteries could/should go, than under the hood. I have never had the rust stain on the driveway problem - but probably due to the fact that my trucks aren't parked at home much...

Yes, the passenger side battery gets baked by the turbo heat. One way to extend battery life is to rotate the batteries on some routine. At least this way, you can clean up the tray regularly and the batteries will fail closer together, rather than the passenger side dying years ahead of the drivers side.

You live in a hot climate, which adds to the issue. Do you tow alot, too?

[Hnz]

Maybe "poor design" was a bad choice of words. The issue is lack of air circulation in that area like you mentioned.
My truck isn't home much either but I commute an hour to/from work and can visually see a slow drip in this area after getting home. When I get up for work the next morning, more stains. You're correct in that it's worse in the summertime due to heat but thanks for the battery rotation tip.
I'm in the process of cleaning all the rust in that area and having it repainted with a rust inhibitor. I've thought of cleaning, then staining the driveway so the liquid doesn't penetrate the porous surface but I haven't committed to that. I've even thought about new batteries but this is my 2nd set and I had the same problems with the first set.

Have you lost use of your windshield wiper well due to the acid from the driver side dripping and eating holes in the plastic? I've gone through two already and don't know how to prevent this.

Thanks,
Hans

[Kennedy]

The answer is AGM or gel filled batteries like optima. Sealed batteries will not weep or seep.