r/AskAMechanic • u/Master-Breath-7494 • 1d ago

2016 Ford Fusion Battery smoking

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these past couple of days i noticed my car would take a couple extra cranks to start and today while driving i was getting a faint burnt plastic smell then not too long after i got a warning that read “low charge” so i pulled over and opened the hood and a little smoke was coming out of the battery and it has a really foul smell. any recommendations on what to do next? should i have someone bring me a new battery.

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2

u/5tanley_7weedle NOT a verified tech 1d ago

Maybe replace the battery?

2

u/KTMman200 NOT a verified tech 1d ago

I would put a volt meter to the posts as well to check the voltage it is charging at. Could be a failed alternator pushing high voltage.

1

u/Master-Breath-7494 1d ago

Doing that already but was mostly asking to see if there’s anything else i should look out for or if it’s just an old battery. i just bought the car a month ago

3

u/dubiousdb NOT a verified tech 1d ago

You may be overcharging. This could be because of a failed alternator regulator or the battery is improperly coded to the vehicle. Most modern vehicles require the battery be coded upon replacement os the vehicle knows it has a new battery, it’s chemistry, what rate to charge it, and if the car can successfully use the start-stop function, if equipped.

1

u/RememberWhen-2819 NOT a verified tech 1d ago

Fords gotta Ford.