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Sulfur smell and 'hissing' battery


psu86
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2013 FFE with 71K miles.  Just started to get a nasty sulfur/rotten egg smell when I go in to garage to get car in the morning.  I've read on several Ford owner boards that this may be a sign to replace the battery. 

 

Tonight I checked on the car and can hear a 'hissing' sound from the battery inside the left side of trunk. Won't be charging it tonight.

 

Have others experienced this and if so, what was your solution?

Thanks.

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  • 3 months later...

I'm having the same issue with my 2013 Energi... A couple of days ago my wife started complaining about a rotten egg smell in the garage. I check and I didn't smell it at the time, but tonight I felt the smell inside the house.

 

I checked the 12v battery and it was very hot but I didn't see any liquids around it.

 

Is it a bad 12v battery? Should I replace it? My car has 53K miles so it is not under warranty.

 

Thanks for your help on this one.

 

Regards,

Alex

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Is there a specific procedure for replacing the battery that would prevent me from changing it myself?

No.  The engine control will need to relearn its operating parameters just like it did when it was new.  It can be avoided by connecting another battery to the jump terminals under the hood but that means you are working "hot".  If the positive battery cable touches ground that can be disastrous.  If you are not experienced working "hot" I wouldn't try it.

 

The battery does not come out through the access panel opening.  The fiber panels must be disconnected and moved out of the way first.

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Thanks for the response...  I decided to take it to the dealer because I could not find the battery anywhere. It turns out that the 390 battery is not longer manufactured. The parts department at the dealer siad that it had been replaced by the 590 battery, however that battery is a about an inch too big for the plate under the battery in the car.

 

The mechanic tried to put the 590 in the car but of course he could not. They looked again in the system and found a 475 battery which was the correct fit.

 

I think I paid more than I should have ($129 for the battery plus $50 for the install). In case anyone needs it, this is the new battery BXT99RT4A (470 CCA)

 

Regards,
​Alex

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  • 1 month later...

The 590 battery is used in the standard Fusion.  The 390 was used in the Energi and the Hybrid.  I never found it anywhere but at a Ford dealer.

 

I replaced my battery at AutoZone with this battery. http://www.autozone.com/ignition-tune-up-and-routine-maintenance/battery/duralast-battery/755656_695251_0

 

Not because I thought this battery was better than the OEM part, but because mine failed and the parts store was much closer to me. This was a correct fit for the car, but it was still problematic to get into the car. Another advantage of the parts store is that they did not charge me to install the battery. 

 

Just FYI, there is a battery management system on the car and the car has to rest (left undisturbed) for 8 hours with the new battery to marry itself to the new battery -- unless you have an OBII tool to go in and perform a reset (something that Ford would do for you, but AutoZone wont).  One night in the garage and the system will reset itself, not that you would know one way or the other with out the tool. 

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  • 2 years later...

Hi, I’m having the same or similar issue, but my service rep actually does not acknowledge the problem nor the smell. He showed me that the vehicle has no related issues on the system and said that it would show up there if any of the Ford Fusion Energi sold across the world (or North America). I’m at a loss for words, and I don’t know how to bring up an evidence of smell. It’s an unpleasant smell that I don’t want me or my wife to live with. Can anyone share more specific details and how you were able to resolve it? Thanks so much in advance.

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There are two vents on the battery.  The one toward the front of the car is plugged with a plastic plug.  The one toward the rear of the car has a hose connected to it.  The other end of the hose is underneath the car.  The smell is the same as rotten eggs (sulpher).

 

The other smell possibility is a musty / moldy odor coming from the air conditioner.

 

You need to know which one you have to determine the plan of attack.

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  • 4 months later...
  • 5 months later...
On 2/12/2020 at 3:25 PM, ablockalypse said:

Did replacing the battery take care of the smell? I have the smell now but have not been able to track it down. Thanks!

Yes, the battery was the problem for sure. 

 

Actually that battery I bought in June 2017 had a 3 year warranty. It failed again in May 2020, so I got a totally free replacement. First time I was ever glad that I used the dealer for a battery.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 8/8/2020 at 10:47 PM, davidubl33@gmail.com said:

Asking for advice: 

 

experienced rotten egg acid smell when my 2016 FFE with  74,100 is plugged in and the smell goes away when not plugged in. 

How much to replace battery? does this make smell go away?  Can you do this with no dealer experience? any overall info helps. 

 

I believe that the big battery charges the 12v battery when the car is plugged in, and that's why you get the smell. I had the same situation a few years back with the original 12v battery that came with the car. The one I replaced earlier this year did not have a smell, but the car would not turn on at all.

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