I was surprised to see white powder build up on my bike frame behind and below the battery pack. There was this powdery stuff at the lowest edge of the bottom bracket and also above the bracket. It seem to come from *under* the paint. I have 4 12Ah SLA's in a single pack slung in my frame and wrapped loosely with a piece of old naugahyde material. I pulled off the cover to inspect the battery pack and it all looks intact but there was more powder on the inside of the cover in spots and on some bare metal parts of the mount. Yikes! It almost looks like vapor has gone *under* the paint and is draining down a vertical frame tube to the bottom bracket. This is after only 500 miles on the bike. I use a soneil 48v charger with powercheqs between the batteries and I take mostly short 4-5 mile trips with occasional 20 milers.
Anybody have this sort of problem with powder buildup and paint flaking? Is it common? Thinking I should wrap the frame in some sort of plastic tape to protect it. Maybe a fan on the battery pack while it's charging in order to disperse the vapor?
Thanks to anyone who has experience with this to fill me in. The bats are B&B by the way.
Roy in Santa Clara
PS: Thanks to all who've been helping get VisForVoltage back on its feet!
Normally, nothing should be escaping from the battery to cause corrosion. White powder is a bad sign. If the battery gets overcharged, it could start venting and possibly cause corrosion. A bad seal on one of the vent valves or a crack in the case could allow acid fumes to escape.
I would suggest checking the charging voltage right at the time when it goes from fast to float. Also check the float voltage (like after charging overnight). You might want to check the battery carefully, especially around the terminals to look for cracks.
Something like electrical tape should provide good protection to the corroded areas.