Can You Still Drive If the Car Battery Is Smoking and Smells Bad?

[LaReese]

If the car battery is smoking and emitting a foul odor, you should not continue driving. Continuing to operate the vehicle may lead to burnt wiring and the battery drying out, rendering it unusable. Possible causes of battery smoking include: 1. Separator: Damage to the separator causing sparking between the electrode plates. 2. Battery Short Circuit: This is often due to poor-quality or damaged separators, allowing active material from the plates to pass through. If the separator is of low quality, impurities may form when ions pass through it, leading to a short circuit between the plates. The large short-circuit current can char the separator, worsening the damage and increasing the short-circuit current, creating a vicious cycle. Eventually, smoke is produced and released through the battery's vent, resulting in the smoking phenomenon.