TOPIC: Possible charging problem???

I have had this Trojan deep cycle battery for quite a few years. Used it with my Evinrude 85 and now with the Bearcat. This is the first time I've seen this but when I pulled the battery yesterday the positive terminal was blackened. I was able to wire brush it off but any ideas what might cause this.
Thanks, Steve
WizaedIII

Now that's a new one. I thought I had heard of everything that could go wrong with a battery, but this is new. Since the battery is quite old (battery life is usually 5-7 years) I would take it to an auto parts store, battery seller, or garage and have it tested to see what it's condition is. Obviously something is going on but I don't have a clue.

If you find out please let us know.

Well, after Googling my fingers off and some input from another forum it appears the the black coating on the positive battery terminal is lead oxide. The cause: two thoughts were leaking of hydrogen gas or some sort of interaction with the sulfuric acid. I did have some liquid on the sides of the battery (possibly I topped off too much before I put it on the charger) so I cleaned the entire case with baking soda solution which also allowed me to check for any cracks. After a couple of days the terminals still look clean. I did notice a small bubbling on top of one of the covers which could indicate a bit of leakage. Don't know if that is normal or if it has a crack. I'll keep my eye on it.....from a distance of course.
That's all I know, hope it's helpful to some.
WizardIII