My charging system is putting out 18 volts directly to the battery. I replaced the voltage regulator and it not change. I replaced the alternator thinking it was bad... no change. I replaced the battery... no change. Is this normal or abnormal? What do I need to do to correct the problem?

Thanks for any input... I am stumped!

it's normal.

I find this hard to believe... when the car is at idle, battery acid is bubbling out from the battery... this cannot be right.

well, no! that's not good!

but the charging system IS supposed to be putting a bit more than 12 volts back to the battery. otherwise, the battery would die.

how old is the one you have now? is it a "maintenance-free" type?

I just purchased a new battery yesterday. It is not a sealed unit type, instead has the covers that come off for maintenance. This is where the acid is seeping up from.

14.4 v is the normal charging state. 18v is quite abnormal, and damaging.