Battery Exploded [Archive]

Craig

10-05-2015, 9:00pm

MrPeabody

10-05-2015, 9:09pm

I seem to remember an epic thread on CF a few years ago with some people arguing that it was absolutely impossible for this to happen. I've seen it happen twice, not on a battery tender but a regular battery charger. Some scary shit.

Craig

10-05-2015, 9:25pm

I don't remember how old the battery is/was. The receipt was in a packing slip stuck to the side, it's now soaked in acid; I'd guess four or five years old at least. I'm guessing H2 gas built up inside case and there was an arc across the plates when I hit the starter. There was still a little current coming through it for a couple of minutes, before I got it disconnected.

OddBall

10-05-2015, 9:30pm

SHIT! :eek: :wow:

Rob

10-05-2015, 10:05pm

Have you got the stains out of your pants yet?

Kerrmudgeon

10-05-2015, 11:31pm

I've never seen that happen to a battery unless it was on a charger, and that was once about 40 years ago, almost blinded this mechanic. You just need one tiny spark if those gases are present. If you didn't have a tender it wouldn't have happened.

Did you disconnect the tender before you tried to start it? :bigears:

Craig

10-06-2015, 7:02am

Thanks for the replies. Yes, I had left it on the tender when I started it, but I had done that in the past; I won't do it again. In fact, the tender is going in the trash. I'll just make sure I start everything at least twice a month. I expect the age of the battery had something to do with it.

Did it scare the crap out of me? I'd say it was more dread than fear. There was enough smoke that it occurred to me that I might need to push it out of the garage if it was actually on fire.

I got the battery out of the car and I cleaned up all the acid. I'll put a new battery in it this weekend and hopefully it will start. The split fender skirt is probably going to be my biggest problem, the car was re-sprayed in the 90s so getting a good match is an issue.

I think the car is getting back at me for buying the Porsche.

mrvette

10-06-2015, 7:39am

Shit!!!! that's a damn shame......

My only comment is that the last time I put a battery in the '72 vette was maybe a couple years ago, the trick is this last time I bought a marine deep cycle battery, because they designed to set long time without tending, same as would put into a motor home.......in fact the marine battery was about 25 bux cheaper than the 24 series battery with side mount terminals, all I did was take the bolts outta the cable ends, and use the studs on the marine battery...worked like a charm.....:seasix:

Bill

10-06-2015, 7:55am

I was wondering if being hooked to the charger while cranking the engine was the proximate cause of the explosion. I can't see how, since we are talking about milli-amps, assuming it was actively charging at the time, but still, that's the only thing that makes sense.

VITE1

10-06-2015, 8:01am

At least you did not get hurt. I had my vette on a trickle charger for months at a time in NH and down here in Fl when i was commuting. I never had an issue.The charger just plugged into the lighter plug.

VatorMan

10-06-2015, 8:03am

I'd love to know the make of the battery. Was it a Delco ? I've seen that happen with wet cell batteries from the off gassing. Have never seen that with a gel cell or maintenance free.

Craig

10-06-2015, 8:26am

The battery was from NAPA, maintenance free.

VatorMan

10-06-2015, 8:30am

The battery was from NAPA, maintenance free.

Read THIS : I've learned something new today. It's about using Auto batteries for generators, but the principle is the same.

https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/44343/Alert-Battery-explosionsv3.pdf

Basically it says that trickle charging maintenance free batteries boil the water out and caused your explosion.

Craig

10-06-2015, 8:36am

Read THIS : I've learned something new today. It's about using Auto batteries for generators, but the principle is the same.

https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/44343/Alert-Battery-explosionsv3.pdf

Basically it says that trickle charging maintenance free batteries boil the water out and caused your explosion.

Hey everybody, read this; it's very relevant as many of us are using trickle chargers on maintenance free batteries. This likely explains why I have a problem.

lspencer534

10-06-2015, 9:26am

I've had it happen, and the battery wasn't on any kind of charger. I was about 2 hours out of town, stopped to get a Coke, got back in the car, turned the key and heard an explosion like a shot gun. Thankfully the battery was in the trunk under a panel, and acid didn't coat everything. Battery was destroyed, but it tried to keep operating the power windows. Creepy.

son93sl2

10-06-2015, 10:24am

Read THIS : I've learned something new today. It's about using Auto batteries for generators, but the principle is the same.

https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/44343/Alert-Battery-explosionsv3.pdf

Basically it says that trickle charging maintenance free batteries boil the water out and caused your explosion.

Arn't most car batteries maintenance free these days? What about AGM batteries?

The_Dude

10-06-2015, 10:27am

Happened to my wife about a month ago. We had the '84 Mustang on a battery tender for months. She went to start it and the battery blew the caps off. No damage, thankfully.

onedef92

10-06-2015, 11:03am

Whoa! Thank God no one was hurt. I kept my Vette on the trickle charger when I had it, but fortunately never had a battery explode on me. I never tried to start it with the charger connected, though.

NCC-1701

10-06-2015, 11:22am

Went out to start the Vette this evening. It's been on a battery tender since I haven't been driving it. I last started it about two weeks ago. Got in, turned the key, huge bang, lots of smoke, split the lower fender skirt pretty good. Blew much of the negative side casing off the battery. This ever happened to anyone else?

I had a battery blow up in one of my Trans Am's sounded like a shotgun blast. That is why I always very cautious when I handle a car battery. :seasix:

island14

10-06-2015, 11:46am

You do know that all car, truck, and helicopter batteries should be replaced every three years don'tcha.. :datawiz:

lspencer534

10-06-2015, 11:56am

You do know that all car, truck, and helicopter batteries should be replaced every three years don'tcha.. :datawiz:

Modern batteries don't last that long.

Craig

10-06-2015, 12:02pm

You do know that all car, truck, and helicopter batteries should be replaced every three years don'tcha.. :datawiz:

If it would have saved me from having a hole blown through the side of my car...

VatorMan

10-06-2015, 12:06pm

Arn't most car batteries maintenance free these days? What about AGM batteries?

AGM batteries are gel mats. No electrolyte solution. What the article is saying is that maintenance free batteries are designed to be super charged by your alternator. Trickle charges boil the water leaving acid only.

son93sl2

10-06-2015, 12:40pm

AGM batteries are gel mats. No electrolyte solution. What the article is saying is that maintenance free batteries are designed to be super charged by your alternator. Trickle charges boil the water leaving acid only.

Wait... I bought a AGM battery for the motorcycle and poured in the electrolyte solution .

Amazon.com: Yuasa YUAM6212B YT12B-BS Battery: Automotive@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51LP3QUy5UL.@@AMEPARAM@@51LP3QUy5UL

VatorMan

10-06-2015, 1:10pm

I meant to say-no water based electrolyte-AKA deep cycle marine/storage batteries

Uri

10-06-2015, 1:23pm

Maintenance free batteries can't be trickle charged gents......:kick:

Craig

10-06-2015, 1:48pm

Maintenance free batteries can't be trickle charged gents......:kick:

Thanks for that timely tidbit.

C5SilverBullet

10-06-2015, 4:45pm

Thanks for that timely tidbit.

:lol::lol:

Kerrmudgeon

10-06-2015, 6:53pm

Hey....post up some pics of the damage would ya! :toetap:

This thread is just not complete without some damage pics of your car, and to scare the crap out of the rest of us, not to do that shit. :willy:

chevyman_ky

10-06-2015, 8:36pm

had the side of a battery blow out on a 66 Bonneville years ago. saw a 8 volt battery in a 41 caddy blow.

Mirroredshades

10-06-2015, 8:45pm

Seriously. Where are the pics. You know the rules.

:slap:

Craig

10-06-2015, 9:13pm

Took a couple more pics of the battery, will post in the morning. The fender skirt doesn't look bad, but it's toast, split up both sides.

Put a new battery in and it cranked right up, no issues. It's back together except the skirt. My intent was to sell it this Fall. Now I've got a repair to do.

Craig

10-07-2015, 7:58am

http://i1360.photobucket.com/albums/r660/craigbrumley/IMG_0394_zpsw2s5zgkz.jpg

http://i1360.photobucket.com/albums/r660/craigbrumley/IMG_0398_zpsr6odc2ff.jpg

http://i1360.photobucket.com/albums/r660/craigbrumley/IMG_0395_zpskslk1txl.jpg

http://i1360.photobucket.com/albums/r660/craigbrumley/IMG_0399_zps0ykhqzng.jpg

Mirroredshades

10-07-2015, 8:10am

Holy frickin moly

:willy:

onedef92

10-07-2015, 8:23am

AGM batteries are gel mats. No electrolyte solution. What the article is saying is that maintenance free batteries are designed to be super charged by your alternator. Trickle charges boil the water leaving acid only.

So, if your battery is conventional with a vented, electrolyte solution, then it's safe to use a trickle or float charger and junk? :confused5:

Craig

10-07-2015, 8:33am

So, if your battery is conventional with a vented, electrolyte solution, then it's safe to use a trickle or float charger and junk? :confused5:

I don't think so, this battery was vented, before it vented itself.

onedef92

10-07-2015, 8:51am

I don't think so, this battery was vented, before it vented itself.

I thought maintenance-free batteries are factory sealed, with no removeable caps to add water or electrolyte solution? :confused5:

Craig

10-07-2015, 9:16am

I thought maintenance-free batteries are factory sealed, with no removeable caps to add water or electrolyte solution? :confused5:

No caps, just a capillary size vent at each end.

island14

10-07-2015, 2:10pm

Maintenance free batteries can't be trickle charged gents......:kick:

O gee..

Now you tell us...

:lol:

mrvette

10-07-2015, 2:45pm

O gee..

Now you tell us...

:lol:

I installed a trickle charger in the Camper project some years ago, and the trickle charger wired to the huge Marine Deep cycle battery that ran major things if no 110v present, never did charge the main battery which was a 24 series......so called Stepson about it, and he already had to replace the huge battery, told him about this shit, and so he going to remove the charger and call it a day, always something....:issues: