My 02 Mustang GT is indeed of a new battery, and I was doing some reading online about batteries and came across a few articles. about car batteries exploding and ruining the engine compartment cause of the acid. Now is this something to worry about nowadays or is this a thing in the past with conventional batteries? I have alot invested om my motor and don't want this happening..
Car battery explosion
- Thread starter stang5
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If you read the warning labels on car (lead-acid open venting) batterys carefully, you shall immediately realise that no spark/fire source closeby when your battery is in recharge phase due to the generation of Hydrogen gas.
Yes, and hydrogen gas can be deadly when it comes into contact with fire.
Yes, and hydrogen gas can be deadly when it comes into contact with fire.
My 2001 Camaro had a battery explosion, based on the evidence under the hood.
Maintenance records show a battery replacement at about 12K miles under warranty.
The car was a highway patrol car.
In my former life as a utility worker I had occasion to witness several stationary battery cell explosions. It is a frightening experience -- sounds like a bomb going off. Anytime one is around a battery safety glasses are a must.
Maintenance records show a battery replacement at about 12K miles under warranty.
The car was a highway patrol car.
In my former life as a utility worker I had occasion to witness several stationary battery cell explosions. It is a frightening experience -- sounds like a bomb going off. Anytime one is around a battery safety glasses are a must.
I once worked for Johnson Controls in their research facility, and one of their projects was to use a high frame rate camera to film exploding batteries. It was nasty, the acid spewed everywhere and it made one heck of a mess. I sure as he$$ wouldn't want to be anywhere near an exploding battery.
I pulled a cable of a battery thinking the charger was off and I was wrong. It made bang that scared everyone in the shop especially me. I was not hurt and someone else washed down the engine compartment. The top of the battery was missing, pretty scary. I was a lot more careful after that.
I put a Battery Minder on a boat battery but did not head the warning to only let it run a day or two before making sure the green light went to blinking. It did not. A few weeks latter I came into the basement and the battery was cracked apart and some acid had spilled onto the floor and a few blobs of acid were on the well tank. I had to find an old dishpan to put the battey in to bring it to Sams Club (wanted my $5.00 back right). The case was cracked but not all the way so I am sure there was acid left int he case. What a mess.
"Blew" one up in a patrol car due to an overcharging alternator. When it went, it blew all the electrical wiring and such. Did about $1,300 in damage.
Seen several,,participated in a couple battery blowups! Several year ago, had a hi-output charger near muffler rack, while cutting an old exhaust system out (with a cutting torch) I watched a dingle-berry (large molten glob of metal) bounce in slow motion once, twice, three times on concrete floor FOURTH bounce, it landed directly on top of battery being charged,,,set there untill it started melting into top of battery THEN IT BLOOOWEED THE PHUCK UP!!!
Under these conditions,, what would YOU have done~~~~~Told customer you had blown up his 4yr old wally world battery and buy him a new one?~~~~OR~~~~~ Told him you didn't know what the fhuck happened, but since he's such a good customer, you're NOT gonna charge him for time spent cleaning up your shop's walls, permanently etched concrete floor etc. because of his defective battery?
In any case, keep your battery mounted in OE location. Securely mounted to avoid vibration and bounce, install (if there's not one already) a non-conductive cable end cover over the positive post. BE very careful to eliminate any drains that might cause sparking/arcing when removing/installing cables. Use common sense and you'll never have a problem. If you're screwing up badly enough to blow up a battery,,you probably deserve what you get.
Bob
Under these conditions,, what would YOU have done~~~~~Told customer you had blown up his 4yr old wally world battery and buy him a new one?~~~~OR~~~~~ Told him you didn't know what the fhuck happened, but since he's such a good customer, you're NOT gonna charge him for time spent cleaning up your shop's walls, permanently etched concrete floor etc. because of his defective battery?
In any case, keep your battery mounted in OE location. Securely mounted to avoid vibration and bounce, install (if there's not one already) a non-conductive cable end cover over the positive post. BE very careful to eliminate any drains that might cause sparking/arcing when removing/installing cables. Use common sense and you'll never have a problem. If you're screwing up badly enough to blow up a battery,,you probably deserve what you get.
Bob
If nothing else, maintain the water level in the cells so the plates stay covered. Make sure there is no draw on the battery when installing the cables. This avoids sparks. The underhood light is ok.
I had one blow up in a customers car in the shop. Car was not running and the hood was shut. Charging system worked fine with the new batt so I dunno why it blew up.
I always blow across the top of the battery before I connect or disconnect cables. It's my last attempt to get rid of hydrogen gas. It's a crazy thing to do but makes me feel better.
I do the same thing! Who knows?
Yes..the closest thing to a battery explosion I have ever witnessned was a battery that blew it's vent caps off. It was very low on water. It wouldn't have blown it's vent caps off if the water level had been maintained.
My mom took the car in a couple days before to have it checked over..guess what fluid level they didn't check?
My dad had it happen twice with Wal-Mart batteries. His Honda had no other problems in the electrical system.
After the second explosion, he got his battery from somewhere else.
After the second explosion, he got his battery from somewhere else.
Are the Wal-Mart batteries in your area made by Exide or Johnson Controls? Here they are made by Exide.
I had a motorcycle battery blow up. A mechanic was using a torch to get a broken bolt easy out of a broken bolt, the flame jumped across the fender to the battery and BOOOOM. It was surprising how much of a mess the small battery made.
Battery explosions in cars are very rare in normal use.
So are gas tank explosions, even though the potential to take out a city block is there.
IS there a particular problem to make you fear an explosion?
So are gas tank explosions, even though the potential to take out a city block is there.
IS there a particular problem to make you fear an explosion?
batteries generally wont explode unless they are passing significant current. case in point i had a golf car battery that one of the terminals broke off. i used a propane torch and liquified the lead slug so i could insert another terminal on the top of the battery. i singed the plastic case a little bit but things went fine. i even had the battery filler vent tops off so i wouldnt melt them. propane torch flame passed right over the open vents. nothing cought fire or exploded.
another time i has a battery in my old protege. i disconnected the battery charging cables while the charger was still on and BOOM the battery tops popped off and splatter acid everywhere. i ran to the hose and hosed myself off. by the time i got the acid off it was only just starting to sting. you see battery acid isnt super strong. it can sit on youre skin for 20 or 30 seconds before it actually starts to burn. if you leve it there for a long time it will burn like crazy and even destroy skin, clothes, metal, etc. but 20 or 30 seconds, bleh thats nothing. theres other acids that will melt youre skin on contact. battery acid is weak compared to other types of acid. by the time i got myself and the engine bay hosed off, no damage was done to me or the car. i put the battery caps on and started the car . it ran fine for the next few years with that same battery. but i learned my lesson about pulling the charging cables off while there is still power being applied.
in the old days my dad told me he would burn batteries in big fires to extract the lead for recycling. he said the battery acid and the plates are not actually flammable. only the gas that excapes while charging them is. so you know me, being curious and all. i put a paper towel in a car battery to get some acid on it. turns out he was right. the paper towel wetted with battery acid wouldnt even burn when exposed to a flame. it was as if the napkin was wetted with water. after like a minute i could get the napkin to brown, but it wouldnt burn.
so whats it all mean?
1. well my take on it is that a battery generally wont explode unless its actively gassing AND you create a spark near the vents.
2. you should awalys have a garden hose within 30 seconds reach of you and the car.
3. car batteries wont burn or explode when exposed to flame.
4. battery acid kills grass and it cleans concrete driveways really good. got an old battery? dump the acid out on the driveway and spread it around with a broom. cleand the concrete REAL good. once the acid is neutralised with the concrete, spray it off with water and its essentially harmless.
someone mentioned gastank explosion. i have a good offtopic story about that. i had a 76 ford torino and one day my muffler fell off and punched a hole in the gastank. being a big american 400cid car it has a gastank as big as the valdez and full of gas, i drove all the way home leaking a stream of gas. when i got home i put buckets under the car to save the remaining gas. once the tank was done leaking i flushed it with water to expel any remaining gas. finally i BRAZED the tank gash shut while it was still in the car. i was a bit scared since the tank still smelled like gas, so before i brazed it i lit a rag that i dripped a few drops of gas on and threw it under the car. it lit the tank and made a WOOF sound which bulged the tank out a little bit. as luck would have it this closed the flap of metal that was bashed in on the tank so that i could brase it really easy. but man was i sweating bullets for a second after that woof sound. but i think it was just vapours because the flame went out after 5 seconds, and subsiquent gas soaked rags failed to ignite anything. i sucessfully brazed the tank in car and drive it for a few years before selling it on ebay.
another time i has a battery in my old protege. i disconnected the battery charging cables while the charger was still on and BOOM the battery tops popped off and splatter acid everywhere. i ran to the hose and hosed myself off. by the time i got the acid off it was only just starting to sting. you see battery acid isnt super strong. it can sit on youre skin for 20 or 30 seconds before it actually starts to burn. if you leve it there for a long time it will burn like crazy and even destroy skin, clothes, metal, etc. but 20 or 30 seconds, bleh thats nothing. theres other acids that will melt youre skin on contact. battery acid is weak compared to other types of acid. by the time i got myself and the engine bay hosed off, no damage was done to me or the car. i put the battery caps on and started the car . it ran fine for the next few years with that same battery. but i learned my lesson about pulling the charging cables off while there is still power being applied.
in the old days my dad told me he would burn batteries in big fires to extract the lead for recycling. he said the battery acid and the plates are not actually flammable. only the gas that excapes while charging them is. so you know me, being curious and all. i put a paper towel in a car battery to get some acid on it. turns out he was right. the paper towel wetted with battery acid wouldnt even burn when exposed to a flame. it was as if the napkin was wetted with water. after like a minute i could get the napkin to brown, but it wouldnt burn.
so whats it all mean?
1. well my take on it is that a battery generally wont explode unless its actively gassing AND you create a spark near the vents.
2. you should awalys have a garden hose within 30 seconds reach of you and the car.
3. car batteries wont burn or explode when exposed to flame.
4. battery acid kills grass and it cleans concrete driveways really good. got an old battery? dump the acid out on the driveway and spread it around with a broom. cleand the concrete REAL good. once the acid is neutralised with the concrete, spray it off with water and its essentially harmless.
someone mentioned gastank explosion. i have a good offtopic story about that. i had a 76 ford torino and one day my muffler fell off and punched a hole in the gastank. being a big american 400cid car it has a gastank as big as the valdez and full of gas, i drove all the way home leaking a stream of gas. when i got home i put buckets under the car to save the remaining gas. once the tank was done leaking i flushed it with water to expel any remaining gas. finally i BRAZED the tank gash shut while it was still in the car. i was a bit scared since the tank still smelled like gas, so before i brazed it i lit a rag that i dripped a few drops of gas on and threw it under the car. it lit the tank and made a WOOF sound which bulged the tank out a little bit. as luck would have it this closed the flap of metal that was bashed in on the tank so that i could brase it really easy. but man was i sweating bullets for a second after that woof sound. but i think it was just vapours because the flame went out after 5 seconds, and subsiquent gas soaked rags failed to ignite anything. i sucessfully brazed the tank in car and drive it for a few years before selling it on ebay.
So now it comes to pass that Master Acid posts about battery acid.
Am I close.......?
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