Car battery Fire

[HonorAndHonesty]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: 5AcresAndAFool

If you do try to salvage the car and replace the damaged components, There is no way I would hook a battery straight up to the cars cables. I would use fused lengths of wire with the battery away from the car a bit. Something like a 15 or 20 amp fuse inline. You definitely don't want to hook the battery up to a dead short. be very careful if you try to fix it.


THat won't work, it won't crank. Just pop the fuse.


I was thinking along the lines of using this method just to verify that there is not a dead short somewhere, not actually trying to run it like that, basically trying to avoid hooking the battery up to a dead short.

I have had to use this method years ago when I didn't have a multi meter or the money to buy one and the battery cable going to the starter shorted out on my old truck.

 

[64bawagon]

In the absence of melted cables, I would lean towards a battery that shorted internally.

 

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted By: georgemiller
But wouldn't a bad alternator or voltage regulator problem had thrown a check engine light?


It might light the battery light, not a CEL, that's mostly for emissions.

 

[georgemiller]

Back on the rode. Bill was $ 370 now I try to get $$$ from AutoZone. Car runs like a champ.

 

[eljefino]

So how does the hood look underneath? Looks like the + terminal touched it. It at least heated it.

 

[georgemiller]

See earlier pics. Positive terminal had cover over it.

 

[dishdude]

Man that battery is ugly! That fire had to stink...

 

[kc8adu]

looks more likely the + shorted to the hood.
battery too tall?
the plastic cover would eventually grind through and allow a short.
and then you see the result.
was it the same group size as you took out?
or a different one?
i will bet a short from + to hood did this.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: georgemiller
See earlier pics. Positive terminal had cover over it.


Something went wrong. What group number was the old battery?

 

[Nick1994]

If they end up covering it, get a quote from a body shop for an estimate to have the hood painted and send it to Auto Zone.

 

[kb27]

My guess is the hold-down is not bolted down properly or somehow came loose.
The hold-down has a L-bracket, if the metal is exposed, will punch the positive post of the battery, if the battery is allowed to slide outwards.

The hold-down is negative since it is hooked to the chassis.

And that would create a short-circuit on the battery.

 

[georgemiller]

Update: FULL refund from AutoZone. Battery plus repair. Thank you AutoZone .

 

[SHOZ]

That battery was internally shorted. They will keep on burning and cascade like that from the original short then outward until the battery power is drained. I've seen whole skids of them go up in smoke.

 

[L_Sludger]

Originally Posted By: georgemiller
Update: FULL refund from AutoZone. Battery plus repair. Thank you AutoZone .
Good job posting this update. I feel a little better about the AutoZone brand as a whole.
Now you have me curious. Do you have a moment to detail what had to get replaced, and the full extent of what the repair entailed?
Oh, and now that your Camry has a new lease on life, why don't you treat it to an ES300 wood grain and leather steering wheel upgrade? It made my old Camry with the same body style as yours, feel like a ten million dollar car, no joke.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: georgemiller
Update: FULL refund from AutoZone. Battery plus repair. Thank you AutoZone .
Repair including painting the hood?

 

[georgemiller]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: georgemiller
Update: FULL refund from AutoZone. Battery plus repair. Thank you AutoZone .
Repair including painting the hood?


I didn't want to push my luck. I was reading about another AutoZone battery fire and the guy wanted paint, repairs and battery paid for and they pulled original deal off the table and told him to take them to small claims court.

I got repair and cost of battery. A little over $ 500.

 

[georgemiller]

Only the little fuse box in front of battery was replaced, new battery installed and new battery wires. I was lucky nothing else burned up.

 

[georgemiller]

"That battery was internally shorted. They will keep on burning and cascade like that from the original short then outward until the battery power is drained. I've seen whole skids of them go up in smoke".

That's what the mechanic said. Nothing wrong with car, wasn't put in wrong just short in battery.

 

[Gokhan]

Originally Posted By: georgemiller


My Corolla has the identical type of J bolt and clamp.

The fire was obviously caused by your installation error. It's clear from the picture that the rear transverse part of the battery clamp was touching the positive terminal and shorted it. Either you put that part of the clamp too close to the positive terminal or it got loose and touched it later. It's supposed to be put near the middle of the battery and be securely tight but not too tight to damage the battery.

I'm glad no harm was done.

 

[L_Sludger]

Originally Posted By: georgemiller
Only the little fuse box in front of battery was replaced, new battery installed and new battery wires. I was lucky nothing else burned up.
That's some bare minimum stuff, man. Forget my suggestion about the wood steering wheel.