Car battery Fire

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Last week my battery in 2001 Toyota Camry was dead. I put another car battery in and drove for 1/2 the day to test charging system to make sure it was working. Satisfied that the charging system was working I went to AutoZone and purchased a Durmast Gold battery, this was last friday.

I cleaned all the terminals and installed battery. Everything was clean as I am fanatical when I do things.

Earlier this evening my wife was driving the car and the battery caught fire. She pulled over and several people helped put the fire out. Several wires we're burned up. She stated that no check engine lights went on prior to the fire.

It's very clear the fire started on the top of the battery. The battery was in the car for 6 days with no check engine lights and no issues.

We had the car towed to a local mechanic. We took pics of damage.

What would cause this?

What is my recourse?
 
Originally Posted By: georgemiller
Last week my battery in 2001 Toyota Camry was dead. I put another car battery in and drove for 1/2 the day to test charging system to make sure it was working. Satisfied that the charging system was working I went to AutoZone and purchased a Durmast Gold battery, this was last friday.

I cleaned all the terminals and installed battery. Everything was clean as I am fanatical when I do things.

Earlier this evening my wife was driving the car and the battery caught fire. She pulled over and several people helped put the fire out. Several wires we're burned up. She stated that no check engine lights went on prior to the fire.

It's very clear the fire started on the top of the battery. The battery was in the car for 6 days with no check engine lights and no issues.

We had the car towed to a local mechanic. We took pics of damage.

What would cause this?

What is my recourse?


I'm gonna be a jerk attorney for a sec for the battery company. YOU caused it. YOU installed it improperly, causing the battery to move and short out and/or there was a frayed cable that shorted out and caused the fire. NOT the responsibility or the battery manufacture.

Your recourse? Good luck on that. Good luck finding an attorney to take the case. What do you think your Camry is worth?
 
Wrong battery,or not sitting in tray correctly battery contacted hood took a few days to rub through hood insulation.....seen that one before
 
Without seeing the car in person it is difficult to say what really happened.

Was the Alternator tested to confirm functionality? Was it overcharging the battery?

Was the Battery properly secured?
 
You have no way to prove that you didn't fudge up the installation, so you have no recourse.
 
Shorted on loose hold down, missing hold down or wrong size battery causing short on hood, wrench left nearby?

Lots of possibilities
 
Originally Posted By: NStuart
Wrong battery,or not sitting in tray correctly battery contacted hood took a few days to rub through hood insulation.....seen that one before


This was actually the thought that first came to mine for me as well, remember the old Volkswagen Beetles with the battery under the rear seat? If Too Tall of a battery was put in and someone heavy enough sat on the rear seat the seat Springs would short out across the top of the battery and set the horsehair seat stuffing on fire.

The other thing I have seen happen is a hood prop with a broken clip actually work its way to the positive terminal of the battery and while it didn't burn the car up or start a major fire it did start a small fire and actually a burnt a hole in one of the ac lines

This was on a Honda Civic, that is something that you should look at as well I don't know where the hood prop is on a Camry of that era but it's a possibility.

On some cars the hood prop is in such close proximity to the battery there's rubber insulation installed on the hood prop from the factory. Of course over time this can fall off or be knocked off causing a similar issue that you had.

Did the positive terminal have a terminal cover on it?
 
You never tested the alternator for voltage. If things were crazy high all bets are off. I have had several battery issues including a fire on a commercial mower that had the battery mounted under a side mounted plastic gas tank. Things were pretty wild on that one but insurance and manufacture made things right.
 
Yeah, if the OP did nothing wrong, I'm going to guess a bad alternator or voltage regulator that over charged the battery and caused it to overheat. That's probably how the first battery got fried. Always check the entire charging system when replacing a battery.
 
Originally Posted By: georgemiller
But wouldn't a bad alternator or voltage regulator problem had thrown a check engine light?


Usually not. Normally when they go bad, they don't charge so the battery light goes on. I don't think the battery light would trip if the charging current is too high but the voltage is correct.
 
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
What made the marks on the top of the air cleaner box?


My guess would be the way it's corrugated underneath, nothing that came in contact with it from above.
 
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