Blowed-up real good! (the Battery?)

[6=8]

Anyone ever experience an automotive battery explosion?

Was walking out to lunch today, and a newer Lexus (maybe 3-5 years old... They all look the same to me) sitting 3 spots from my GN had the hood up. I go over there, and this Green Interstate battery had literally blown up. The maint. caps were out of the holes But still on the top of the battery. Acid sprayed everywhere, eating away at the underhood pad and who knows what else. It wasent even that hot yet... Maybe 85 degrees.

The driver said she just attempted to start the car normally and she heard an explosion under the hood... She just got out and ran away...

I've heard that hydrogen can vent out of the battery and it can be explosive with a spark, but typically not in a non-charging state. Other than the caps being off, the battery looked to be in a good state... No corrosion on the terminals and I would assume the connections were tight, but I was not about to grab anythng under the hood at that point!

I all the years I have changed batteries, jump-started cars, replaced battery cables (typically sparking away as I tighten the ground cable screw) I guess I had built the perception of this would only happen if a dummy was overcharging or attemted to jump start with reversed polarity connections or something.

Just wondering! Anyone else?

 

[Justin Terry]

My friend bought a rusted out 71 Plymotuh Fury to run **** over with and he blew the battery up in it by sitting and cranking on the start for alittle to long. He was just trying to crank it and held the key for about 20 or 30 seconds he didnt really care about it and then boom it exploded it was pretty funny. Good thing nobody was standing near.

 

[6=8]

No Doubt!

 

[68 stang]

It has not happened to me yet, but it has happened to my grandfather twice. The one that I remembered, he had the hood up and was working on it, then the battery blew up and some got into his eyes, but he had a hose handy. Sometimes there is no rhyme or reason.

 

[Buick From Hell]

happened to me twice...

first time was my sister's '77 mustang, battery had kept going dead and we were jumpstarting it (again)...only this time, the instant I connected the ground (to the frame too), BANG...right in my face! Wasn't a big deal, went in & showered and threw my clothes away afterward!

second time was in our old '75 ford truck, the battery wouldn't start the truck, and I had another battery, so I was just going to change 'em. When I disconnected the negative cable, BANG...right in my face again!

funny thing was, both batteries sounded like a wimpy firecracker when they went (more of a "pop" than a "bang"), and the cases just split & battery acid went everywhere. Still not sure to this day WHY they blew since they were nearly dead (I'm thinking a short inside?) but I can tell you, they DO blow!

 

[WakkoSS]

When the acid level goes down it creates room for more vapors. The internal plates warp over time and get closer to one another and occasionally touch. Sometimes crud will form and cause a connection between the plates as well (hence you wanting to use distilled water and not mineral or tap). When the short occurs and there's flammable vapors in there, kaBOOM goes the battery. Usually happens on startup after the car's been sitting a while, but I've even heard of it happening while just cruisin down the road looking for prostitutes. That was you, right Jason? (1of1035)

 

[6=8]

WakkoSS: That does make sense! Thanks for shedding some light on things... Makes me think (Maybe) those Optima "Jelly Roll" batteries might be worth getting!

Your post also gives Jason's user name of 1of1035 a new meaning, don't you think?

Is it 1 out of 1035 batteries may blow up?

-Or-

Is it 1 out of 1035 prostitutes are worth stopping for?

 

[1of1035]

Originally posted by WakkoSS
When the acid level goes down it creates room for more vapors. The internal plates warp over time and get closer to one another and occasionally touch. Sometimes crud will form and cause a connection between the plates as well (hence you wanting to use distilled water and not mineral or tap). When the short occurs and there's flammable vapors in there, kaBOOM goes the battery. Usually happens on startup after the car's been sitting a while, but I've even heard of it happening while just cruisin down the road looking for prostitutes. That was you, right Jason? (1of1035)

Now Ian is that really called for? I just went because I figured I'd get discount from mentioning your name and none of my batteries have blown up yet...

 

[Rollin]

Had one blow its top while re-charging in my Jeep, sounded like dull PoP!