Batterries blowing up!!!???!!!?!

[Ree75]

Is it just me or have others noticed auto/equipment batteries going kaboom lately? I had a 6 month old walmart brand blow up and dent my hood/ take out my radiator fan and shroud about 5 years ago. Checked out the charging system and it was all in check. I've had several just up and die in under 6 months on the farm I work at. and the latest one was pretty damn scary. One of my co-workers had one blow up in his face while he was trying to jump start a tractor. The whole top half of the battery was gone!!! It's probably a good thing he wears glasses. He is hoping to return to work after almost two weeks off. He hasnt been able to see very well with the medication they have been putting in his eyes. I want to see that battery was a little over a year old.

 

[vettex2]

batteries do emit gases and a spark can set them off

 

[Richard Cranium]

I had one blow up when I tried to start my truck one time. I was told that I must of had a bad connection between the post and the clamp and it must of sparked and caused the gases to blow up. Made a mell of a hess. I used a box of baking soda all over the motor compartment and then washed it all down at a car wash.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I had one blow up at one of the gas stations once. The customer's car wouldn't crank after getting gas and the pump jockey called me out to the island. I asked the owner to release her hood and as I lifted it up the battery blew up. Good thing the hood was only open about 6". I only got a little spray on my uniform.

Tommy

 

[Showkey]

My guess is if your 60 years or older ( and mechanically inclined) ...........you have either have scene or been directly involved with a battery blowing up. Lucky guys have heard the boom but the battery did not rupture.

 

[CTyankee]

Changed the one in my Jeep the other day 'cuz it was getting weak. Even jumped it a couple of times this winter. The way they shoe horn it in, I need to climb up over the top of it to pull it out. Once I got it out noticed the huge bulge in the side. Lucky me.

 

[padroo]

Any time a battery is being charged or discharged it gives off hydrogen gas.

That is one reason when you jump a car they tell you to put the ground clamp

on an engine ground instead of the battery ground, to keep the spark away

from the battery where the hydrogen gas is lurking.

 

[Jeepster04]

While I didnt see it happen, I had a battery blow the top for the first time this pastsummer. Happened in a boat my family has.

 

[WVBrady]

Any time a battery is being charged or discharged it gives off hydrogen gas.

That is one reason when you jump a car they tell you to put the ground clamp

on an engine ground instead of the battery ground, to keep the spark away

from the battery where the hydrogen gas is lurking.

True, but why do they tell you to remove the clamp on the engine ground first? If you remove the one on the good battery first, there will not be a spark anywhere near the bad battery.

 

[Jeepster04]

True, but why do they tell you to remove the clamp on the engine ground first? If you remove the one on the good battery first, there will not be a spark anywhere near the bad battery.

Worst case scenario, both batteries are bad....

Edit: the good battery would still be off gassing.

 

[CJM8515]

Had it happen once when I ran a tow truck. battery was severely corroded and I cleaned it. Hooked the jumpers to it and the customer cranked the car. Sides of the battery blew out and I got covered with acid onmy face and head. Thankfully was wearing a hat. Noticed after all said and done there was a crack in the casing near the post that may have been there before.

 

[Lassen Forge]

Big bank of 6V industrial batteries used for a UPS for high voltage switchgear at my old place of work - this old guy (who was due to retire in 6 month) had a couple wrenches in his coverall top pocket, and bent over to tighten one terminal on one battery, and the other one fell out, shorting a couple terminals - taking out about 6 batteries total. I was across the room and it sounded like a dynamite concussion...

The guy ended up going to the hospital to have acid-covered plastic shrapnel removed from his face and arms, luckily he was wearing safety glasses. They also had buckets of water and boxes of baking soda next to the batteries, so he got a foam bath before we went. That was a nasty mess to clean up...

It was the second time I witnessed a battery explosion (the first was on a VW trike, similar circumstances) and I hope there's never a third.

 

[58Yeoman]

When I was in college in the early 70's, one of the students had overhauled the engine in his IH Scout. He kept cranking it, but it wouldn't start. The instructor went over to show him how to test the coil wire by crossing it on the battery, to see if it sparks. Well, it did. The student had the charger on the battery because he ran it down trying to start it. Blew the top of the battery off, but luckily no one was hurt.

 

[isb cornbinder]

One of the stupid-visors where I was a mechanic tried to jump start a 24 volt medium duty truck with his 12 volt minivan. There was an explosion and the fire that followed burned the van to the ground. Fortunately the van was able to be pushed away from the truck being jump-started. This is how to go from hero to zero in a New York Minute

 

[elba]

My Father owned a service when I was 14 . I went with him to jump a customers car . Dad said to make sure the cables are on correct. I said "yea I know Dad " . Boom - blew the side out. Dad had to buy a battery . Never did that again.

 

[VocaTexas]

I have seen a LOT of Walmart batteries explode. They seem to get the plates shorted easily. In our fire department we have one brush truck that has had the battery explode on it two different times. Both times just as someone turned the key to start the engine.

Any time I hook up a battery charger, I connect it to the battery first, then plug it in while I shield myself from the battery. I had one blow it's top off one time. Luckily it was in the vehicle and I had bent down to plug the charger in.

 

[MikeF2316]

I've been around 2. First time was with a defective battery that was under lifetime warranty, just hadn't got around to taking it back yet. I was testing my new capacitive discharge ignition. I was watching the spark jump nearly an inch directly to the negative terminal. Dumb, dumb dumb. Then I wanted to see how far it would jump. Instead of moving it away from the battery, I moved it along the battery, directly toward the positive terminal. As I got further away from the negative terminal, all of a sudden the spark jumped sideways, toward one of the cell caps. BOOM! There was acid splashes everywhere. I jumped in the shower, clothes and all. Then I had to wipe down some walls and stuff with water and baking soda. I still have a filing cabinet with marks in the paint from that. And I didn't even try to get my warranty battery.

Second time was a much shorter story. One of the mechanics at the dealer I worked at was doing a compression check on a diesel. A charger was on the battery. All of a sudden, BOOM! He was much less lucky than I was, a piece of the battery hit him in the eye. Fortunately, no permanent damage.

 

[doorfx]

I've seen a forklift battery explode with such force it bent the 1/2" metal box it lived in.

 

[Schurkey]

"More" batteries exploding recently? No. At least, not in proportion to the increased number of vehicles.

Yeah, I popped a battery as a teenager. Blew it up right good. It involved jump-starting...something. I think I got the cables crossed. Haven't thought about that in years.

 

[mrrooG8]

I had a AGM 12 volt battery from Batteries plus blow the hood off my kids power wheels jeep this summer. It was unplugged and not charging at the time. The whole top came off the battery. A piece of the battery top was stuck in the drywall of my garage. No joke. Took the battery and picture to the store and they gave me a new battery and a $50 in store credit. Said they have not seen that in years. Scared the **** out of me!! Sounded like a shotgun blast.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

Heard one from across the shop, and three others that I was somewhat involved with. The last one was back in the early 80'S. Three were hooked up to chargers.. My wrench came in contact with the positive terminal while working close to the fourth. For some strange reason I don't like to be around crappy old batteries that are being charged.

A newer battery can be defective and just as dangerous.. Do yourself and everyone else a favor and scrap any battery found to have a loose post. If the connection on the inside of the post is cracking loose it can spark and cause the battery gases to explode.

 

[sberry]

had it happen when I was a kid, very lucky

 

[padroo]

I was a millwright working in the electrical department and I complained about the electrical people bringing lead acid emergency light batteries into our shop.

It wan't too long after I complained I lit a cutting torch to cut a piece of steel and there was an explosion. One of the electricians brought a battery into the shop and slid it under the edge of the bench I was using to cut the steel.

 

[WVBrady]

Worst case scenario, both batteries are bad....

Edit: the good battery would still be off gassing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead–acid_battery#Discharge

"The discharge process is driven by the conduction of electrons from the negative plate back into the cell at the positive plate in the external circuit.
Negative plate reaction
Pb(s) + HSO−
4(aq) → PbSO
4(s) + H+
(aq) + 2e− Release of two conducting electrons gives lead electrode a net negative charge
• As electrons accumulate they create an electric field which attracts hydrogen ions and repels sulfate ions, leading to a double-layer near the surface. The hydrogen ions screen the charged electrode from the solution which limits further reactions unless charge is allowed to flow out of electrode.
Positive plate reaction
PbO
2(s) + HSO−
4(aq) + 3H+
(aq) + 2e− → PbSO
4(s) + 2H
2O(l)"

It has been about 60 years since I studied chemistry, but I think that the H+(aq) refers to hydrogen ions in the aqueous solution.

 

[TK-421]

Never had a battery explode, and I pray it's something I never have to deal with. Just one of the perks of being one of the younger people in here and not being part of the automotive industry yet.

 

[bjcouche]

I use AGM batteries wherever I can instead of cheap unsealed or "maintenance free" batteries. The AGM batteries do not normally vent gass and can often be used lying on their side. The AGM batteries can be had in many automotive sizes. They are more expensive, but somewhat safer. I would never charge a vented battery indoors.
Jump starting is always dangerous, so make that last connection, and first disconnection as far away from any battery (either vehicle) as possible.

Brian

 

[doorfx]

What I have learned is the only AGM that does not "gas" is a VRLA and they are used for indoor UPS systems. The safest battery is a gel cell and they are the only battery approved for public transit and aviation in wheel chairs and scooters.

 

[bushmechanic]

What I have learned is the only AGM that does not "gas" is a VRLA and they are used for indoor UPS systems. The safest battery is a gel cell and they are the only battery approved for public transit and aviation in wheel chairs and scooters.

Flooded cell, AGM and Lithium are also used in public transit, aviation, wheel chairs, and scooters.

Some aren't approved for transport via certain vehicles, but they're certainly approved for starting those vehicles and maintaining on-board systems.

 

[66HertzClone]

I just missed getting sprayed by one, I was working at an auto parts store and a guy came in asking for some help with a battery. I grabbed the Milton battery load tester and out the door we went, he reached in the car and pulled the hood release, I reached under the lip and lifted the hood. I look at the battery and see a vent of steam about two foot long is shooting from the vent on the case. I drop the hood and back away, telling the guy he has a charging system issue, and needs to get the voltage regulator replaced. He thanks me and when he turned the key to start the car I heard a muffled pop and more steam vented from under the hood. It left the parking lot on the back of a tow truck.

 

[doorfx]

Flooded cell, AGM and Lithium are also used in public transit, aviation, wheel chairs, and scooters.



Some aren't approved for transport via certain vehicles, but they're certainly approved for starting those vehicles and maintaining on-board systems.

Sorry , approved for transport "by" public transit,aviation etc.

 

[Revelations]

Lets not forget Samsung... I lucked out when Walmart only had the S7 instead. Was too lazy to run all over town to get a Note 7.

Sent from a Galaxy far far away.

 

[Ree75]

In case anyone wanted to see

 

[Throbbin Rods]

In 1973 I was working at a Ford dealership. Went to bring in a trade in to do some work on it and the battery was dead. I went in and grabbed the jumpers and the useless service manager insisted that he come and help me. I got in the car and he hooked everything up. I asked if he was all set and the cables were all on good. Yep. Turned the key and blew the top off the battery! When we looked at the battery top the cable clamp was still hooked just to the bolt and nut. Never let him help me again.