What happens when a car battery blows up?

kenimpzoom

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I know how a car battery can blow, but what happens?<br /><br />Is there a small explosion, a big one, does acid fly every where, is there a fire?<br /><br />Have you ever personally seen one? how did it happen?<br /><br />Ken
 

heyttown

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Re: What happens when a car battery blows up?

Ive heard one blow up, and saw the smoke come rolling out the hood for a few seconds......Spent about 20 minutes checking all the fuses then happened to look at the battery, it blew the top cap off on one side......When I inspected it,the battery was completly dry....... My buddy was lucky I was there to drive him to get a new battery.
 

Bondo

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Re: What happens when a car battery blows up?

I've seen Dented hoods.......<br />Every 1 I've seen it Blew the Top off the battery,..... Sometimes the terminals,.. Sometimes just the case, atleast down to the seam........<br /><br />Standing Over it,.. Looking Down,.... Is NOT the place to Be,.. When it Happens............
 

ZmOz

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Re: What happens when a car battery blows up?

Depends on the battery. Yes, they can create quite a mess, throwing lots of acid. Hydrogen is one of the most explosive things you can find.
 

Laddies

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Re: What happens when a car battery blows up?

Had a good freind lose a eye in a battery explosion, as a battery is charged it produces hydrogen gas any spark will cause a explosion, it depends on the amount of gas that has gathered in or around the battery, my freind was disconnecting a trickle charger that he had already unpluged from the outlet, no one knows what caused it---Bob
 

nothreat

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Re: What happens when a car battery blows up?

Happened to me several years ago. Still not sure what happened. It was cold outside (sub 20) and wouldn't start. Cranked slow but know start. Car was carburetor and I was choking it while someone else cranked. No big boom. The case jsut cracked and spewed liquid all over my coat and pants. They were ruined. No eye protection so I was lucky. I ran in and washed off real quick. It would be a pressure explosion from boiling the liquid, not combustion, so I wouldn't expect any flames. I would think pressure anyway.
 

JB

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Re: What happens when a car battery blows up?

Saw one explode from across the street. It was on a charger and in the car with the hood up. One heckofa bang, blew the hood off the car and there was a cloud of vapor. Several guys were sprayed with acid but no serious injuries.<br /><br />Heard about one that was in a closed cabinet on a charger (Wincharger system) that destroyed the shed when it went off. Nobody was in the shed so it only caused a lot of damage and some soiled shorts.
 

Reel Poor

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Re: What happens when a car battery blows up?

Had a 70 model Chevy Nova many years ago. One day while driving I heard a loud KABOOOM, didnt know what it was. Stopped at a store and when I got ready to leave the Nove wouldnt crank. Got out,raised the hood. Man what a mess. Battery acid was all over my handy-work under the hood. I was sick!!!!!<br /><br />After installing new battery and checking charging system, learned that the voltage regulator had failed, so alternator was charging at a rate of about 18 to 19 volts, unregulated.<br /><br />Also saw the result of a spare tire explosion. It was in the trunk of a Lincoln Mark. The expolsion was tremendous, it sprung the hinges on the rear deck lid and also bent it. The deck lid was bent up about two inches above the rear finder, at one spot, and the latch was jammed. When we finally got the trunk open he couldnt believe what he saw.The owner said he, his wife, and some of their neighbors had heard an explosion Saturday evening but could never figure out what it had been. <br /><br />"That must be what we heard explode saturday evening!!!!!!" :eek:
 

Mark42

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Re: What happens when a car battery blows up?

I blew one up by putting a tire iron across the terminals to see if it was dead or if I could get a spark. It welded itself right onto those terminals and 5 seconds later.... BOOM! Off came the whole top of the battery, acid everywhere. Lucky for me I decided leave the area after 3 seconds of trying to yank the iron off... ;) <br /><br />"Gee boss, I don't know what happened to that tractor... Just uncrated it and went to start it and boom!" <br /><br />Did you know that battery acid takes the paint of a brand new tractor? :rolleyes: <br /><br />As a kid, I did some really stupid things.
 

dolluper

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Re: What happens when a car battery blows up?

This wouldn't have anything to do with the La Salle and it's POSITIVE ground Seen a few blow but the ones I saw the caps blew off and sides cracked not big bangs just a pop,pop then the crack ,the sides swelled pretty good too,a mess to clean up
 

Nos4r2

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Re: What happens when a car battery blows up?

I saw a friend accidentally blow one up on a bike by forgetting that you always put the positive on first when refitting.. He shorted it out for a millisecond and it blew the top into his face.<br /><br />he was lucky he was wearing sunglasses-and lucky I was hosing another bike down at the time.I just turned the hose straight on his face and clothes.
 

rwise

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Re: What happens when a car battery blows up?

I have blown the caps from a lawn tractor battery, had the top on a 6 volt (rebiult) melt the entire top as tough it was on fire inside, and seen one blow up when useing jumper cables (connected + to + and - to -) but he connected both cables to the battery, sent him to the shower! Never seen anyone get hurt, thats the good part of it.
 

kenimpzoom

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Re: What happens when a car battery blows up?

No reason to ask, just curious as to what happens.<br /><br />Thanks for the stories guys.<br /><br />Ken
 

Pascal

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Re: What happens when a car battery blows up?

Had this one blow on me. <br /><br />
2IMG_0147.jpg
<br /><br />Dumb a$$ that I am some times - never took the caps off to check the electrolyte level before charging it. Just looked at the case and the cells all looked about the same so I a$$umed that all were full. NOT!! I knew better too!! Completely dry.<br /><br />After charging, I removed the charger cables and while the hood was up, went to start the truck. The battery top deflected off the tip of the hood and hit the wall 25 ft up the side of the shop.<br /><br />Battery was dead, dry and the plate connectors were cracked and arced under starter load.<br /><br />
2pIMG_0151.jpg
<br />Hope the pics show up :)
 

JGREGORY

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Re: What happens when a car battery blows up?

Went to start my 95 escort one night and heard a loud pop under the hood when I turned the key. When nothing worked opened the hood and saw that the battery caps were off and there was a buldge in the side. <br /><br />Here's were it gets funny.<br />Went to walmart for warrenty replacement (battery was only about 6mths old) Not only did I get a new battery when I did the exchange the stupid clerk behind the counter gave me back the purchase price of the battery. I told her it was a warrenty exchange twice still gave me the money. Fine by me if Walmart wants to give away money.
 

Peter J Fraser

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Re: What happens when a car battery blows up?

I had an N200 (BIG 12v 25 plate) blow up on me years back.<br />It was in a truck and the tipping body was right down fortunately as that deflected all the acid sideways. Nothing on my skin but my clothes sure got some holes in them later.<br />Very hard of the ears. Like a shotgun blast.<br />Peter
 

fixin

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Re: What happens when a car battery blows up?

I had a 74 Camaro with a Interstate bat in it,that blew.Took out half the inner-fender and put a small dent in the hood.
 

roscoe

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Re: What happens when a car battery blows up?

1987 gmc van going down the highway, 10 am Saturday, 500 miles from home on the second day of our vacation, when everything went dead. <br /><br />Opened hood, case was blown apart and acid everywhere.<br />By 11am we were in the NAPA parking lot, and by 2pm we were back on the road with a new alternator and battery.<br /><br />NAPA guys did all the clean up, repairs, and a little extra for us, and stayed 2 hours past closing time to get it done for us.<br /><br />THANK YOU to the NAPA guys.<br /><br />I sure hope this never happens to one of my boat batteries when I'm sitting next to it.
 

keelhauled

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Re: What happens when a car battery blows up?

I had a bank of sealed lead-acid batteries blow up at work... they were in battery backups for some networking equipment. Lightning struck the building transformer and bulged these batteries about a half inch on each side. Amazingly, they didn't leak and none of the network equipment was damaged.<br /><br />The UPS units were toast, however. They did all that they were supposed to do.
 

Rudderman

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Re: What happens when a car battery blows up?

I know a blacksmith who was working in his workshop one day when one of his employees working beside him exploded a battery because they were welding something on a car at the time. The boss now has a glass eye.
 
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