OT Car Battery Explodes

Modern battery caps don't 'tighten'. They are ganged, tapered plugs that 'push on', sometimes perfectly straight.

Screw - type cell caps have been extinct for a very long time.

Look at a modern auto battery:

The case is shaped in a way that funnels the baking soda solution *into* the cells.

Yes. Until the battery fails.

This sage advice was probably written back in the days of the old 'screw cap' battery, and never corrected as batteries changed. In the old days, you 'got away with it' because the shape of the battery top directed the slurry away from the vent opening in the top the cells:

Over the last few years, it has become clear to me that many 'professionals' provide information that is dangerously incorrect. Some of them are actually aware that they are doing so. Some of them actually call themselves 'Doctor'!

But I digress.

With the battery out of the vehicle, it is good and wise to use a baking soda slurry (and subsequent water rinse) to clean the vehicle and environs of spilled electrolyte. We agree there.

The battery itself can be rinsed with clear water and the area that it sat on can be neutralized with baking soda and water.

That approach is safe and economical for any wet cell lead- acid battery, IMHO.

--Winston

Any of them. Even the old screw tops could plug up. The hole was small to keep things out, and they were easy to plug.

It wasn't that long ago that I was told on this group that 'Car batteries don't explode'.

--
Politicians should only get paid if the budget is balanced, and there is
enough left over to pay them.

After sitting for two hours?

--
Politicians should only get paid if the budget is balanced, and there is
enough left over to pay them.

Wasn't it stated it blew during a start attempt? ...Jim Thompson

--
| James E.Thompson, CTO                            |    mens     |
| Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
| Phoenix, Arizona  85048    Skype: Contacts Only  |             |
| Voice:(480)460-2350  Fax: Available upon request |  Brass Rat  |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com |    1962     |

          Democrats are best served up prepared as a hash
           Otherwise my dogs will refuse to eat them :-)

--
In a sulfuric acid electrolyte the electrolysis reaction goes as:
2H2O(l) -> 2H2(g) + O2(g), so with the gases enclosed in a cell, you
lit off a Brown's gas bomb with a _very_ short fuse!

If by "soda water" you mean the fizzy drinkable stuff, then you should be aware that it is mostly water containing carbon dioxide under ( low ) pressure. That is a weak acid, and not terribly useful in neutralising another acid.

--
Regards,

Adrian Jansen           adrianjansen at internode dot on dot net
Note reply address is invalid, convert address above to machine form.

Many years ago I had a battery blow its top. Blew when I turned the key. Most likely there was a broken connection to the plates that ignited the hydrogen in the top of the battery. Just the top plastic was all shattered, There was a nice PoooPhhh and some white smoke. Fun removing it.

Cheers

Not that I can see in the original post:

----------------------------------------- Yesterday my wife's Toyota Corolla had a battery moment.

When she started the car, after it had been parked it for about two hours, there was a loud explosion.

The results of the battery's side splitting event can be viewed at

ftp://ftp.meraka.csir.co.za/pub/in/Battery_Explode/

The battery centre suggested it was possibly over charged. After I installed the new battery I measured a charging voltage of between 14.2 and 14.3 volts

- depending on the engine refs.

According to my knowledge a charging voltage of 14.2 to 14.3 volts is quite OK for a charged car battery.

Any suggestions why the battery exploded. The battery showed no signs of failing before the event, so I doubt that the battery level was low as someone suggested. I also topped up the battery with distilled water about 3 months ago.

Regards

Gerhard van den Berg

-----------------------------------------

--
Politicians should only get paid if the budget is balanced, and there is
enough left over to pay them.

(...)

aware that it is mostly water containing carbon dioxide under ( low ) pressure. That is a weak acid, and not terribly useful in neutralising another acid.

OTOH, tap water with a pH of 6 to 8 is much more neutral. Effective, plentiful and cheap. Pick any three. :)

--Winston

"When she started the car, after it had been parked it for about two hours, there was a loud explosion"

You didn't see that? It exploded when she started the car. Sort of lends credence to Jim's comment about a shorted starter.

tm

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Huh?

[snip] ...Jim Thompson

-- | James E.Thompson, CTO | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at

| 1962 |

Democrats are best served up prepared as a hash Otherwise my dogs will refuse to eat them :-)

aware that it is mostly water containing carbon dioxide under ( low ) pressure. That is a weak acid, and not terribly useful in neutralising another acid.

Seems to clean up "post crud" rather nicely... lots of experience. In fact, when replacing batteries, I soak the cable connectors in the "brew" first. I've used Sprite or 7-Up in a pinch, but those leave a sugar residue. ...Jim Thompson

--
| James E.Thompson, CTO                            |    mens     |
| Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
| Phoenix, Arizona  85048    Skype: Contacts Only  |             |
| Voice:(480)460-2350  Fax: Available upon request |  Brass Rat  |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com |    1962     |

          Democrats are best served up prepared as a hash
           Otherwise my dogs will refuse to eat them :-)

aware that it is mostly water containing carbon dioxide under ( low ) pressure. That is a weak acid, and not terribly useful in neutralising another acid.

I never tried that.

I shall file that away. Thanks, Jim!

--Winston

aware that it is mostly water containing carbon dioxide under ( low ) pressure. That is a weak acid, and not terribly useful in neutralising another acid.

Could be the "bubbly" lifts the crud :-) ...Jim Thompson

--
| James E.Thompson, CTO                            |    mens     |
| Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
| Phoenix, Arizona  85048    Skype: Contacts Only  |             |
| Voice:(480)460-2350  Fax: Available upon request |  Brass Rat  |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com |    1962     |

          Democrats are best served up prepared as a hash
           Otherwise my dogs will refuse to eat them :-)

(...)

I imagine the carbonic acid helps a bit too.

--Winston

Was it a made in China battery or a good one?

mike

The "two hours" means there wasn't any hydrogen under the hood, and the explosion on starting means either 1) the battery case was sealed _and_ there was a starting-driven ignition source inside the casing, or 2) intense, rapid heating, producing steam.

Did I miss anything?

-- Cheers, James Arthur

be aware that it is mostly water containing carbon dioxide under ( low ) p= ressure. That is a weak acid, and not terribly useful in neutralising anoth= er acid.

Click and Clack on Car Talk insist Coke works great. Phosphoric acid, apparently, is what does it. Great for sucking calcium out of your teeth and bones, too.

-- Cheers, James Arthur

One can charge a battery at a rate that will NEVER overcharge it. But hydrogen will STILL be generated - until there is no electrolyte left..