OT Car Battery Explodes

I have news server downloading and especially posting problems. I have posted an update (slightly expanded) version of this message after I received a posting failure message. Both generated posting failure message but the above one did manage it through - after more than 12 hours.

Some postings are possibly still circling the internet - so there might be duplications. My apologies if these duplicates do reach your.

Gerhard van den Berg

or, you're being monitored and filtered.

(...)

Thank you for your thought - provoking post and for your sense of humor!

--Winston

They only do that to paranoid trolls and fools, like you.

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

--
The analogy is weak because it's never a good reason to run with
scissors, while in some cases it may be necessary or desirable to wash
a battery down with a baking soda-water solution, or even to directly
apply baking soda powder to the battery.

Sure! Is the battery cracked and leaking? Is the battery on fire?

I would apply several pounds of baking soda!

(Welcome back, John.)

We have agreed to disagree on that point. Neither of us have provided scientific data to support our opinions. Sad, but there it is.

I meant every word literally at face value. No sarcasm intended.

You'd grant me that level of control over your emotions?

I don't understand why you feel that way but I accept your feelings.

(...)

Huzzah!

About sodium sulfate? Nope. Still don't care.

I'm hip. Why is that?

Heh! No. There would be no USENET if we had to support our beliefs with scientific data. USENET is opinion, mostly. (IMHO)

Can you cite the double - blind, peer - reviewed studies supporting that conclusion or is it just another USENET opinion. :)

I shall put that on my resume.

Friendly. Curious. Involved. Concerned. Generous. Thoughtful. Gregarious. Yes, I agree with you.

OTOH, you had baking soda as the only thing left in the cell after the reaction. We'll call it a draw.

I forgive your boo - boo, too John. "..two molecules.." was not intended literally.

We agree twice in one day! Good!

I still don't have the time, resources or inclination to do the science.

I assumed that this issue was as relatively unimportant to you as it is to me.

I merely asked if you were really indicating that you were interested in scientifically studying the issue.

You implied that you had the time, resources and inclination to do the real science; I was merely being supportive of that. I remain so.

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We are surrounded by folks who would appreciate a solid scientific foundation rather than have to listen to more 'hand waving', IMHO. Besides, I *love* to read stuff that I don't understand! :)

(...)

I always was gregarious.

Your wisdom pales in comparison to your honesty.

--Winston

Wow, did i ever screw up on this one.

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Cute, but since when is this about post-mortem procedures?

--
Good man! :-)

(...)

Are ya really disagreeing with my agreement with your statement?

Just call me "Friendly. Curious. Involved. Concerned. Generous. Thoughtful. Gregarious and Trusting."

So then you agree with me or you are neutral on the subject? That's what it means when you "don't disagree", yes?

The redox equation proves my point as far as it goes, John.

Because of that, I continue to contend that it is economically risky for a person to bring a base into contact with his or her wet plate lead acid battery, especially since, all else being equal, that battery can continue to perform acceptably well without any such introduction.

I've never heard of an individual who rescued a battery simply by replacing the electrolyte in one cell. (Arguably one could easily ruin a battery through a specific gravity imbalance of one cell vis a vis the others, especially by mixing up an insufficiently acidic batch of electrolyte for that one cell.)

For example, industry practice for lead acid wet cells is to maintain variation in SG to less than 0.02 (two points) from cell to cell. (That is an accuracy of less than +- 1%).

See the paragraph "Equalizing Charge" at the bottom of page 14:

(...)

That mediation would not likely happen at all, let alone 'in a timely manner', as a practical matter.

100% accurate metaphors are as rare as a budget surplus but not quite as rare as 'management ethics'. :)

(Both risky behaviors are unnecessary.)

Um. John?

Taken in context the entire statement means that I am content with a common - sense answer but that I remain open to change, if Science should produce a different, more correct answer.

That's the way I roll. :)

Is there a problem? I mean that literally. No sarcasm.

Flame? What flame?

How good a flame could I have produced being a: pontifical, stupid, smug, uneducated, half-baked, condescending, pompous, persistent, nauseating, uppity guy with egg on my face?

My boss used to call me 'uppity'. (I added that to my description.)

My respect gets earned.

For some, it is earned instantaneously. For others, well..... :)

Hee hee. :)

I claimed no authority. Well OK 'informed consumer'. I've had good - to excellent performance from many car batteries that have been under my care for many years. I must be doing something right. :)

As a practical matter, I *do* believe that sodium bicarbonate poisoning of a wet cell lead acid battery is irreversible.

You got *that* right.

'Disaster'? No. Economically risky? Yes.

Here's more opinion:

Us consumers are highly unlikely to have the knowledge, tools and skill necessary to carry out that particular rescue in a sufficiently timely manner, as a practical matter, even if it did work, IMHO.

Personally, I would much rather spend the odd $100 for a replacement battery than even attempt to match battery acid concentration to within less than +- 1%.

Most of us will simply pay someone who possesses a tiny subset of those resources. *That* person does not attempt to repair the battery either. They just swap in a new battery and send us on our way.

Let's keep it real, y'all.

(...)

Can I quote you?

(...)

If I get out of this just by admitting that I'm a "misinformed, opinionated lout" can I keep the egg on my face?

(...)

No worries mate. I pride myself on my unimportance. (One must excel at something, or what is a Heaven for?)

(...)

It's just a cost of being 'sunny side up', I suppose.

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Why not? You have every right to, in most states.

(...)

Just a suggestion, John.

(Takes deep breath)

An arrogant, pontifical, stupid, smug, uneducated, half-baked, condescending, pompous, persistent, nauseating, uppity guy with egg on my face?

I'm not insulting though, am I John?

That is what you meant to say. Yes.

You are welcome.

(A trypo is when you intend to misspell, but have only a 50% chance of success?)

Earlier I engaged in a hyperbolic statement about an equalizing charge being sufficient to balance the cell - to - cell electrolytic acidity even if as much as two molecules of baking soda were introduced into one of the cells in an otherwise functional battery.

My mention of the 'two molecules' was merely humor and not intended to be taken as fact. Perhaps as many as four molecules could be counteracted if the cell were large enough.

(...)

I do find your posts 'insufficient' but not in terms of quantity or length.

You disagreed with my characterization.

Are you disagreeing with your disagreement now?

(Please say 'no' because I want to go on record as prompting someone to disagree disagreeing with their disagreement.)

'Parting shots'? Why would you say that?

Both of us are much more honest than we are wise, after all.

--Winston