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battery exploded

ram

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2011
Messages
259
Hi all
been a long time but life took some unexpected turns and it's been a rollercoster ride for past couple of years.
Wonder if anyone would no why my nearside battery exploded yesterday as i went to start my 80.
It started fine when i got back from india last week after 2.5 months and drove it to kettering last saturday went back to it yesterday and bang as soon as i turned the ignition key.
As it was the battery was just 2 months out of guarantee period so ordered the same one from the same company and got it delivered this morning.
Don't want to install until i find out what's going on.
Thank you in advance for the help.
 
Well typically an exploding battery is as a result of a direct short across the terminals or pretty close by.
 
Thanks Chris for a prompt reply
As far as i could see there was nothing unusual when i opened the bonnet, no wires touching or anything metals bits that could have touched both the terminals at the same time.
Is there anything i could check to make sure the new one doesn't end up exploding.
Thanks again
 
Hi all
been a long time but life took some unexpected turns and it's been a rollercoster ride for past couple of years.
Wonder if anyone would no why my nearside battery exploded yesterday as i went to start my 80.
It started fine when i got back from india last week after 2.5 months and drove it to kettering last saturday went back to it yesterday and bang as soon as i turned the ignition key.
As it was the battery was just 2 months out of guarantee period so ordered the same one from the same company and got it delivered this morning.
Don't want to install until i find out what's going on.
Thank you in advance for the help.
If it has got two batterys you should always change as a pair as it will pull the older battery down
 
Had it on buses where they do just explode i cant remeber to.much now apart from the noise
 
I might have blown up one of my varta's had i not remembered sometime after fitting it that i hadn't removed the vent bungs , only on close inspection was it obvious the battery looked inflated .
 
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Thank you Steve, i will replace the other one asap but not yet
Yes Stumog, will def. remember the noise.
 
Hi Shayne, long time, this was always sulphuring on the + and it did leak at one time.
 
Hey ram years in fact , batteries aren't faultless so you may be searching for a fault that doesn't exist .

As Steve says you should really replace both so why not swap the good one you have with new and risk blowing your older battery . Like as not it will be fine and if not you have confirmation there is a fault elsewhere .
 
Thanks Shayne That's a good idea but i'm sure they have different terminals, one's no. 250 and the nearside one is 249 from the supplier, still i'll have a look and see if there's a way around
Thank you
 
Just had a look if i could swap the batteries around and put the new in place of the good one (driver's side) and put the old one in place of the blown one but not possible to do due to terminals.
 
A couple of possibilities here Ram.
Check your charging voltage. Should be 14.4v give or take 0.1v if it’s been overcharging, there could have been some damage to the battery. Second, it’s not unknown for the lead connections to fracture inside the battery with age and vibration. Occurs more in cheaper batteries where the plates can be shorter and the connections longer. If this occurred and partly disconnected the battery, the high current drawn at start could have caused the remainder of the connection to act as a fuse and rupture at the instant you switched to start. The resultant arc flash from the break could have ignited hydrogen gas within the battery, causing it to explode.

Got any photos? Any broken blobby looking connections?

Shayne could be on to something with faulty valving or vent plugs not venting, causing internal pressure and leakage around the terminal.

Was a change of underwear required or does that constitute too much information?
 
I’m with the hydrogen/spark theory. I had a battery explode while charging on the bench in the garage when I foolishly decided to use an angle grinder on some metalwork in the vice completely forgetting about the battery barely 3 feet away. Fortunately it blew out the back of the battery facing the wall so the acid flooded the bench otherwise I probably wouldn’t be typing this. Won’t forget that lesson in a hurry!
 
Is yours 24 volt start or converted 12 volt start?....Just something to consider, Could be surge related on initial start up.... Or Not!....!
 
I’m with the hydrogen/spark theory. I had a battery explode while charging on the bench in the garage when I foolishly decided to use an angle grinder on some metalwork in the vice completely forgetting about the battery barely 3 feet away. Fortunately it blew out the back of the battery facing the wall so the acid flooded the bench otherwise I probably wouldn’t be typing this. Won’t forget that lesson in a hurry!
I remember that.
 
Is yours 24 volt start or converted 12 volt start?....Just something to consider, Could be surge related on initial start up.... Or Not!....!
Probably only in combination with another rare fault as in my earlier post.
 
Hi starcruiser like you said I think it got damaged and probably was overcharging, so probably combination of faults and my bad luck, the thing is i'm stuck in Kettering Nottinghamshire till next week and can't get to my local garage to check the voltage and i'm ashamed to say that i've owned the 80 for nearly 12yrs but still don't know anything about the electrical side and very little on mechanical side.
Higgy it's a 24volt system so could possibly be a surge because it blew up as soon as I turned the key.
Towpack it was quite loud.
Tried posting a photo but couldn't upload, will try again
Thank you all for your replies
Ram
 
I'm not so far from Kettering what voltage do you want checking ?
 
Hi David, i suppose it would be the charging voltage as starcruiser said.
Thank you
Ram
 
Hi all
update on the situation is that i called my breakdown provider this morning and had him instal the battery which he duly did. Now the situation is that the ignition and all the lights come on but the engine doesn't turn over, there is a faint click at the starter but nothing else, he checked the voltage on both the batteries and they were both about 12.5 and the fuses seem to be ok.
He suggested being recovered to a garage but wouldn't recommend anyone, he wasn't sure himself about the 24v start system and seemed to be surprised to see 2 batteries in the car.
Any suggestions? is there a fuse for the starter motor and where would it be?
Thanks
 
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