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Re: Battery Exploded. Any Experience?

Have you been maintaining your battery fluid religously? If not that was most likely at fault or maybe the positive pole was pryed up during battery cable maintenance. The last comment probably didn't do it since that would vent out and create more corrosion at the cables. Your battery probably didn't have enough fluid and the vapors inside ignited...

As for the rest of your questions. Just keep an eye on your paint and continue to wash that part of the engine compartment.

All, > >The OEM battery (~6 years old) in my 98 GTI 4 cyl. exploded last night >in the parking lot of a grocery store as I was starting it. The padded >cover around the battery contained most of the spray, and so most of >the acidic water drained to the ground. I removed the battery and >promptly got two big boxes of baking soda and borrowed the stores hose >to hose down the engine compartment. I doused it with water for a good >15 minutes. Then, a few hours later, I went back and put a new Sears >Diehard International series battery in it. It started right up, and >everything seems good now. > >Here are my questions: >1) Has anyone else experienced this? >2) Any lasting effects from the battery water corroding stuff around >the battery? >3) Any lasting electrical effects, maybe caused by a voltage spike >from the battery exploding? >4) Any other advice or comments about the way I cleaned things up? > >Thanks, >ccp
Reply to
Peter Parker
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Fluid level was probably low, and the culprit. I can't figure out why I never bothered to check it on this car, since I did that just recently on another car of similar age. Just missed his one.

So by "continue to wash that part of the engine compartment" do you mean that there could still be residual acid on there now? I would think that once all the liquid dried that the acid would have to be effectively nuetralized. Maybe this is incorrect thinking on my part.

ccp

Reply to
ccp

Jim B.

Reply to
jimbehning

Jim B.

Reply to
jimbehning

I think demineralized is the same as destillated.

Reply to
Peter Parker

demineralized water sold in drugstores?

I think demineralized is the same as destillated.<

Uh, guys...the term is "distilled," meaning pure H2O. Theoretically, that's what you are supposed to use in a storage battery. Realistically, it's expensive and hard to get, so clear, colorless, odorless water of any sort is the next best thing.

Reply to
Sid Schweiger

Jim B.

Reply to
jimbehning

First of all, don't worry about what caused the explosion. Forget about whether you had too much or not enough water, or the wrong kind of water. Battery explosions are more common today because the battery manufacturers use thinner casings now than in the past.

And, yes, you should clean everywhere you think the acid might have gone. Now, here's the important point. LOOK BELOW THE BATTERY. I once had a battery explode, and I cleaned everything from the top. But the battery acid flowed down and ate away all my brake pad material. The next day I hear a loud grinding noise from the front when I apply the brakes. I look and there's no pad material left at all. The pad backing dug into the rotor. Result, one new rotor and new front brake pads. So, check everwhere below the battery where the acid could have gone.

Reply to
dmkozak

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