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me!! Exploding battery...
Anything and everything Spitfire.
Section : Electrical Equipment
Alternators, dynamos, lights, wipers, etc.
Posted By : Colin Lindsay, 15-Jul-2006,
07:45pm
So there I am, having just replaced the alternator fan on a mate's Spitfire 1500 on a gloriously sunny Saturday afternoon, and I ask him to start the
engine. There's a loud bang and bits actually fly over the roof of the house to land in the back yard. For some unknown reason the battery has exploded
blowing the top covers clean off.
After cleaning the car up I fit a replacement battery but the starter won't turn, and on borrowing the heavy duty item from the GT6 it won't start the car
either. A quick diagnosis finds a dead solenoid; replace that and the car runs even better than before.
I'm curious to know what made the battery explode - it was exposed to the sun for maybe thirty minutes at most when the bonnet was raised. It's a
maintenance free battery fitted by a previous owner so there's no way of telling what sort of state it had been in prior to the explosion. The solenoid
also failing is strange, the car had allegedly been hard to start before this - anyone have experience of this before, or can suggest why it may have
happened and so hopefully prevent it happening again?
Colin
These things are out to get me!! Exploding battery...
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Posted By : Kevin Rochfort, 15-Jul-2006,
08:03pm
Colin,
No idea about the cause, but make sure that all the acid is washed away an neutralised.
Copious quantities of bicarbonate of soda spread over everything and then washed down several times should do it.
Kevin
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Posted By : Jonathan Binnington,
15-Jul-2006, 08:35pm
colin, if the engine was runningthe alternator reg/rec pack has failed
if not the 't heat of 't sun has it, or a spark to ignite H2 and O2 kaboom!
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Posted By : Vin Poonwassie,
15-Jul-2006, 10:15pm
my spit was out all day today with the boot and bonnet open (dry out the french rain 'in' the car) in 27deg sun, battery exposed. Happy to say
it didn't explode, and happy to say I read this thread afterwards as I would've taken the battery out otherwise.
ah yes, battery acid not good for paint. Do they do the alternative like brake fluid? silicone batteries?......
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Posted By : Leon Guyot,
15-Jul-2006, 10:44pm
Gel Batteries, you can punch holes in them with large nails and they will not leak, you can turn them upside down and no leaking, they use
them in aircraft for that reason.
Find yourself a deep cycle yellow top or red top Optima Gel battery, most likely from a Land Rover dealer.
Regards
Léon
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Posted By : John Davies,
15-Jul-2006, 10:56pm
An explosion as powerful as you say HAS to be hydrogen + oxygen + a spark.
And from the state of the battery the explosion was inside it
An overcharged battery begins to electrolyse water into H + O.
So the question is, why were you 'replacing the fan on the alternator'?
Was it overheating?
Was the rectifier circuit broken and the battery being overcharged?
If so, the circuit is probably still broken.
STOP!
Go no further!
Another battery will suffer the same fate.
Sort out the alternator molto pronto.
JOhn
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Posted By : Brendon Elton,
16-Jul-2006, 10:07am
Obviously another quality item from "halfords"......
I agree with John, H+O+Spark=BANG
I would suggest checking the charge from the alternator/dynamo with a multimeter to see if its overcharging I would say 13.5v is
normal, 14v is pushing it and anything over 14v turn the engine off, you will only repeat the same scenario as the first
battery.....
Is it still under warranty? it says 3 years on the tin!
Regards,
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Posted By : John
Davies, 16-Jul-2006, 10:18am
Actually, Brendon, I've a lot of time for Halford batteries.
They are tough, cope with my racing vaugeries, eg leaving the water pump on a tad longer than intended - like overnight - and
running one right down by trying to use a minifridge on the way to LeMans.
AND, they honour their no-quibble exchange guarantee (see water pump).
Though I have to say that they might just quibble a teensie bit about this one.
John
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Posted By : Colin
Lindsay, 16-Jul-2006, 10:40am
Problem with the warranty on this one is that we don't know exactly where and when it was bought... however there was also
surprisingly little liquid in it when it did explode. Not exactly maintenance free, then....
Colin
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Posted By : John Davies, 16-Jul-2006, 12:40pm
"surprisingly little liquid in it when it did explode"
I think you've made my case.
An overcharged battery loses water, as it is transformed into oxygen and hydrogen, and leaves via the vents.
That gas is, of course, in a aperfect proportion for complete combustion and maximum explosive force,
As the water (acid) level falls, there is more space in the battery case, for more of the explosive mixture of
gases.
Eventually, I suspect that a dry cell sparked as you demanded starter current, and kaboom.
Never was better said, that battery was a bomb, waiting to go off, and your next one will be, unless you sort the
charging circuit.
John
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Posted By : Chris Taylor, 16-Jul-2006, 12:41pm
A surprising lack of liquid inside would also point to overcharging having electrolysed much of the water to H and O. A
battery can only be maintenance-free if the charging system prevents overcharging. Alternators are quite good at this,
dynamos with electro-mechanical control boxes less so.
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Posted By : Philip Willcocks, 16-Jul-2006, 01:03pm
The only time I've had a battery explode was when it was being fast-charged in direct sunlight, it exploded when
sparks from the angle grinder ignited it. So as John says, over-charged, hot, quality mix of oxygen and hydrogen
and an ignition source.
Now here's a question: if the battery is maintenance free, why are you able to remove the cover? wouldn't that be
so that you can check and top-up the levels?
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Posted By : John Davies, 16-Jul-2006, 02:38pm
There's an echo in here!
John
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Posted By : Frank Bell, 16-Jul-2006,
02:20pm
COLIN to stop this happening again isto stay away from batterys and wires . thanks goodness no one was hurt
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Posted By : Colin Lindsay,
16-Jul-2006, 02:22pm
Sorry Frank, the solution is to stay from Davey P., it was his Spit...
Incidentally, the top panels on this type of battery cannot easily be removed, there's no way or getting them prized off without damage - unless
they explode and blow them off from within...
Colin
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Posted By : Frank Bell, 16-Jul-2006,
02:46pm
A bit heavy handed way to take the top off . not one for the tip page then frank
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Posted By : Jonathan
Binnington, 16-Jul-2006, 05:23pm
check the ALTERNATOR out
reg/rec performance