Car battery exploded

[VapourXR]

So I go to check my coolant level after the coolant light came on and discover what looks like water droplets under the bonnet. Being bone dry outside, I decided to investigate how it would have got there. Proceeding to touch the unknown liquid it feels almost like lubricant. After a few seconds my finger started to sting and I happened to look down at the battery. I have recently bought a new exide one as the original one needed jumping a lot (06 plate), and it appeared that the indicator light had popped out and the acid had spewed everywhere!

 

 

Having just bought the battery it should be under warranty, and hopefully will have no trouble getting it replaced. However, it has caused quite a bit of damage to the surrounding area, corroding metal, eating away at the paintwork by the strut, and the engine cover. I'll be getting on to exide and seeing if there is any chance of claiming for damages.

 

Has anyone else had anything like this happen before? Or is there a likely cause for this?

 

Original battery is now fitted back in as a temporary solution, just requires a jump if left stood for a few days.

 

This is my first post, and I only bought the car two months ago as I have wanted one for ages, however the list of issues keeps growing! I'm in love with it when it works as it should!

[TeflonTom]

Excess gassing inside the battery, either caused by overcharging or the gass blow off vent is stuck.

[@Lee]

where in Southampton are you?

[VapourXR]

If it was overcharging wouldn't the old battery already have suffered a similar fate?

I'm a student at Southampton so I'm living right near the highfield campus.

[@Lee]

If it was overcharging wouldn't the old battery already have suffered a similar fate?

I'm a student at Southampton so I'm living right near the highfield campus.

Not necessarily, no

 

I'd return the new battery and ask for an exchange/ refund. Where was it from?

[sepulchrave]

If it was overcharging wouldn't the old battery already have suffered a similar fate?

 

Maybe it did which is why it's dead?

[Updown789]

Be sure to clean the acid off all of the affected area, and neutralise it too. Otherwise it may continue to corrode anything it is in contact with

[rover220]

Vent bungs left in?

[Breezy_Pete]

Measure voltage across battery terminals with engine running, before fitting any more new batteries. More than 14.5 would indicate a voltage regulator problem.

[VapourXR]

Thanks for the replies guys, greatly appreciated. I have just tested across the battery with my multimeter and was getting a reading of 14.1V. I read it somewhere saying it was best to have electronics turned on so I had all the lights and fans on when testing this. What do the vent bungs look like? May sound like a stupid question, but I've not come across them before and I fitted a battery to my last car with no problem. 

[Breezy_Pete]

Try measuring again, with no loads switched on.

[VapourXR]

Measured at 14.35V with nothing switched on but the engine. Would this change over the revs possibly? 

[Richf]

Thanks for the replies guys, greatly appreciated. I have just tested across the battery with my multimeter and was getting a reading of 14.1V. I read it somewhere saying it was best to have electronics turned on so I had all the lights and fans on when testing this. What do the vent bungs look like? May sound like a stupid question, but I've not come across them before and I fitted a battery to my last car with no problem.

The vent bungs are the black things at the top of the sides of the battery. They look still in place to me but it's hard to be sure . It's important to remove them when fitting

[VapourXR]

I don't remember removing anything when fitting the battery, so I expect they will be. Are they only on certain batteries then? I'm away from my house at university where I left the old battery so can't check currently. If this is the cause then it's surprising there wasn't any warnings/ instructions for less experienced people like me.   

[hutchysrs50]

It's more for maintenance free battery's, helps vent gasses since the fumes are toxic that come from a battery while being charged, not that anyone noticed or does anything

Most I've seen are red and L shape coming out the side of the battery.

[xman]

Usually this is due to overcharging, but you say 14.3 volts which is OK, try revving the engine with no electrical load and check of doesn't go higher than 14.5.

So other guess is there is a faulty cell causing the other cells to overcharge. Remove battery and send it back.

IMPORTANT! HOSE DOWN THE BATTERY TRAY AND EVERYTHING AROUND THAT AREA, OPEN THE FUSE CARRIER ON TOP OF THE BATTERY AND WASH THAT TOO. ACID WILL EAT THROUGH EVERYTHING!

[Breezy_Pete]

Measured at 14.35V with nothing switched on but the engine. Would this change over the revs possibly? 

Shouldn't do if all is well; that's kinda the point of the voltage regulator, setting an optimum voltage and trying to keep up to it where revs/loading allow, but never allowing the voltage to go above it.

I think you've ruled out overcharging, but just check the voltage with no loads on doesn't rise (above that 14.35) if you lift and hold the revs at say 2000 for a bit (as xman says above).

[Richf]

 

 

 

 

 

If the vent bungs are in place the battery is likely to explode since hydrogen (I think) gas is produced by the battery during charging and this needs to vent, these bungs are only fitted for transit to stop the acid leaking out

 

There is usually a sticker attached to the battery warning you , or on the packaging somewhere

 

Doubt there is any need to check the charging , the picture does seem to show the vent plugs are there , as said good flush down with a hose pipe , leave to dry and fit a new battery , lesson learnt

[Breezy_Pete]

I don't see anything resembling a vent plug? Can the OP investigate if there are any removable bits?

Why would there be more than one?

Wouldn't they be the thing(s) that blew out even if left in accidentally, rather than the magic eye?

[Richf]

I don't see anything resembling a vent plug? Can the OP investigate if there are any removable bits?

Why would there be more than one?

Wouldn't they be the thing(s) that blew out even if left in accidentally, rather than the magic eye?

They need to be levered out so I assume they are in there tighter , certainly looks like a black vent plug to me , perhaps the OP can confirm

 

[Breezy_Pete]

The only pertinent instruction I can see by googling Exide premium EA770 says "Do not open or remove vents"

Section C of this page.

Not trying to be argumentative, just curious.

[Richf]

Bought this battery about 6 weeks back

Sticker put on by company and also mentioned in the instructions that are stuck on the side of the battery

[VapourXR]

I've emailed the seller and he also mentioned the vent plugs. There definitely wasn't anything protruding out that looked out of the ordinary or I would have noticed. I'm not currently with the battery as I've gone to Devon for the week (using old battery). From googling about the vent plugs there doesn't seem to be much info on them, however, I am surprised they have designed it in a way that destroys the battery if left in. 

 

Cheers for the link to that documentation, if it is these vent plugs then I may be able to use that to claim for a new one.

[Richf]

Either that or leaking acid in transit

[xman]

There is no vent plug on that exide battery, modern lead-calcium batteries don't vent gas but recombine internally,,hence the maintenance free.

Acid spillage is either a cracked case or, as I believe here, thermal runaway

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&ei=rZYZVY2IIInvaMGygvAB&url=http://www.alber.com/Docs/Brochure_WhitePaper_Thermal.pdf&ved=0CCMQFjAC&usg=AFQjCNERPycXrnAbbowuOKag2fxFQsvWHA

The acid boiled and forced its way through the safety vent which is the charge indicator window.

Edited 30 March, 2015 by xman