<VV> Battery Expllosion

[Gary Swiatowy]

One reason I do not beleive in a battery tender is it generates some fumes 
from the battery.
A marginal connection at the terminal and hitting the key can cause your 
accident.
If a battery is bad, it's bad. If it's good, it will hold it's own charge 
for 6 month's without a tender and the terminal disconnected.

I have blown up my share of batteries, twice while looking directly at them 
and attaching jumper cables(thank god I wear glasses).
And one that happened similar to your incident, under a closed hood by 
turning the key.
None of mine though happened in a Corvair.

Gary Swiatowy

> From: "Bill Hubbell" <whubbell at cox.net>
> Subject: <VV> Battery Explosion
>
> I was in the final stages of getting my 1964 Stock Sedan ("Alice") ready 
> to
> go to the Corvette Musuem this morning.  I had pushed the car out into the
> driveway to do some last minute items and having finished I got in the car
> to start it up and back it into the garage.  The minute I turned the key
> there was a loud "BANG", kind of like a backfire.  Of course, the car went
> dead.  I immediately got out and opened the engine compartment to discover
> that the battery had exploded.  I suppose that after 10 years it was due 
> to
> fail, but I had always kept it well maintained and on a battery tender, so
> this was a bit of a surprise, to say the least.
>
> I spent the next couple hours removing the battery and all the pieces that
> were blown into the engine compartment, then neutralizing the acid by
> flushing with water and baking soda.  Even though it blew right into the
> main electrical harness it looks like there will be no damage to the car
> other than the battery and a couple of stained plastic parts.
>
> I count myself lucky that this happened at home in my driveway instead of
> when I was on the road, such as this past summer.
>
> Bill Hubbell