Topic: first school boy error!

[giles]

Hi Folks,
I haven't even picked my C5's up yet (plan to do so tomorrow) and I think I have made my first (of many per chance?!) school boy error!

I have charged a car battery without taking the small breather plug out.  The battery looked like it had been blown up with an airline and on removing the plug it released the considerable pressure.  No signes of leaking from the battery case.
Question:  Have I ruined the battery?

Cheers, Giles

[C5 ENTHUSIAST + RESTORER]

Hi there it sounds like you had a lucky escape the gas that was released was very explosive and any spark could have ignited it ...but charging a car battery should not involve taking out the breather pipe unless it was blocked ,If it was in a car how would you have done it ...

[mike7201]

What on earth is a 'breather pipe'??

[Durango2k]

Its a small pipe through which gasses evaporate.

My hillman Imp kit (I have a faible for weird brit cars I bet) has a breather hose on the crank case. Every car has one I bet, maybe Wankel not, but all 4stroke and all diesels....


Charging a battery produces Oxygen and H2, this is one of the most powerfull explosives in gas form known.

You should be able to reuse the battery, but please, OPEN the small filler caps next time. and open them NOW, and top the battery up with distilled or water with a very low chalk level.

Hell, if all else fails buy a HAYNES manual for an old english car...

Carsten

[Karl]

Glad nothing nasty happened - sounds like you had a close call there 

What battery is it and what charger where you using ?

Stuff like this doesn't normally happen so it would be useful to know what chargers and/or batteries we should be avoiding

[Retro Andy]

I dont think i would chance that battery, nasty thing acid if it goes bang, I would try another one, was it one with removable stoppers or a new'er type with the green dot ?

Retro Andy .

[Durango2k]

IF it goes BANG in a closed room, you would NOT try another battery.
Your eyes will be damaged by acid, your skin will be hurt by acid, your cloth be full with acid, and do not ask how the room would look like.

Ah, and still the floor would be covered with acid.

And then, there's the effect of the explosion itself.

Do yourself a favour, this IS a dangerous thing. Just believe me. I deal and do a lot with old cars, and I have seen a DS exploding under the bonnet. My chum did not look very happy when we put him under the cold water outlet for half an hour.
Carsten

[mike7201]

Carsten.  My current battery is a 048 12V battery.  It has screw caps at the top and pinholes on those caps.  Are these holes for ventillation for this exact purpose?  If so, does that mean I don't need to remove the caps whilst charging?  I haven't removed them and all has been well, but perhaps that's simply because there are ventillation holes.

[Durango2k]

I for my part open ALL of those holes, usually with a 60s brit penny (the huge one). Then, I top it up to be sure that the acid has the correct concentration. And THEN I charge it.

Carsten

[giles]

Carsten,
A fellow Imper??  Last year I had a Stiletto and this year a 72 Imp Super.  I'm a Member of the Imp club and go to all the rallys - including Impulse 09, and 'Going Dutch 09' great fun!

battery.....
As for my battery normally I would have removed the vent plug, I just forgot.  I think the best thing to do is take it to a battery tester (Halford normally do a free check) and see what they say.

Cheers, Giles

[Umpa]

From my experiance, halfords testing is a waste of time. I have a duff battery that passed their test.

Your best test is in the real world, just take the C5 out and go for a spin. You will soon know if it's any good or not.

[Durango2k]

Giles,

I remember having read your name somewhere on the IMP forum ?

I'm a bit still after a 998 :-). Now it's an Imp sport engine on twin carbs. Tried an 28/36 Weber- did not work that well. Maybe the Weber needs an 28/36, though I jetted it correctly (As far as you can find a jet reference).

My car is a Concept Centaur. Plastic fantastic !

IF I can manage it, I'll join DUTCH one day.

Sadly the imp forum is "dead" for me, as they almost closed it down for non-members. As I only store the Centaur and have no real interest in paying club royalties I keep it where it is and pay not- and do not help other Centaur owners....

Carsten
Carsten

[techytype]

lead acid batteries.

as a lad i was taught to remove the cell plugs to prevent explosions.

the problem is due to when charging especially from a powerful mains charger, the higher current available to a flat battery which will draw it, causes increased gases to be formed mainly Hydrogen which smells like rotten eggs.

not such a problem in the open, but in a confined space like garage or workshop this gas can collect to potentially dangerous level and not disperse, the slightest flash on the battery terminals or light switch can result in a nasty bang  .

the bulging of the battery casing might have been due to over voltage faults in the battery charger or with all due respects accidentally reversing the polarity of the charger to a flat battery. if so count yourself very lucky as a trainee mechanic i have seen a batch of motorcycle batteries under charge, express their dislike over such an error, by launching their battery posts all over a workshop - very loudly! frotunately i was not responsible but scared the living heck out of me.

regs
alan