Battery Exploded...Video / Photos

[davemhughes]

Well my 35hp turbo SAME ran fine yesterday. It started a little a slow...like battery was under charged but it had been a couple of weeks since I last ran it. I parked it as under the machine shed area. Then I noticed later in the day I was getting a bad right rear flat so I went to start it and the when I turned the key it just went click click click....like battery was dead.

Hooked up the smart charger over night and went out this morning and turned the key and BOOM!!!!! I think I have some other than just a bad battery, something maybe in the charging system.

Photos and video below


2006 35hp Turbo Diesel SAME (Duetz)

700hrs....no real issues other that the key ignition switch recently stopped killing the engine when turned off. Starts fine but continues to run when turned off.....kill it by lugging it down in high gear.









src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/khDa6wmNyeM"

 

[flyerdan]

What probably happened is that you have a bad cell in the battery, which caused the slow starting and eventually discharged it. When charging, it wouldn't get to the proper voltage so it overcharged, venting off Hydrogen gas, which ignited when you activated the starter, causing a spark that backfed into the boiling cell, which would appear to be #3 or 4.
A new battery after a washdown of the area with baking soda and water should cure the problem, don't see any system problems indicated.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Afternoon Dave,
It kind of sounds like the selenoid is trying to engage when you were pushing that fuse in. Definitely some electrical issues.
I don't have an answer on that problem, but I would suggest that you neutralize any areas that may have gotten covered with battery acid !

scotty

 

[davemhughes]

Thank you, I washed the whole engine compartment as well as the front of the tractor to get the battery acid removed. Talk about a surprise....almost dove for cover when it went off :shocked:

I kind of thought I had a bad cell on the battery afterward but perplexed as to the other items noted in the video. As much as I hate to have to do it, I might have to take it to the dealer....painful $$ so i would like to try to solve this. :confused3: I don't want to drop a new battery in until I hve sorted out those items as I am concerned something caused the bad cell given what happen to the antigravity jump pack

 

[pen411]

Have you checked the alternator output? It possible the voltage regulator is bad and it's pumping 40+ volts into the battery and charge pack.

 

[davemhughes]

No , very good thought.

 

[ultrarunner]

I had a battery explode on me... my clothes were in tatters in a few minutes... lucky I had just turned to no acid in the eyes... my hearing was impaired for awhile from the sound.

This is when I learned to always check the old style batteries to make sure the area about the plates is all liquid and to add distilled water if not.

If there is no room for gas in the battery there will not be any...

 

[oldpilgrim]

What probably happened is that you have a bad cell in the battery, which caused the slow starting and eventually discharged it. When charging, it wouldn't get to the proper voltage so it overcharged, venting off Hydrogen gas, which ignited when you activated the starter, causing a spark that backfed into the boiling cell, which would appear to be #3 or 4.
A new battery after a washdown of the area with baking soda and water should cure the problem, don't see any system problems indicated.

This is exactly what happened. I had it happen to me.

 

[dragoneggs]

I had a battery explode on me... my clothes were in tatters in a few minutes... lucky I had just turned to no acid in the eyes... my hearing was impaired for awhile from the sound.

This is when I learned to always check the old style batteries to make sure the area about the plates is all liquid and to add distilled water if not.

If there is no room for gas in the battery there will not be any...

That's scary! Probably a good lesson for wearing safety glasses even when you are not thinking you need them around the shop and such.

 

[ultrarunner]

Yep... I was 12 and connecting a battery charger to a 1970 Caprice.

People came out to see what had happened... it was loud and shards flew.

Part of the reason to make the last connection to ground not on the battery but a distance away.

 

[kc5dlo]

I had 2 batteries explode in a 1972 Chevelle. Both times they exploded when trying to start the car after sitting overnite. The first time it happened the whole case to the battery was blown apart. I called Sears and told them what happened and that the battery was less than a year old. The guy said bring all the parts in they would swap it out. I got an old rusty galvanized wash bucket and with a pair of pliers picked up as many pieces as I could and put them in the bucket. The guy at sears fished around the bucket a bit and said OK. After I got home I rinsed out the wash bucket and the inside bottom shined like new!
Another time the battery blew similar to the one in the picture. I loved that car but it had too many electrical gremlins to keep. I had the voltage regulator and alternator checked both times and no problem was found with them.

 

[PILOON]

Scarier even was a buddy's small aircraft (Aircoup) in which the battery exploded shortly after takeoff.
Acid was less of a problem than were his drawers.
He gave up flying after that.

 

[TractorGuy]

I would venture to guess a loose connection at the battery caused the spark that ignited the fumes produced from charging.

I would clean terminals, install a new battery, start engine, and check voltage output then go from there. If it starts okay and not putting out more than 15 volts it should be good to go.

 

[dickfoster]

No , very good thought.

Definitely check the alternator output for proper voltage regulation even before you connect it to a new battery. Disconnect the charge lead from the alternator then run the tractor from the battery alone then check the alternator output voltage with a voltmeter. When you know it's good you can reconnect it to the new battery and figure the problem was a shorted cell or something but if the voltage it too high it will simply destroy your new battery.

In an alternator the voltage regulator reads the output voltage on the output terminal and regulates the current in field coil in the rotor to maintain the proper voltage level at the output generally 14.something volts. The output of the stator windings which is multiphase AC is rectified by diodes typically connected as a full wave bridge to make DC voltage which is then applied to the output terminal.

Besides bearings, the usual failure item in an alternator are the brushes which conducts DC current from the output and regulator to the coil in the rotor.

I had a regulator go bad on me once and it swelled an AGM battery up like a toad, of course ruining it. It was vented so it didn't explode but it must have been close. One of the nice things about AGM batteries is that all the acid is fully absorbed into glass mats so there is none to splash and spill all over the place like there is in a wet cell battery.

 

[tcartwri]

Likely battery case was cracked and let most of the fluid out. When you charged it the gasses accumulated under the cover and got touched off by a spark. I had a golf cart battery explode in my face because of this. The battery cap went right past my head and luckily there was no acid left to splash me.

 

[buickanddeere]

Too many people are complacent around batteries and do not consider the energy within.

 

[ultrarunner]

Remember the Hindenburg when it comes to hydrogen... maybe too many are too young?

 

[CobyRupert]

Remember the Hindenburg when it comes to hydrogen... maybe too many are too young?

"Oh the humanity!"

 

[dickfoster]

Remember the Hindenburg when it comes to hydrogen... maybe too many are too young?

Even I am too young for that. They only used hydrogen because we would not sell them helium which was considered a strategic material then. We would not sell it to Germany so they couldn't use it for airships to bomb the rest of Europe, which they did in WWI. Helium is mined and the US has or had most of the world's supply of it in the natural gas fields in TX and OK.

 

[davemhughes]

Lots of great info. I really think the built in VR went in the alternator as someone stated. I wonder if the battery was being over charged the day before when I was using it and cause a short in the battery. Then after charging it over night and turning the key sparked inside and Boom.

The Antigravity jump pack I put on it to start it afterward was only connected like 1 minute when I took it off (tractor kept running) and the battery in the anitgravity was very swollen and warm.

SO I purchased a new Mitisubishi A7T02071C alternator as that is what seems to fit the 4cyl Mitisubishi Diesel engine I have in my SAME and looks exactly the same. The plate on the alternator I pulled off today was worn and could not read the last numbers. Called the dealer but......so ordered off Amazon.

Them once I get that sorted out I have sort out the key switch that will not kill the engine when turned off and that once fuse in the video.

Great info you guys....thanks