Weasel

iTrader: (2)

I'm leaving my girlfriend's apartment, go to start the car, and I hear a loud pop. All electrics go dead (everything, no dome light or anything) and I see a puff of smoke from the hood. My car is only a month out from the alternator recall so I'm thinking great, my car's on fire. I smell battery acid very strongly, lift the hood, and it looks like the cover for the fill holes just popped off and the battery's dead. I think okay, I'll just get a new one. At this time it's midnight.

I head to Wally-mart in my girlfriend's car and pick up the super cheap-o special and go on back to her house. I get a good flashlight, open up the hood, and look around.

Oh boy.

The side of the battery is completely ripped open and I can see the cells inside. The top is broken apart from the rest of the battery. The whole engine bay smells strongly of acid. I start to realize this is more than I can handle in the parking lot of her apartment complex. I shut the disaster area and call the tow truck, since all my tools and supplies (aka my roommate's tools and supplies) are in my house. The car and I get home around 1:30am. Wearing very thick leather gloves I get to work in the engine bay. I also realized that I need new hood struts, but that's another very painful story.

Thanks to high school chemistry I came armed with baking soda, spreading it over most of the affected area. I used the scientific "spread until it doesn't sizzle anymore" method to clean it up. After making the engine bay looked like a cokehead sneezed on it, I put in the new battery and shut everything. The old one, leaks and all, is being held inside two garbage bags on the edge of the driveway until I figure out wtf to do with it.

Cliff's Notes: My battery exploded completely at random and I have a large lump on my head from the hood.

Now, questions:

- WTF do I do with the old battery? Walmart charged me a deposit for the new one until I bring the old one back (double wtf) but I really doubt they're equipped to handle this portable environmental disaster.

- Do I have a cause for compensation from Exide? I understand batteries die and it did have 40,000 miles on it or so, but this should never, ever happen. If I had been working on the car I might have been killed.

Thanks for reading.

HitManSE

iTrader: (1)

That blows, get an optima is what I can say. Ive never had many problem with either Optima or Interstate. Both brands ive used for several yrs (especially interstate) on customer vehicles w/o very few issues (if ever) I belive you could get the battery pro-rated but I say just screw it, toss the damn thing and pick up an optima. They dont have any water ect... to worry about. Im gonna switch to the Yellow top meself in the near future.
Take your portable HazMat (hazerdous material) to autozone or something, im sure they will get ride of it.

mzmtg

iTrader: (11)

The Exide battery I had didnt even last a year. Add my name to the list that think Exides suck.

nupe500

iTrader: (13)

Weasel,

Here's what to do...take as many picutres as possible and send them to EXIDE. Also could you send me a couple...I'm in the process of doing a battery evaluation at work and there's is one I'll be looking at. Also can you identify the date it was made? Man...I recommend going with Optima's right now. Please let me know and good luck with it all

O

CandiMan

iTrader: (1)

Even though this was/is a serious matter your wording was intertaining and funny pleasure to read. Now back to the case on hand. Batteries do explode for no reason as you can tell, usually due to a defective battery but can also be due to a faulty alternator over charging the battery. Which is what Exide will probably say if you go that route. I'll take your chemistry project back to Wally Mart for your core deposit, let them decide what to do with it. They should have the proper disposal method for projects like this because I know we did. To be honest I would think they would prefer to have the project with them instead of the possibilities of someone tossing it in the garbage.

Cutler

iTrader: (3)

DieHard is the way to go.

Sorry to hear about your hood...

Andrew

iTrader: (5)

better check those garbage bags...the battery acid is probably eating right through the plastic bag. Goto an autostore and get rid of it quick. Sorry to hear about your battery. I usually go AC Delco. Never had a problem with them.

ivelweyz

<-hugs his original, overweight, nissan battery...

Weasel

iTrader: (2)

Glad everyone liked my account of things, I guess sniffing the fumes made me a little creative. I find a more humor in it now than I did at the time, perhaps because my new components and amp are finally in the car. Looking through all the info I found it turns out the county hazardous waste center is just a few miles down the road, so I'll be shielding it best I can and driving it over there. If you hear about a massive environmental disaster in North Florida tomorrow afternoon rest assured it's my fault.

nupe500 - I will try to get pics tomorrow before I take it to the dump, but I get off work at 5 so it's going to be close to see if I can get it there before it closes.

Stephen Max

iTrader: (59)

Batteries also explode if they lose battery acid due to a crack in the case or just plain neglect. Then they can arc internally when you try to start the car and the arc sets off the explosion. Happened to my wife once.

Also, since battery acid just got sprayed throughout your engine bay, you can expect things like alternators and other electrical parts to start dying an early death.

infinitiblast

iTrader: (2)

Yeah this is interesting I picked up at exide battery at bjs wholesale and well after lets see its been four months or so and this thing is leaking like crazy. I mean sheez I'm tired of cleaning up the mess debating on whether or not to take mine back.

Matt93SE

iTrader: (44)

take it back and get a sealed battery. you'll be very happy.


FYI, Wal-Mart and places like that are required to have spill cleanup kits for battery leaks. any place that stores them is required by law to have equipment to clean them up and contain spillage. on some of the large industrial UPS systems (-48VDC, 6000A systems used for telecom DC power), you're required to have a huge spill tray underneath the battery stack able to contain up to 200 gallons of battery acid. that's way overkill for what you're talking about, but you can see the EPA doesn't take this lightly.
Wal-Mart or any auto parts store that sells car batteries will be able to take it and should have the cleanup materials on hand. often they'll tell you they don't because 1. they're lazy *****. or 2. they're morons and don't know where it is.

Weasel

iTrader: (2)

Well, it's gone. Sorry, but there's no pics to be had, I got home at 5:15 and the dump is 10 minutes away. I'm ordering an Optima red top tomorrow unless there's a cheaper, good quality sealed battery.

pocketrocket

iTrader: (1)

I'm with nupe, could you post the type of Exide battery, manufacturing date and age/mileage on the battery before it failed?

Weasel

iTrader: (2)

The battery is gone as I said, but I'm checking the reciept:

"Exide Battery 3560"

I got it 9/16/00, with 52411 miles on the car, so that's 3 years and almost exactly 40k miles on it.

Googling...

It's definitely this one: http://www.exideworld.com/products/a.../exide_60.html

Specifically, the 35-60 model, specs found here: http://www.exideworld.com/products/a..._60_specs.html

More specs in this thing: http://www.exideworld.com/pdf/exide_...april_2003.pdf

nupe500

iTrader: (13)

Weasel,

Thanks for the info! Definately get the yellow top...best bang for your buck, especially if you're running an audio system...if not you might want to consider the red top!

sweetdaddy

Wow an exploding battery! I've heard of that, but never happened to anyone I know. Good going with the baking soda. People have been injured and even killed by exploding batterys when jump starting. They all have safety disclaminers on 'em now for that reason. Lead-acid batterys produce hydrogen when charged. When the cells are not topped off and the gasbuilds up, combined with an internal arc, there you go. I wouldn't blame it on Exide unless it's sealed. Usually they blow when the user doesn't check and top off the cells with distilled water.

Weasel

iTrader: (2)

80Wx2 RMS amp for the components up front, head unit running the rears and a sub probably coming soon with an amp (nothing too powerful). I think the red top will be fine unless someone says otherwise... my roommate runs a yellow top in her Trans Am (mother of god I would kill for her car) because she's got a full set of underdrive pullies and a couple of amps and the alternators on those cars aren't any good to begin with.

AscendantMax

iTrader: (7)

did the acid leave any visible marks under the hood?

Weasel

iTrader: (2)

No paint discoloration yet that I can see, there is residue from whatever compound was made by the acid and baking soda but it's below the battery tray near the plastic skidplates or whatever those things are down there. I'll check again every couple of days for my own sake and report back if I find anything.

Weasel

iTrader: (2)

No paint discoloration yet that I can see, there is residue from whatever compound was made by the acid and baking soda but it's below the battery tray near the plastic skidplates or whatever those things are down there. I'll check again every couple of days for my own sake and report back if I find anything.

pocketrocket

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the info.

falconert

iTrader: (1)

I see and hear a lot of org. members using Optima red and yellow top batteries. What is the advantage of Optima battieries and what are the differences between yellow and red tops?

SR20DEN

iTrader: (7)

Exide also makes lead acid batteries that are as good as Optimas.

erty67

iTrader: (104)

There's a guy that live near me that has "don't buy from Pep Boys" decals all over his car. I bumped into him one day and asked him why he covered his whole car with that and he told me the story. It turns out that he had bought a battery from them and it blew in his antique car, causing $3000 damage. At the time, their batteries were made by Exide.

CandiMan

iTrader: (1)

This is why when someone says don't buy PepBoys, Sears, AutoZone, Napa, etc. batteries they just don't understand how the "battery buisness" goes. PB, Srs, AZ and NP all have contracts from different battery companies to make their batteries and it might change after the contract ends. Again this is why I say when it comes to purchasing a battery get the one that best fits your wallet and one that you can warranty without any fuss. One that you can warranty state to state, from high to low, from 7am in the morning to 9pm at night, 365 days a year. This is why I'll always go to Sears and buy the best battery that currently fits my wallet.

Now if for whatever reason you need a specialize battery like a Optima then you go that route.

SR20DEN

iTrader: (7)

Because someone 'specializes' in the sale of batteries that makes their batters less likely to explode when they're selling the exact same product?

That's pretty fonking retarded.

CandiMan

iTrader: (1)

I "think" this post was directed to my post. If that's the case I think you mis-understood my post. In no way am I saying those who 'specializes' in batteries sales don't sell defective batteries. A defective battery is a defective regardless of who's selling the battery. What I am saying is choose a battery that best fits your wallet and offers a easy warranty process. Just because the battery has a label on it saying PepBoys, Sears, AutoZone doesn't mean they are cheaper quality batteries. Most of these 'specializes' battery dealers have 2 to 3 batteries to choose from for the same vehicle from good, better to best. Personally I try to stick with the best battery offered for my car.

00MaxSE

iTrader: (25)

I have my original factory battery in my car and I have 46K on it. When's a good time to replace it besides when it dies?

J.