Exploding Battery

[gwyndaff]

Tried to start the bike today after stopping for petrol and there was an almighty bang...
MMmmm I think - thats not good.

Next thing theres liquid pouring out of the bike onto the floor.
MMmmm I'm sure thats not good.

It takes me a few seconds but after a process of ellimination that went..
Water?? no
Petrol?? Sniff Sniff.. no
Have I Pi55ed myself??..no
Feck its battery acid.. I filled a bottle of water and started trying to dilute the aforementioned acid.

I called the AA and they got me going again with a new battery. he checked the charging voltage, which was normal, and he said that this just sometimes happens

So my question is; has this happened to anyone else? (I saw Scotty's "bulging battery" but this was one hell of a bang - about as loud as a backfire - and the battery was in bits) and how can I stop it happening again :thumbsdown:

Cheers Gwyndaff

[Shandy]

Ive heard of cracking batteries but never of one exploding, we deal with big batteries at work from time to time and i've seen cracking happening causing leaking acid. If i remember right its caused by preasure changes in the battery cells during the chemical to electric reaction when a sudden load is taken from it, like when you starting your bike. Cracks or scratches in the casing can be weak points making it more liable to happen.

Sounds like you were just unlucky, i don't think theres much you can do to stop it happening again, car and bike batteries don't spend their life ideal conditions. I think i would have pissed myself it it happened to me, at least this would have dilluted the acid on the floor!!

[Zimbo]

Sounds to me like the hydrogen gas given off in the charging process somehow managed to ignite, causing the explosion. Never heard of it happening before though!

[CK & AK]

Zimbo, your reason is spot on mate.

Sometimes happens at AK's work (they sell lots!) prob 2 or 3 times a year

Also one went off in his face a few years ago, when he shorted it out by mistake - and the rest of the lads had great fun dousing him down with water to get rid of the acid :eek:

Not nice for anyone when it happens :thumbsdown:

[spacemonkey]

'It Happened To Me!!'

But on a Suzuki TS125 years ago. Luckily just as I pulled into a bike shop. Scared the beejeesus out of me and the spanner monkey...

[STIVH]

Happened to me on my old 860 GTS just as I was checking the valve clearance on the top pot, battery acid all over my face ,T shirt and my jeans. Never got into the shower fully clothed before....................did that time.

When I returned the battery had leaked all over my leather's elbow which was on the frame where the seat should of been which was now ruined.

No idea why or how it happened although I have been since informed that if you kink the battery breather pipe this can build up gases and a small spark or exceeive heat can cause an explosion remember the exhausts and engine are only a few inches away and both get pretty hot.

[russ77]

Bad luck! That must have been quite a shock.

When installing the new battery, route the breather tube right down through the frame so it pokes out the bottom. Make sure there's no kinks in it at all by pulling it through lightly while holding it onto the top of the battery. Make sure you give everything a really good wash before putting it back together too. Battery acid is fairly, well acidic. It eats paint and metal too.

[manwithredbike]

it could also be to do with the discharge current drawn when trying to start the bike if there was a dodgy starter motor or solenoid with a short or low resistance to earth. virtually all fully charged lead acid batteries will explode under short circuit conditions. a cheap/less robust battery or a damaged one could explode under inadvertantly high current conditions. might be worth checking out starter/solenoid as well as the breather stuff mentioned by others above.

[Ade]

I had the same go on mine 2 years ago, an almighty bang and both ends of the battery blew out, about the size of a 2p. I had been ridding for an hour still had 20 mins to go, and the blooming thing still got me home. I put it down to faulty regulator. The frame and casings still bear the acid scars.

Ade

[nick40]

I had a battery blow on my M900, ****ed up the paintwork one the frame and casing which I have now sorted, it was down to a ****ty rectifier which is fairly commen on older monsters, check that out and if you need frame paint email me I have some in the garage

Nick

[Mr C]

That happend to me once in a 5 series BMW Sounded like a shot gun going off.

[Bodybag]

I know, it makes me out to be a girl! But, Page 42 (sorry, I was looking through for something else and noticed this statement). And I quote "Warning Batteries develop explosive gases: keep battery away from heat sources and flames" Handy that considering where the battery lives eh?!