[VWFan]

Well, a friend and I were out working on his Neon the other day and he had hooked up a battery charger to the car while we were doing some other maintenance. When we finished up the oil change and plugs, wires etc. I stepped outside to smoke a cigarette and all of a sudden I hear BOOM!!! Like a shotgun had gone off! The battery had exploded! He did not disconnect the charger from the battery before trying to start the car:nono:

So, I ran inside and grabbed a box of baking soda to neutralize the acid. There was acid on the floor and under the hood of the car. We took the battery out of the car and set on the side of the garage.

Now what? I have an exploded battery casing and a bunch of baking soda all over the place..... How can I dispose of this thing? Will the auto parts store take it? If not does anyone have a link or phone number of someone to call and have it picked up?

I heard that "they" (whoever that is) should be notified to pick up the pieces within 5 days.....

I could probably find a way to get rid of it, but I would prefer to do the ecologically safe thing.

Please help!

 

[johnnymopar]

call the EPA or the police, they should know who can clean up that stuff.

JB

 

[NorthStar]

I once had a battery blow up with me leaning right over the top of it. The guy I was helping decided to check the oil and raked the dipstick right over the positive cable while battery was charging. Yes it sounds just like a shotgun.

I would flush the car down with a garden hose quick.

Why not just take the battery to the recycling center?

 

[Ghetto Jet]

If you can get a hold of a pressure washer your cleaning job will be a lot easier. I would ask a local garage if they know of any places that will take the battery.

That is going to be one rusty neon in a couple years.

 

[2-manytoyzs]

Dont call the cops. You may get the EPA, environmental defense league, Sierra club and Greenpeace at you doorstep. Its just sulfuric acid, neutralize with water. Battery recyclers will take the battery just as any other battery for the lead.
Oh ... and find a new friend.ain:

 

[VWFan]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

I will check with a few of the local garages to see if they will take it.

Yeah, I was glad I wasn't anywhere near the thing when it went off!

What a mess!!!

:welcome:

 

[fourbyfourblazer]

The battery had exploded! He did not disconnect the charger from the battery before trying to start the car:nono:

Are sure that was the cause of the explosion? I've started many cars with the charger attached. They never blew up.

 

[poncho62]

There had to be a spark to cause ignition..............maybe from the charger, maybe not. I would check it out before trying to restart it. Maybe, attach a set of booster cables on the leads, so that the battery is out of the area. Don't let them short out, of course.

You sure that the battery charger was hooked up properly?

 

[lowROLLERchevy]

ive started cars with the charger attached also, and never had a problem, batterys explode do to defects in the battery or because while they are charging ( and therefor giving of hydrogen gas) you cause a nearby spark

thats why when you jump start a car, your ALWAYS supposed to connect the positive to the battery ... THEN connect the ground to the engine someplace AWAY from the battery

if you have a charger on the engine, and you start it (causing the car to shake) and the clamps give off a spark from moving on the terminal ... battery go boom

 

[67 Deuce 4 Me]

I work in a electrical specialty shop. Charging while starting is not a problem like the guy said before its the highly volitile hydrgen and and ingnition source that makes the BOOM:drunk: Had one blow up in my face once. That sucked to say the least

 

[lowROLLERchevy]

like the guy said before

lol ... everytime someone refers to me in a post, its always "like someone said" or "that one guy" .... they never use my screenname ... and it works like that on all the forums im on ... *** mate ? lol ... its all good tho

 

[67 Deuce 4 Me]

Sorry everyone ......Like lowrollerchevy said before "hydrogen gas":welcome:

 

[poncho62]

lowROLLERchevy.............too damn hard to type, with all those capital letters and all.............................

 

[lowROLLERchevy]

plot to take over the world - step one : get everyone to at least use my name when they mention me ...... this is gonna take a while

 

[67 Deuce 4 Me]

Sorry poncho.. lowROLLERchevy didnt know this buch was so sensative:boxing: