Catastrophic FAIL!!!!!

[Shuboxlover 480]

So I was out blowing for the second time today and about 5 minutes in, I heard a HUGE BANG (kinda like an M-80 in a five gallon bucket...so I've heard ). When that happened, I saw shrapnel on the freshly cleared asphalt, first I thought **** I blew my motor, but it was still running, so after the second and a half of panic, and after I picked a piece of debris off my coveralls, I realized it was my battery.....in about a thousand pieces. I've had to jump it the last couple times I started it, it wouldn't even take a charge. So there I was out there in the 3.4 degree weather hosing my tractor down with the garden hose, only to find out that once I was done hosing it off, IT FROZE TO THE FREAKING GROUND!!!! Again, for a split second I thought to my self "I'll just start her up and put it in gear to break it loose" only to remember OH YA....NO BATTERY. So after a little persuasion with a 2X4, I got her broke loose, and pushed back into the garage to un-thaw!!!!

So why did the battery blow up never had that happen before.

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[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,527]

I do not know however yet another justification as to why we need backups :notworthy:

[pfrederi 18,640]

If the battery was so dead it wouldn't take a charge then the electrolyte may have frozen. I won't go into the chemistry but every book says do not try to charge a frozen battery (which your regulator seeing low voltage was trying to do). I think you create hydrogen gas...think Hindenburg.

As to you spark plug wires and dampness replace them...

Since your B&S is a mag system I doubt the battery was causing your poor performance.

[Bow_Extreme 550]

I would also get that tractor in where it's warm, remove what's left of the battery. Please wear some chemical resistant gloves when doing so. I would coateverything down with baking soda and wash it up again. That acid is some nasty stuff even later on when you think you got it all off.

Better yet, spend the $30.00 it takes to buy a new battery next time and this won't happen. I do mean this with the best interests at heart. I've seen batteries blow up in people's eyes and have serious issues with seeing again. :notworthy:

[rmaynard 16,292]

Dittos to the above posts. Batteries can be lethal. You were lucky that it did not blow up in your face.

Here is what I do. I keep a second battery on a trickle charger in the garage (not in the house). If I find that the battery on the tractor needs a charge, I charge it, but if it is so dead that it won't start taking a charge from a 10-15 amp charger in 15 minutes or less, I swap in the fresh battery. At if you have to use a boost to start the tractor, and the temperature is well below freezing, you may have a frozen battery and potential bomb if your tractors charging system is working.

$40 for a spare battery is a small price to pay to be safe.

Incidentally, when you take a frozen, uncharged battery out of your tractor, place it somewhere warm to thaw before attempting to charge. Best to put it in a plastic tub in case there is a crack in it. Once warm, if you have caps to add water, check the water level. Add only enough distilled water to bring it up to the mark. Leave the caps loose and place in on a 10 amp charge for at least 24 hours. If it doesn't hold a charge, it will freeze again. Get a new battery.

Bob in Maryland

[Bow_Extreme 550]

Another thought for you. I actually keep my batteries in my basement area to keep them warm during the winter. Once you swap in a warm battery the engine heat will generally keep it warm during use along with the charging cycle.

[perry 82]

for a split second I thought to my self "I'll just start her up and put it in gear to break it loose"

that may result in breaking something.

[dkopp 1]

I've seen a battery do that once before. Remember that batteries put off hydrogen when charging and it could have been from a loose connection either outside or inside the battery combined with the production of hydrogen from the battery trying to be recharged.

[Dale 0]

that may result in breaking something.

i had a 4 wheeler a suzuki king quad with inpendent rear. the break froze up so i put it in super low gave it some gas and BANG looked back i was draging the wheel by the break cable will never do that again.

[CasualObserver 3,411]

Another part of this whole thing that sucks is that next time you wash your coveralls they're probably going to come out with dozens of little holes. Seems battery acid splashes on clothing are multiplied by laundry. You may get lucky... but if I were you, I'd make a last minute request to Santa for some new ones!

[lt230s 14]

Sorry to hear about that.

Ditto to putting baking soda on once it's inside & thawing out. Had that happen to me on an old Case VAC. Scared the poop out of me too when it happened. Thought I blew the engine. I washed it down good, but still ended up with holes in my clothes later on when doing some work around the battery compartment a couple days after.

[wh500special 2,262]

So why did the battery blow up never had that happen before.

Wow, you got really lucky that you didn

[pfrederi 18,640]

Had that happen to me on an old Case VAC. Scared the poop out of me too when it happened. Thought I blew the engine. I washed it down good, but still ended up with holes in my clothes later on when doing some work around the battery compartment a couple days after.

Great tractor, my VAC gets to take a long winters nap...the DC has plow duty.

[rmaynard 16,292]

Another thought for you. I actually keep my batteries in my basement area to keep them warm during the winter. Once you swap in a warm battery the engine heat will generally keep it warm during use along with the charging cycle.

It's okay to keep a battery in the house as long as it is not being charged, or as long as it is vented to the outside.

Bob

[Bow_Extreme 550]

There's plenty of vent in an old farm house in the basement, slash crawl space area. I've honestly never had a problem with them doing this but the above article on batteries was very interesting. I would keep my battery in the cold but my garage isn't insulated and it's detached from the house. It gets very cold and I'm right in a high wind area coming off lake michigan so the batteries tend to get extremely cold sitting in the garage. I do charge them in the garage about 2 times over the winter just to keep them up.

[rmaynard 16,292]

Just want you to be safe. We don't want to lose any WH owners or family. :notworthy:

[Suburban 550 28]

I had one explode in my face after charging it. Was installing it in a car after charging it and must have hit the wrench off the side of the fender while hooking up the positive cable. I'm lucky to have my eyesight today. Got a lot more respect for a battery since then.

[Shuboxlover 480]

Wow....thanks for all the input. The tractor stays in our garage (attached to the house and insulated)....the coldest I've ever seen it in there was 38 (when it was -15 degrees outside).

From all the things I read, the one that makes the most sense to me was (sorry, can't remember who said it) I was outside previously in the day(~3 hrs) probably froze the battery then I used it again 3 hrs later and BOOM!!!!!

I did use roughly 30-50 gallons of water to wash it off....Do you think that was enough??? Or should I still use baking soda???

[CasualObserver 3,411]

I would definitely still use a box of baking soda. Hose it down again, and dump it on.... you'll probably be surprised at how much sizzle will still be there. Keep in mind, the water did not neutralize the acid, it only diluted it.

[Buzz 502]

Was installing it in a car after charging it and must have hit the wrench off the side of the fender while hooking up the positive cable.

And that's why you connect the negative cable last............ When jump starting a car/truck/tractor in the winter, hook the cables to the dead battery first then to the good battery, that way if the dead battery would pop you're not leaning over it. Been there, done both the wrong way, got the crap scared out of me. :notworthy:

[rickv1957 74]

Never had this happen,dont think I want to,Rick

[d180man 5]

Never had this happen,dont think I want to,Rick

Your right on with that rick ! we sold a old case combine years ago and it need a battery and they had a battery to put in it they sead and i sead ok a kid got up on the back of it to put it in and i sead i would start it and got up in the cab and hit the key and it clicked the kid got over the batter and pulled on the cable as i hit the key the 2 time and booooom! can you say hart attack!! right in the face! we got him water for his face fast he was ok just 1 or 2 little cuts i though i did some thing wrough then i found out the battery was new but they had broke 1 top post off so they did more than a redneck they put a bolt down in it! so when i hit the key it set off the gas big time! after they told me that i had so wordsfor them he was very lucky :WRS: