To: "'80scool@yahoogroups.com'" <80scool@yahoogroups.com> From: "Lamminga, Dennis (Distributed Support)" Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2005 10:06:39 -0000 Subject: RE: [80] Electrical Problem Reply-To: 80scool@yahoogroups.com "If I let my LC sit for more than 2 or 3 days the battery runs down and won't start" An easy way to check if the battery is knackered is by short circuiting positive and negative terminals briefly with the cell caps removed. (Locals in Mauritania showed us this trick). If any of the cells bubbles, your battery can be used as a doorstop. -- Rgds, Dennis (London - grey and imminent, just like Tony) '96 1HD-FT To: 80scool@yahoogroups.com From: "danamotors" Date: Fri, 04 Feb 2005 01:15:32 -0000 Subject: Re: [80] Electrical Problem Reply-To: 80scool@yahoogroups.com --- In 80scool@yahoogroups.com, "Lamminga, Dennis (Distributed Support)" wrote: > An easy way to check if the battery is knackered is by short circuiting > positive and negative terminals briefly with the cell caps removed. (Locals > in Mauritania showed us this trick). If any of the cells bubbles, your > battery can be used as a doorstop. Dennis, this is highly dangerous. If the battery is near death, it probably can be done, but if the battery has a good charge, and you lay a solid bar across the two terminals, you will be causing the instant discharge of thousands of amperes inside the battery. This will cause copious amounts of hydrogen gas to be released, and probably rupture the cells inside, causing the battery to literally explode. I've seen two batteries explode in my lifetime, both when subjected to normal starting current draw. In both cases the acid went everywhere, and the case of the battery (and most of the innards) were spread around quite a distance. Do NOT short out your battery under any circumstances, you may blind yourself and any bystanders as well as disfigure yourself. And since I've personally seen this twice, I have changed my technique when jump-starting another vehicle. I hook up the batteries, then stand back a bit. ditto when i'm looking under the hood, and instructing someone to start the engine, I make sure I'm not close to the battery. Dana