OPCOM

Here is a little tip on battery safety. Maybe this could become a sticky thread if there is not one on battery safety already. It's an important topic. Having witnessed a battery explosion in someone's face and a fire caused by a short on a cranking battery, It's worthwhile to discuss it and see what input the members may have on batery safety and use.

Please take the poll.

What things are wrong in the attached image?

There could also be posted some data here concerning the slightly technical yet very necessary aspects of charging voltages, currents, temperatures, and other factors. One size does not fit all. While is is easy to say "just get a computerized charger", there is much more to knowing what to do with your batteries than plugging idiot box into the wall and clamping some cables on those lead posts. The charger, regardless of what the manufacturer says, probably can't tell the difference between a riding lawnmower battery, a 6TL, or an AGM unit. Remember, after the Zombie Apocalypse, this information could save your life.

So, back to the image:

1. Rotten battery clamp - poor PMCS. This can cause a spark and battery explosion, or become hot during cranking and cause a fire in all the greasy rags that are probably stuffed in various orifices of this engine compartment.
Solution: replace the clamp, cleaning the cables(s) while you are at it. Be sure to clean the terminal and wipe off the top of the battery as well.

2. Using a wood clamp to maintain integrity of the rotten clamp. This is a a "battle damage assessment" type of repair. If no one is shooting at you, there are few excuses for doing this in broad daylight.
Solution: Never do this..

3. The wood clamp's handle is very close to the other terminal of the battery. This could cause a spark and battery explosion, or this could end up by welding the clamp into one piece and also across the battery. If nothing else happens, the battery will be discharged within a few minutes and the internal heat generated by that chemical reaction could cause the battery to explode.
Solution: Since you did this stupid thing anyway, at least turn the handle the other way, away from the hot terminal. Some duct tape might be in order.

4. The battery does not fit the holder. In this case the metal lip of the holder is eventually going to cut into the battery case and let the electrolyte leak out.
Solution: when installing batteries of different-than-stock sizes, be sure there is adequate clearance for all hardware.

5. what else?

Attached Images

	I fixed the battery.jpg (90.5 KB, 200 views)

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FATAL ERROR
Although the partitions were successfully created,
formatting of drive 2 failed
because copying of drive 1 to drive 2 failed
because copying of partition 1 failed
because directory failsafe.drv could not be copied
because directory failsafe could not be copied
because the file user.exe could not be copied
because there was a device error reading drive 1
absolute sector 223095 count 127