# Near death experiance...



## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

Well, almost! The GF went out of town yesterday and I stayed around home and went to a semi-local car show. We both got home late and we went out to eat way later then we ever do. We got home about 1:30am, and because this was the first road trip we took in the car after the rear carrier install, I wanted to get a temp reading of the axle cover, so just before I backed into the shed I turned the car off and shot the cover with my temp gun . Temp was normal so I get back in and go to back the car into the shed and no battery at all, no lights, no dash lights, no clicks, no nothin. So I pop the hood to check the cables (I knew they were tight, but just checked them anyway) I tryed to twist them but both were tight, just as I put my hand on the second cable the whole top of the battery blew up in my face with a huge explosion!! One of the covers for adding water nailed me under the chin( I thought I lost part of it!), my face, eyes, arms, chest, neck got blasted with battery acid! I couldn`t see, I started burning all over, thought I was going to loose my sight, it wasn`t pretty! The GF was freaked out. Made my way into the house and got right in the shower. Luckly I was able to wash all the acid off and although my eyes did burn, by morning they were normal again. 
After the shower I went down to push the car into the shed and all the lights were on, the dash lights were on, so I got inside and the car fired right up and I backed it into the shed. I was freakin out!! Why did the battery go dead? Why did it blow up? Why did it work again after it blew up?? Too many unanswered questions!! Very strange!!


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## VettenGoat (Jun 19, 2007)

Thats one for the books. Glad to hear you're OK and eyes are fine.

Mike


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## 05GTO (Oct 6, 2004)

Glad you were not injured, could be your alternator overcharging the battery with a low battery acid level.


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

Glad your OK. WOW yerrrrrrr lucky. Any damage to the car?


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

05GTO said:


> Glad you were not injured, could be your alternator overcharging the battery with a low battery acid level.


Good call, I know I checked it two weeks ago and it was 14.3v, now it`s 16.4! Going to get a new voltage regulator now.




GTO JUDGE said:


> Glad your OK. WOW yerrrrrrr lucky. Any damage to the car?


I had the presence of mind to wipe the front clip off with the detailing products, but I didn`t do anything under the hood. Now today my valve covers and air cleaner lids have burns on them. Both are less then a year old.


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## alsgto04 (Nov 21, 2007)

Thats some pretty scary stuff there. Glad you ok.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

The voltage regulator was the problem, installed the new one and voltage is back within specs.

Dang it! I was going to go to another car show next weekend, guess that's out of the question now.


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

Rukee said:


> The voltage regulator was the problem, installed the new one and voltage is back within specs.
> 
> Dang it! I was going to go to another car show next weekend, guess that's out of the question now.



ahhhhhhhhh, just keep the hood closed.

Arm and hammer with vinegar cleans acid but not burns.


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Rukee, I had a similar occurrence when I was 18 (1st GTO) doing a jump start. "Someone" crossed the positive and negative cables ...when they made the connection, the resulting explosion sent the Delco battery top about 30 feet straight up!!!! The battery still worked after that... I have been REAL careful to this day after that little F-up........Glad you aren' t horribly deformed like the guy from Phantom of the Opera..... Eric


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## ppurfield001 (Jan 21, 2008)

Rukee said:


> Well, almost! The GF went out of town yesterday and I stayed around home and went to a semi-local car show. We both got home late and we went out to eat way later then we ever do. We got home about 1:30am, and because this was the first road trip we took in the car after the rear carrier install, I wanted to get a temp reading of the axle cover, so just before I backed into the shed I turned the car off and shot the cover with my temp gun . Temp was normal so I get back in and go to back the car into the shed and no battery at all, no lights, no dash lights, no clicks, no nothin. So I pop the hood to check the cables (I knew they were tight, but just checked them anyway) I tryed to twist them but both were tight, just as I put my hand on the second cable the whole top of the battery blew up in my face with a huge explosion!! One of the covers for adding water nailed me under the chin( I thought I lost part of it!), my face, eyes, arms, chest, neck got blasted with battery acid! I couldn`t see, I started burning all over, thought I was going to loose my sight, it wasn`t pretty! The GF was freaked out. Made my way into the house and got right in the shower. Luckly I was able to wash all the acid off and although my eyes did burn, by morning they were normal again.
> After the shower I went down to push the car into the shed and all the lights were on, the dash lights were on, so I got inside and the car fired right up and I backed it into the shed. I was freakin out!! Why did the battery go dead? Why did it blow up? Why did it work again after it blew up?? Too many unanswered questions!! Very strange!!


Glad to hear that you're OK. You may want to get your eyes checked out by a doctor to play it safe.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

Eric Animal said:


> Glad you aren' t horribly deformed like the guy from Phantom of the Opera..... Eric


My GF said the same thing!


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## Pontiac Tempest Cstm (Jun 18, 2008)

atleast you ok


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## Aramz06 (Mar 2, 2008)

Scary stuff, but quick actions saved ya. Glad your alright, and the car was not damaged


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## WideTrack (May 7, 2008)

Wow, my wife would say "better buy a lottery ticket". I'd say "forget it, you used up all your luck for a while". Better your car parts burned than your eyes!


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## PDQ GTO (Jun 21, 2007)

Weird & wild stuff. You're OK, that's what counts and it could have been so much worse... Bet you did not let the water warm-up before you jumped into that shower...


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

I'd decided to make an insurance claim. On top of the air cleaners and valve covers, some of the engine paint, under the hood paint, and one grill also got burnt. I have a hundred dollar deductible and nearly 600 in chrome that needs to be replaced besides the paint, so why not make a claim?


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

If you got the the coverage, use it. I would. Your car is too nice to just let it go. Thank god the PAINT didn't get burnt!!! You were very lucky....I hope that doesn't happen to anyone else. I don't know your history, but from what I can tell, you've been around cars a LONG time, and know your stuff. I worked as an auto tech, etc. for over 25 years, and I've never seen a battery do what yours did. I've seen 'em blow up on a charger, etc, but not just like that in the car. Just goes to show that s**t happens, and if you act quickly, you can save your eyesight/face! Did your headlamps blow out from the overcharging condition? Usually that'll clue you in that somethings wrong, as you probably know. Good luck with the '65.
Jeff


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