Re: Exploding Battery!!

[desousa@cisco.com]

> Return-Path: cypress.com!mma@cypress.cypress.com
> Received: from dirt.cisco.com by stout.cisco.com with TCP; Fri, 22 Jan 93 16:29:35 -0800
> Received: from Sun.COM by dirt.cisco.com with TCP; Fri, 22 Jan 93 16:29:34 -0800
> Received: from snail.Sun.COM (snail.Corp.Sun.COM) by Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1)
> 	id AA20278; Fri, 22 Jan 93 16:29:33 PST
> Received: from East.Sun.COM by snail.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1)
> 	id AA22958; Fri, 22 Jan 93 16:29:22 PST
> Received: from suneast.East.Sun.COM by East.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1)
> 	id AA12285; Fri, 22 Jan 93 19:29:21 EST
> Received: from aries.East.Sun.COM by suneast.East.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1)
> 	id AA14107; Fri, 22 Jan 93 19:29:51 EST
> Received: from East.Sun.COM (east.East.Sun.COM) by aries.East.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1)
> 	id AA02384; Fri, 22 Jan 93 19:29:15 EST
> Received: from Sun.COM (sun-barr.EBay.Sun.COM) by East.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1)
> 	id AA12280; Fri, 22 Jan 93 19:29:13 EST
> Received: from uucp-gw-2.pa.dec.com by Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1)
> 	id AA20249; Fri, 22 Jan 93 16:29:11 PST
> Received: by uucp-gw-2.pa.dec.com; id AA08143; Fri, 22 Jan 93 16:15:42 -0800
> Received: from mailb2.mis.com (mailb2.cypress.com) by cypress.com (4.1/SMI-4.1)
> 	id AA03604; Fri, 22 Jan 93 11:30:00 PST
> Received: from mis2.com by mailb2.mis.com (4.1/SMI-4.1)
> 	id AA02616; Fri, 22 Jan 93 11:24:23 PST
> Received: from bilbo.cypress.com by mis2.com (4.0/SMI-4.0)
> 	id AA06120; Fri, 22 Jan 93 11:24:19 PST
> Received: by bilbo.cypress.com (4.1/SMI-4.1)
> 	id AA24496; Fri, 22 Jan 93 11:24:16 PST
> From: mma@cypress.com (Mark Aaldering / Sales)
> Message-Id: <9301221924.AA24496@bilbo.cypress.com>
> Subject: Exploding Battery!!
> To: quattro@aries.East.Sun.COM
> Date: Fri, 22 Jan 93 11:24:14 PST
> X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11]
> Content-Length: 1569
> 
> I recently had an experience I thought I'd share to see if anyone else
> has had the same problem. My 87 5000CS Turbo Quattro was rear ended in a
> parking lot (due to an icy, sloped entry)...Anyway, when I picked it up at
> the body shop, they had to give me a jump start. O.K., no problem, someone
> just left the lights on, right?...Nope - later that day I tried to start
> it again - dead. Since I was already at home, I figured I'd go ahead and pull
> the back seat and take a look. Oh My God! I found myself looking at the
> plates inside the battery through gaping holes in the case. The top and
> 3 of 4 sides were literally blown apart.
> 
> So, being a tad concerned that the body shop did something that made my 
> battery explode, I called them. First they were going to send someone
> out to clean it up and install a new battery. Then the owner of the shop
> called and said that the mechanic he talked to stated that this
> was a common problem with Audi's that have the original battery - that the
> electrolyte level will get low and jump starting them can cause a spark and
> BOOM! 
> 
> My question is whether anyone else has had their battery go boom. Thus far
> it has been a real pain to clean this up - I've gone through a 4lb box of baking
> soda neutralizing what appears to be a small amount of acid that actually
> escaped (thus supporting the low electrolyte claim). It would have been a lot
> easier to clean up if the battery were under the hood - too bad there's no
> room with that turbo in there  ;-)...
> 
> 
> Mark Aaldering
> Cypress Semiconductor
> Voice: (408) 943-2823
> mma@cypress.com
> 

Yeah, we had our battery go boom too.  It dented the hood of the car on
our 84 4000Q and made an ugly mess.  The battery wasn't original however
and it happened when starting the car.  That was years ago, and we haven't
seen a problem since then.  I had never heard of this happening on Audi's.

Carl DeSousa



; Carl DeSousa