Re: Battery Kaboom!

["Mik Tip" <miktip@worldnet.att.net>]

With "lead acid batteries", if charging continues after a full state of
charge
has been reached, only electrolytic decomposition of the batteries water
will occur.  Thus forming an explosive gas(oxygen at the positive plate and
hydrogen at the negative plate)

This  factor is subject to uncertainty owing to the design!

It sounds like your battery may have had a internal pressure build-up
of gasses.  Normally even the "maintenance-free" batteries have a
"vent to atmosphere" system, to relieve these pressure build-ups!

The demand placed on your battery by "jump starting" another car, and 
the several engine starts/ stops, may have contributed to the incident!

More than likely the battery was defective, in not venting the excess
internal pressures, and the demand you placed on it, in the relatively
short period of time, brought the defect to light!

Piece of advise:  Dont repeat the story while trying to get a new battery!
Some manufacturers have express warranty limits in using their batteries
for "jump starting".

				M

                                     M