This may be why Jeep put this piece of rubber trim on the fender. Now I'm glad I bought the Interstate AGM instead of the Optima. It fit just like the lead acid that was in there.
LJ fire at battery
- Thread starter Hog
- Start date
Positive battery lead and the connection to the battery for the winch.. guess it could have been worse.
Much and when you reconnect it use the top posts...the side posts aren't rated for significant amperage.
You can get good enough split tube from Harbor Freight...I ordered some heat resistant tougher stuff from Wirecare.
Kudos to the kid for being spot on with the fire extinguisher. Wash that stuff up good...it can be corrosive.
-Mac
You can get good enough split tube from Harbor Freight...I ordered some heat resistant tougher stuff from Wirecare.
Kudos to the kid for being spot on with the fire extinguisher. Wash that stuff up good...it can be corrosive.
-Mac
There are several articles on here about how to protect your battery from just that event by installing a high amperage fuse between the anode and the winch cable. That winch cable that runs to your front bumper is the same, electrically, as the positive terminal on your battery. My opinion is that all winches should be fused at or near the battery.
Thanks.. once I finally get to see it in person I will address a lot of this..
Optima rates their side terminals for the same ampacity as the top terminals. The source of heating in the pictures seems to be the positive side terminal. Heating is caused by high resistance which can be due to corrosion buildup and/or a loose connection or a bad crimp cable connection.
The picture shows an even circular pattern on the negative side terminal and an uneven pattern on the positive terminal. It appears that a loose connection on the positive side terminal caused localized heating and the insulation on the cable caught fire.
It's a good idea to secure the cables with insulated rings or tie wraps on side terminals to keep them from moving or vibrating loose. There's a number of companies making aftermarket Optima battery install kits with custom trays, battery clamps, and cable clamps just for this problem. Google Optima Battery Installation Kit
My battery guy sold me the Interstate AGM. New technology with the traditional packaging. Same price as the Optima.
The picture shows an even circular pattern on the negative side terminal and an uneven pattern on the positive terminal. It appears that a loose connection on the positive side terminal caused localized heating and the insulation on the cable caught fire.
It's a good idea to secure the cables with insulated rings or tie wraps on side terminals to keep them from moving or vibrating loose. There's a number of companies making aftermarket Optima battery install kits with custom trays, battery clamps, and cable clamps just for this problem. Google Optima Battery Installation Kit
My battery guy sold me the Interstate AGM. New technology with the traditional packaging. Same price as the Optima.
Make sure you clean the engine compartment and wiring thoroughly. Not sure what type of extinguisher was used but some dry chemical types can cause major issues. At least that was what I was once told years ago… I’m fn old lol
Yes thank you… I spoke with my firefighter friend and he said it’s abc extinguisher…. And to be sure to clean up .. they can be alittle corrosive… it been cleaned up as much as a 20 year old will do it… but it will be cleaned more once it gets home… its all been hooked back up and the battery was still good.. it’s been reinstalled and snugged down and been doing fine since… I’ll have to reattach the winch and the kill switch system but not a big deal
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