6 volt battery post melted

Water in itself is not very conductive. Even salt water, which is far more conductive than plain water, isn't a great conductor, and I suspect would have trouble carrying enough current to melt a heavy-gauge wire such as a generator starting wire in any remotely likely scenario underneath a vehicle.

You almost certainly have an exposed part of the wire--either at an end or, I think more likely, a spot that has chafed or been pinched through the insulation--sometimes brushing against something grounded such as the frame of the RV. The snow or lack of it is coincidence, not the cause. So long as the wire is connected to the battery and the underlying issue is not fixed, you have a potentially very dangerous situation, a fire hazard.

(And yes, a wire will heat more where there is a poor or poorer connection, but it won't heat at all if no current is flowing through it, such as should be the case when the generator is just sitting there. Even a very good connection--or the wire itself--will get plenty hot if there is sufficient current. If the connection is not protected by a fuse near the battery, you would be very well advised to add a suitably sized fuse as well.)

A good connection can survive a thousand amps until a cable like 4 gauge bubbles and catches fire.

It would do so from the battery to the direct short. Flames, smoke and other not so subtle clues. If the short was sustained it would gas the battery and blow the lid off. Seen to many scenarios. INCLUDING snapped terminals duty to excessive cable tension. Mechanical not electrical issue.

If the cables were large the lid of the battery would have blown off and electrolyte would have been everywhere.

A SLIGHTLY LOOSE 24 volt series post will be blown flat even though everything and I mean everything is brand new


I have repaired a few dozen blown posts with a post die, antimonial lead and a plumber's acetylene torch. Ot worth it on a car size battery but very worth it on 8-D or an L-16

The repair takes an artisan's skill and I never enjoyed a session. I only did it if the battery was near new.

My own big bank has double bolt 350 MCM flag terminals.

pyrosecur wrote:
The snow which accumulated in the engine compartment was building up while driving and when I stopped it melted and fell down on the different electrical connections and caused a temporary short. Thankfully the cable connections to the positive battery posts were the weakest in the system and caused the heat build up and melted the connections.

Went back and read again. My reading comprehension sucks i swear i read this 3 times or more.

The water didnt fall on the battery directly. So like you guys are saying the heat comes from poor connection. But the cause was the snow. Just not on the battery itself.

What do you think happened in this thread Mex? It seems like guys were making fun of him for saying the snow caused it. But from what i read i think thats exactly what happened. Snow melted, water accumulated on top his battery, it melted his cable.

Keep battery lids dry and avoid electrolysis and unwanted leakage even if in milliamps

I enjoy the tech topics and hope to store useful info. Does snow have small air gaps therefor cant pass electricity?

In terms of exposed batteries im trying to think when ive seen it. Sometimes a modified car drives around with the hood off. My toyhauler batteries were exposed because the previous owner was a doof and lost the covers.

But a motorcycle or snow machine, quad, jet ski, boat. The batteries are hidden from the elements.

Dupe

wopachop wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:

Please save that water for when the RV catches fire. In the meantime, look at all the boats, motorcycles, snowmobiles and RV's with the batteries exposed to the elements.

Aren't the batteries all covered though?

Nope.

Lynnmor wrote:

Please save that water for when the RV catches fire. In the meantime, look at all the boats, motorcycles, snowmobiles and RV's with the batteries exposed to the elements.

Aren't the batteries all covered though?

Thanks for the post info...

I'll double check the generator wire again when I reinstall the tie wraps I had removed, I definitely don't want this to happen again..... :)