Keep your battery strapped!
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Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2009
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From: SE Georgia
Keep your battery strapped!
Well I just learned the hard way about keeping my battery strapped. I didn't have no battery hold down nor straps. I put my battery in my 79 4X4 and headed to our land to drive some folks around about leasing our land for hunting. I drove on some new firebreaks I had put in and hit a stump and my truck made a weird noise and I saw coolant going everywhere....thought I hit a limb BUT.......my battery fell and hit my radiator and fan. My battery has a small hole in the side of it and my radiator is not messed up.
So lesson learned. STRAP YOUR BATTERY DOWN AND DON'T BE A *******.
So lesson learned. STRAP YOUR BATTERY DOWN AND DON'T BE A *******.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 21,255
Likes: 1,657
From: Reynoldsburg, Ohio
Its it odd and frustrating as the dickens we only learn the hard way sometimes? 
I had something similar happen too---only once so far thankfully!
Thanks for the heads up RedBaron---watch out for Snoopy!
I had something similar happen too---only once so far thankfully!
Thanks for the heads up RedBaron---watch out for Snoopy!
Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,940
Likes: 8
From: Southern Oregon Coast
Yeah, I did this once myself - only, it wasn't my battery - or car, for that matter...
Me and a friend of mine went out drinking one night, many moons ago - we decided to take his Dodge Dart, which was pieced together from about 3 different year cars and had a built-up 318 under the hood.
I somehow wound up driving and I'm not sure how I did it, but I put his battery right into his fan - It was a new battery and he had neglected to strap it down - that fan ripped a huge gaping gash right through the side of the battery casing...
I also found out - at about 1am-2am that morning - that the only "truck stop" in town didn't sell batteries...
Live and Learn...
Me and a friend of mine went out drinking one night, many moons ago - we decided to take his Dodge Dart, which was pieced together from about 3 different year cars and had a built-up 318 under the hood.
I somehow wound up driving and I'm not sure how I did it, but I put his battery right into his fan - It was a new battery and he had neglected to strap it down - that fan ripped a huge gaping gash right through the side of the battery casing...
I also found out - at about 1am-2am that morning - that the only "truck stop" in town didn't sell batteries...
Live and Learn...
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,672
Likes: 20
From: Nixa
Don't use baling wire to strap it in either.
The previous owner on my 93 did, and I should have changed it, but I didn't.
The wire had worn through, how I'm not sure, but one end of it ended up on the positive post, and a fire ensued.
As luck would have it. I was at my friend's house, sitting at the dining room table, but not in my normal spot. in the chair that was in direct view of the front door, which was open for a change, ( they like their AC). My truck was parkedin direct view through the front door to the chair that I normally don't sit in.
I saw smoke coming from under the hood. I ran out and saw the paint on my hood bubbling away, so I popped the hood to see my battery on fire.
I go to grab their hose only to find out it's only about 10 feet long, not quite enough to rerach my truck. but luckly there was a bunch of sand and dirt sitting in the gutter, thanks to poor drainage or something fro mthe city, I started grabbing handfuls of dirt and throwing it on the fire til it was out.
The only damage besides my paint and of course the battery, was the cables, the plastic vacuum can, and some other plastic duct that runs near the battery.
The previous owner on my 93 did, and I should have changed it, but I didn't.
The wire had worn through, how I'm not sure, but one end of it ended up on the positive post, and a fire ensued.
As luck would have it. I was at my friend's house, sitting at the dining room table, but not in my normal spot. in the chair that was in direct view of the front door, which was open for a change, ( they like their AC). My truck was parkedin direct view through the front door to the chair that I normally don't sit in.
I saw smoke coming from under the hood. I ran out and saw the paint on my hood bubbling away, so I popped the hood to see my battery on fire.
I go to grab their hose only to find out it's only about 10 feet long, not quite enough to rerach my truck. but luckly there was a bunch of sand and dirt sitting in the gutter, thanks to poor drainage or something fro mthe city, I started grabbing handfuls of dirt and throwing it on the fire til it was out.
The only damage besides my paint and of course the battery, was the cables, the plastic vacuum can, and some other plastic duct that runs near the battery.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 21,255
Likes: 1,657
From: Reynoldsburg, Ohio
Ya know something else occurs to me about battery hold downs.........
My '00 E250's long bolt that clamps the battery to its tray had seized in its threaded mounting hole, snapped off clean some time ago. I had to drill and tap it out but when reinstalling it used just a dab of anti-seize, hoping this prevents the same thing again. Using the better NAPA battery that last at least 5 years that rust could become a problem all over again.
Long story short might be best to occasionally check those hold down systems--never know when they'll surprise us.
My '00 E250's long bolt that clamps the battery to its tray had seized in its threaded mounting hole, snapped off clean some time ago. I had to drill and tap it out but when reinstalling it used just a dab of anti-seize, hoping this prevents the same thing again. Using the better NAPA battery that last at least 5 years that rust could become a problem all over again.
Long story short might be best to occasionally check those hold down systems--never know when they'll surprise us.
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