Quote:
Originally Posted by David
The charger is a Battery Tender with wires permanently installed on the battery which is always on the car when it's in the garage.
I'm pretty sure the issue was with the acid/water level since I hadn't checked it in a while. I've also had issues with negative battery cable connection and should have replaced it long ago. There's plenty of blame on me so I'm admitting my fault to help prevent this from happening to somebody else.
My plan is to install a sealed battery like an Optima. Anybody see an issue with leaving a Battery Tender on them?
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Wow! That really went up. Low electrolyte level from lengthy charging and an internal plate failing could cause a short when big current was drawn to run the starter motor. Having the charger on and connected may have added even more juice. If you weren't fiddling with the charger cables and the trunk was open then the fire probably started inside of the battery. I'm glad it didn't go up in your face. Hmm, a loose ground connector also could have sparked on startup.
Neutralize, rinse, repeat, repeat...........................
My 88 Carrera has very little current draw when parked. Just the clock is running. It can sit 4-8 weeks or more with no apparent loss of battery charge and the battery is at least 7 years old. I don't feel that I need a battery tender. You could also disconnect the ground cable or install a cutoff switch when storing.