truck battery exploded

Go get some 2 liters of Coke (soda) and dump it on any spots the acid splashed. Then get a wet vac and water to remove soda. The longer you wait the worst it's going to be. Then call insurance.

 

isn't coke an acid as well? I do hate chemistry with a passion but Im pretty sure you want a base to cancel the effects of the acid.

 

The main thing is no one got hurt. Anyone have an idea what might have caused that to happen?

 

Yeah, Coke sounds like a bad idea. I think it stems from people using cola to clean off battery terminal corrosion. Battery acid (sulfuric acid) is not the same as corrosion.

 

Going from ice cold from the back of the truck to a sudden warm interior after he's driven? But it should be stronger than that, right? Unless the outside of it was damaged or it was dropped or fell somehow? Corners are a weak point when a heavy item is dropped.

 

Coke has a mild acid inside as a preservative, so it probably wouldn't help. The seat would probably be OK by now, it seems like he soaked it pretty well with the baking soda solution, so that hopefully took care of most of it. It might be better to let it dry inside the garage, even better if you had a fan to blow air on it all night so you'd minimize the chances of mold. Maybe even take the covers off.

Looks like it might be time to jump on a Wet Okole group buy for your seats!

As to what might have caused it, some batteries have very small vents on top to off vapors, maybe it bounced on the seats. Did it fall onto one of its sides? They are really only meant to stay upright, and in my experience some liquid would almost certainly leak out of them if tilted on one side. I don't think it actually "exploded", but more likely some of the liquid just somehow found its way out. Could be because of temperature-related expansion, like babytruck said.

 

I had a battery explode once. It was dead, trickle charged it back up, put it in the car. Car started fine one time. Moved it ten feet, shut it off. Washed the car, got back in, turned the key. Only sound was the top of the battery blowing off. Glad the hood was closed. Acid everywhere.

 

But that was a battery hooked up to the engine, while this was just sitting on the back seat.

That sounds terrifying though, glad you were ok!

 

Yeah, don't understand how it would happen with no load on it.

When mine happened, it was more like a WTF? Moment. I was too young to really be thinking about the what ifs, and it wasn't my car, happened at work. We just hosed the engine bay down and sold the guy a battery.

 

Still trying to figure this one out. OP...In the year of owning the battery was there a chance that it might have been frozen? Are there cracks in the caseing?

 

nope....il check the battery later for any noticable cracks but i did not see any before. i was too worried about the seats.

 

baking soda can neutralize the acid also