That moment when a battery terminal decides to explode in your face

Last Tuesday I was swapping out a dead battery on a 2012 Ford Focus, nothing special. As I'm wrenching off the negative clamp, the whole terminal just disintegrates and sends a chunk of lead flying past my ear. Turns out the previous guy had cranked it down so hard the post was cracked for months and just waiting to snap. Has anyone else had a battery terminal commit seppuku on them like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

anderson.gavin25d ago

Yeah @kelly968's right, those Ford posts are soft as butter. Glad you still got both ears.

kelly96826d ago

Nope, never had one blow up in my face but I've seen a few that were just waiting to do it. That post was definitely cracked for a long time before you got to it, the previous guy must have been using a breaker bar on it or something. Honestly Ford terminals are known for being soft metal anyway, they crack way easier than the Japanese battery posts I've dealt with. Your mileage may vary but I always give a terminal a good look over before I start wrenching now.