Installed battery today and CABOOM

[go high fast]

I went to reinstall my battery today in my 2014 800 Pro with Electric Start and almost killed myself. I charged the battery over the summer with a trickle charger and connected the positive terminal first which I thought was the correct sequence?

After the fireworks I realized the key was in the ON position. Would this have caused this problem?

 

[Nightsider]

neg first

 

[summ8rmk]

Yes, positive first on install and last on removal.
Only reason is because when tightening or loosening the clamp, u could possibly ground the wrench on the frame and cause some sparks. Can't do that if the ground is not connected.
Other than that, it honestly doesn't matter.

Sent it

 

[AdrenalineAddict]

Batteries and Hydrogen are very scary, I'm glad your OK. Many people have been blinded by getting hydrochloric acid sprayed in their eyes when there battery blew up by a simple spark. Several years ago our safety man had a picture of a guy who went to jump start his wife's car, his face was directly over the battery, when he attached the jumper cables, the battery blew up killed him on the spot, chunk of battery removed part of his skull.

 

[go high fast]

Today was a much better day and a much safer day!

I turned the key to the OFF position and fully removed the key and then put the kill switch in the down/on position. Connected the positive wire first to the positive terminal and then just lightly tapped the negative wire to the negative terminal and no spark of any kind. I fully connected and tightened both wires. I put the key back in and everything was fine and the sled started right up. Battery seems perfectly fine. I forgot to check the instrument display and the lights and hand warmers but will do next time.

I wish I knew what caused this as it was a bad deal.

Thank you to everyone who chipped in with ideas and advice. This is what makes SnoWest great!

 

[WILKEY69]

If your battery has a dry cell in it (one of the cells has no fluid), as soon as your try to draw power from the battery, the gas in the dry cell with cause the battery to explode.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sledtahoe]

So its the same battery?

 

[sledhed]

My question too. So the battery sparked majorly but did not explode? I believe these are AGM batteries so they should not off-gas much if any... But yeah, positive is the first to go on and last to go off, for the reasons summ8rmk gave.

So, go @go high fast are you ready to ride?

 

[go high fast]

Yes the battery did NOT explode. The ground wire just appeared to turn into a nuclear powered welder.

The answer to your question is of course yes I am always "ready to ride".

 

[sledhed]

Yes the battery did NOT explode. The ground wire just appeared to turn into a nuclear powered welder.

The answer to your question is of course yes I am always "ready to ride".

So... was putting the e-start kit on my sled, and trying to finish it up yesterday (of course the bolts to hold the starter drive are HARD to get at even with the exhaust y-pipe removed), went to put the piece on that the starter itself sits on, and looked and looked - it is missing! And of course Kurts isn't open until Tuesday... and they won't have it in stock most likely. I can reassemble the sled but won't have a complete e-start and would have to take the pipe back off to get to it I think, or at least to the shaft that goes to the starter pinion / gear. Argh. ALSO - note that if you have the snotel "ticker" set up in snowest forums, it is wrong. Has not updated for weeks from what I can tell. I reported it.

 

[go high fast]

Richie is home on Wednesday and Alexia is home on Friday. Although I am ready the first ride would probably work best for me just after Christmas or once the kids head back to school/work. No need to reassemble at this time.

 

[diamonddave]

I believe the load you saw when connecting the battery is from the capacitor charging located over on the front of the belt guard.
Also be careful, the brown wire going to the battery is chassis ground. I almost found myself attaching to the positive as my somewhat color blind and vision issues in dark lighting that have crept up this past year had me almost believing it was a red wire.

 

[sledhed]

Richie is home on Wednesday and Alexia is home on Friday. Although I am ready the first ride would probably work best for me just after Christmas or once the kids head back to school/work. No need to reassemble at this time.

Plus, we need SNOW in a serious way here in western MT. I noticed on facebook mountain sledder swapmeet LOTS of guys looking for a-arms, shocks, spindles, belly pans... not too keen to be one of those guys. "Dealer appreciation days"...