12 V Battery Posts Melted Off

[Scott M]

My 12 volt vexilar gel batteries bumped around in my sled and magically found a way to touch each other. I learned it it is a good idea to keep plastic sleeves on them, but besides that or buying new ones, is there a way to solder on new posts? I mean, these babies are practically burnt off. There isn't much left other than a real short stub. I just want them long enough to be able to get my female charge tips to fit on them. I don't mind if they are a little fat, since I could file them down.

Is soldering the way to go, or would that be dangerous?

Thanks, I'll hang up and listen.

[john.wells]

it might be a pretty good trick to solder those, besides, the battery could possibly be internally shorted. For the 20 or less bucks it costs for a new one, I would go with a battery.

[Scott M]

I was afraid that might be the answer. I know it's not internally shorted though, because I was still able to use the battery and charge it back up with a different alligator clip charger I had that could grab onto what was left of the posts.

Any dissenting opinions?

[Surface Tension]

When the battery shorted out it had to create a lot of heat to burn the leads off. I've seen where the battery blows up when that happens. What a mess that would be inside your shack. It could have/should have damaged the battery and it could have melted the case around the leads.

I'd consider myself lucky and replace the battery.

If you tried to solder spades onto whats left you'll have to clean the joint good. With a good solder joint I'd wonder how long it would hold considering it takes some force to slip the spade connectors on and off. Not to mention your going to heat the battery up again while soldering. I wouldn't do it.

If you must keep it use the alligator clips instead of soldering. Make an adapter from alligator clip with a pig tail to a spade connector.

[harvey lee]

I had a spare Vex battery in my portable last year laying in the tub and was pulling my house across the lake with my wheeler. I looked back and noticed smoke and flames coming out of the house. I stopped and one of the poles had made contact with the two posts and it got hot enough to start the battery on fire.

I now have a small box that my batteries sit in and are not exposed so anything can do that again.

Talk about lucky, no damage other then a toasted new battery.

[Jeremy airjer W]

I agree with Frank! Theres no doubt that you have at the very least shortened the life of the battery, not to metion the possibility that the battery is no longer "sealed"!

I've seen the 7.2 AH for as little as $12.95 and the 7.5 Ah for around $19.

[Scott M]

well, you don't have to tell me twice. I'm like the kid who broke his mom's window during a stickball game and am trying to see if I can tape it all up without her noticing.

I kind of figured the solution would be to buy a couple new batteries, I guess I just wanted to hear it could be fixed when I knew it couldn't. I'll consider myself lucky and go get a couple new ones with plastic post covers.

Thanks for your inputs!