Almost had a problem
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 113
Likes: 54
From: Arkansas
Almost had a problem
I've been riding the motorcycle more than driving the last few weeks so I thought I would put the Vette on the battery tender Friday night just to make sure it's charged up good. Well, I went out Saturday morning and went to disconnect the tender connector when I heard a sizzle, then the puff of smoke came, and then the fire started. I should've disconnected the charger from the outlet but I didn't, anyway, the fire was small and isolated to the battery tender wires but I have no idea what happened. I've been using battery tenders on other vehicles for years with no problems. No damage to the car or the cars wiring luckily. I'm running a red top so it has the cars wiring attached at the side, the top post are for a couple of auxiliary things which is where the battery tender was connected. I'm just glad that it didn't decide to go up in the middle of the night.
Uneducated autodidact
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 5,413
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From: West of the Sabine, Texas
So, what did you do right before the sizzle and puff of smoke? I mean, were you just incredibly lucky to be there when it happened or what? Glad you didn't have a real big problem. 
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 113
Likes: 54
From: Arkansas
All I was doing was disconnecting the battery SAE lead from the battery tender lead. The SAE lead was fine, the smoke/fire came from the wires and not the SAE connector itself. Don't know if it was just good timing or if the wires were starting to melt and when I moved them they finally touched through the wire insulation or what. I should've taken a picture of it and I've already thrown the leads away. I checked the inline fuse and surprisingly it was still intact and not blown which isn't a good thing either.
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Really lucky you were right there when the fire started. Hope you can figure out why things went wrong.
Uneducated autodidact
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 5,413
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From: West of the Sabine, Texas
I use battery tenders too, I wonder what the manufacturer would offer if you told them about it. If the fuse wasn't blown, then no overcurrent occurred. I'm very curious about it.
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Definitely keep us posted. I feel like that should not have happened. I'd certainly like to know why. I agree that you should contact battery tender and see what they have to say about it.
Last edited by MWWarlord; Nov 8, 2021 at 11:22 AM.
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 113
Likes: 54
From: Arkansas
Le Mans Master
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Those SAE connections make a little nervous. We all use them, but they are cheap as hell.
Fortunately, nothing catastrophic and you’re unharmed. Interested to here what you find out.
Fortunately, nothing catastrophic and you’re unharmed. Interested to here what you find out.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 1,365
Likes: 414
From: New Jersey
The wires must have shorted on the battery side of the connector. The tender can't produce enough current to melt wires. You probably completed the short when you went to disconnect the connector.
Uneducated autodidact
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 5,413
Likes: 252
From: West of the Sabine, Texas
Curious as to why you don't like the SAE connectors, seem pretty safe as it is difficult for them to short together.
