That time a customer's BMW caught fire in my bay and I learned to check battery terminals first

Guy rolls in last Tuesday with a 2012 328i complaining about a weird smell. I pop the hood and see corrosion caked around the positive terminal. Before I can even grab a wrench, the plastic cover starts smoking. I yanked the battery cable off with my bare hands and tossed it in the sand bucket out back. After that I check every battery connection before I do anything else. Has anyone else had a car almost torch itself over something as dumb as a loose terminal?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_fiona9d ago

Has anyone else had a car almost torch itself" Yeah, I had a similar scare with an old Ford. A loose terminal sparked and melted the whole fuse box before I could get to it. Now I always check and tighten those connections first thing, no exceptions.

king.eric8d ago

2004 F-150 nearly did the same thing to me, @the_fiona. The positive terminal on my battery corroded through and shorted against the hood. That melted half the wiring harness before I got the fire out.

claire_young768d ago

Ford had a recall on those battery terminals. Might want to check yours, king.eric.