Here is another shot and close up of the melting of the plastic case around the positive post. This battery will now be retired because its ability to hold electrolyte may have been compromised. We have no way to see inside and inspect actual damage so as a safety precaution this battery will be recycled, even though it still tests fine. Sad really.



If you click on the photo and look closely this terminal it does not appear to have been cleaned before the terminals were re-connected in the spring. There are signs of "hot spots" in the lead and what appears to be some melting close to the stud.


This terminal was creating tremendous resistance and heat thanks to a combination of not just one, or two terminal installation errors but a third as well. The third error here is that poor cleaning and housekeeping of the terminals themselves was evident....