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Inspect the battery if there is anything left of it. try to determine if it blew up, has a hole in the side of it or anything else unusual about the battery.

I had a car one time that would often just suddenly sstall at low idle or sometimes just not start. It was a fairly new battery. Open the hood, take a general look, and then close the hood and it would start and run just fine until repeating the problem unpredictably later on.

The problem was that the battery had a short INSIDE of the battery someway. A month later after buying the battery and fighting the problem the battery exploded blowing a hole thru the side of it.

I suppose u already know that charging a battery produces sulpher dioxide gas that is extremely flammable.

[i]I suppose u already know that charging a battery produces sulpher dioxide gas that is extremely flammable./i]

Sorry to disagree, the gas evolved from a charging battery is primarily hydrogen, at least equally nasty and also very flammable (remember the Hindenburg?).

The evolution of gas while charging is why we've all been cautioned to loosen the cell caps, or at the very least make sure the vents are not clogged. I suppose it's also possible with an underseat battery with a good tight cover over it that we could get a pocket of hydrogen gas.

Anyone have any experience with this type disconnect?

watsons-streetworks.com/battery.html

Owen, Guscha. Yes, thanks for the correction. I should have said Hydrogen gas.

On the topic of safety, I would also like to suggest that any cars that relies on an electric fuel pump have a 'collision' disconnect switch. Some of these switches are operated by force (like an airbag switch) and some are operated by a sudden loss of engine oil pressure. Either will work. I know a fellow that died as a result of a fire being fed by an electric fuel pump. Even though my 34 uses a mechanical pump, I have a back up electric pump and have that wired to a disconnect.

Fuel and electrical fires are really really nasty in our older cars, particularly the pre-war cars with wood bodies. For $25-$50, you can get some great insurance and a piece of mind.

Cheers,

Tom

Excellent suggestion Tom. I've seen more than one lovely Packard lost to fires resulting from unnecessary use of an electric fuel pump as well, truly sad when it happens. I have several friends who like you have an electric for occasional priming or backup, and they've wired theirs with a "deadman" type switch that required their finger to be constantly on the switch for the pump to work. I think that's a reasonable approach as well.