Learned the hard way why you should always ground the battery last when
installing a battery into a car, especially one that is cramped around the
battery. I was down in LA for the break visiting my wife's family. The
battery post on my mother-in-law's 98 Cadi DeVille broke off (weird huh?)
and spilled battery acid all over the place.... Time for a battery swap.
One of those new fangled batteries with screw in posts on the side. I
grounded the new battery first, and then when ratcheting down the positive
terminal, my ring (which was touching the ratchet--which was touching the
positive terminal) touched the some grounded part of the engine. Yowza!
The new Cadillacs use a 14 volt high current battery because of all of the
high load accessories the cars have... power EVERYTHING! Second degree
burns where my ring used to be... the gold and platinum melted at the two
points where it arced. When I pulled the ring off in a hurry, all the skin,
and chunks of meat came off with it--all the way around. It was, and
continues to be DISGUSTING. I will have a permanent wedding ring scar.
What I learned: good idea to take jewelry off when working on car; NEVER
ground the battery first!
Taro in Seattle
'67 1600
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