Shocked by RC Battery!

[Justin1080]

I feel like such an idiot!! I'm a newbie to RCs and I bought a Hosim 9155 for my nephew. I was trying to unplug the battery to charge up before giving to him and was having trouble getting the plug apart. So I used metal tweezers to pry it open, thinking it was okay since the car was off. But man, sparks went flying and there was a strong burning plastic smell. Do you think I toasted it? Should I even try to plug it in again and run it? Has this happened to anyone else? It was pretty shocking, literally!

 

[Monkey Wrench]

I'd say you did short the battery out, based on your description. To be safe, I'd replace the battery.

 

[Justin1080]

I'd say you did short the battery out, based on your description. To be safe, I'd replace the battery.

Thanks for your reply, do you think it's only the battery and the rest is safe to gift to a kid? He's still pretty young, maybe I should have got him more kid friendly rc. I thought to get a better rc, because I'm tired of buying them cheap toys that will just break.

 

[TurboChargedHonda]

The battery is probably toast, but do not throw it in the trash. Li-ion and LiPos both can cause fire if ruptured, so the best way to get rid of it is to bring it to your local recycling station or local hobby shop if they have the recycling service.

As for the car, it might still be functional, since electricity goes where there's the least amount of resistance (which is back into the battery). The best way to test it is (if you have another battery), plug it in and see if it drives. However, even if it does work, I would try to get him something better like a Traxxas 1/16 Revo, or Losi Mini B (IMHO Hosim is still kind of somewhere between toy-grade and hobby-grade). If you're looking for something larger, then a Traxxas Rustler/Stampede or an Arrma Granite/Senton are popular options.

 

[tntpoof]

1st off you never use metal tool to get a battery free..more than likely its toast... remove from house and dispose of it asap. only thing you cab do is test rc to make sure no other damage is done..Deans also T plugs can be tad hard to unplug .when I used Deans I went with the xt plug they hard raised ridges on them made it a little easier.

 

[Greywolf74]

Now that the pack has sat over night is there any puffyness or swelling to the lipo? As long as there isnt it should still be fine although it may need new connectors soldered on it if the connectors got damaged from the short. I've accidentally let lipos connectors touch before and shorted out for a split second while soldering connectors on them. If the pack is puffy at all then I would not recommend using it. If its not then you should be fine to use it.

 

[Justin1080]

The battery is probably toast, but do not throw it in the trash. Li-ion and LiPos both can cause fire if ruptured, so the best way to get rid of it is to bring it to your local recycling station or local hobby shop if they have the recycling service.

As for the car, it might still be functional, since electricity goes where there's the least amount of resistance (which is back into the battery). The best way to test it is (if you have another battery), plug it in and see if it drives. However, even if it does work, I would try to get him something better like a Traxxas 1/16 Revo, or Losi Mini B (IMHO Hosim is still kind of somewhere between toy-grade and hobby-grade). If you're looking for something larger, then a Traxxas Rustler/Stampede or an Arrma Granite/Senton are popular options.

Thanks for the info, I'll definitely dispose of the battery carefully. I tried the other battery this morning and the car seems to be running okay. I wish I could get something different now, but nephews bday is tomorrow, probably can't get in time. I'll keep those models in mind for next time, thanks for the suggestions!

 

[Justin1080]

Now that the pack has sat over night is there any puffyness or swelling to the lipo? As long as there isnt it should still be fine although it may need new connectors soldered on it if the connectors got damaged from the short. I've accidentally let lipos connectors touch before and shorted out for a split second while soldering connectors on them. If the pack is puffy at all then I would not recommend using it. If its not then you should be fine to use it.

Thanks for reply, this morning there was no puffiness to the battery, but I think I'm going to throw it away anyways. Luckily I bought a few extra packs. I tried the other battery and it seems to be running okay, hope it will be safe!

 

[Justin1080]

1st off you never use metal tool to get a battery free..more than likely its toast... remove from house and dispose of it asap. only thing you cab do is test rc to make sure no other damage is done..Deans also T plugs can be tad hard to unplug .when I used Deans I went with the xt plug they hard raised ridges on them made it a little easier.

It seems to be running okay on the other battery. I was surprised when I plugged the second battery in, it was much easier to get in and out. Yeah that first one was really hard to get in and out. Maybe there was something wrong with the first battery because it really wasn't fitting right.

 

[tntpoof]

sometimes the female male brass tabs that plug into female end will be a few fractions of a inch more.the little fail tabs can also loosen and need a slight re-bend there's many tips and tricks to this hobby.but be safe 1st if you ever have a lipo miss hap it can hurt persons or property bad..

 

[Doom!]

Before you get rid of the battery, have you checked it with a Battery Checker. If the cells all read even, it may not have been damaged. Everyone who uses Lipo batteries should have one of these in their toolbox.

 

[tntpoof]

A battery checker is Ok not a fail safe when addressing a potentially damaged lipo. it will show you the cells voltage but not give you a good or bad info on a battery sure some new era chargers can show ir but that again is not a fool proof way. your nose is best if it smells sweet trash it. If 1 has this type of goof then be safe trash it.. seen a guy at a track showup and know nothing about rc in general. he ran a 2 cell in his 1/18 scale and said it just dint have any go. he went out to local hobby shop purchased a 3 cell with a tamiya plug and cut both wires at same time to remove plug a load snap was herd along with a puff of smoke very small amount. he then soldered new plug on it and started to charge battery . 3 seconds into charge I herd the dreaded his I said your battery is going to smoke then have a fire blast. he ran 20 feet to doors and dropped it in a snow bank.3 minutes later there was a puddle and a burn mark on cement in 20 degrees..battery tools are nice sure the 1 listed has a few options like discharging a cell to balance them..a voltage reader..just be safe is all

 

[Greywolf74]

Thanks for reply, this morning there was no puffiness to the battery, but I think I'm going to throw it away anyways. Luckily I bought a few extra packs. I tried the other battery and it seems to be running okay, hope it will be safe!

Do you have a LiPo charger that shows the internal resistance (IR) of the individual cells? The LiPo may be ok. If you can tell me what the IR of the cells are I can tell you an approximation of the batteries health. If you do dispose of the battery are you familiar with how to dispose of them safely?

 

[Jerold]

Take it for what it's worth, it's just my opinion. In the end it's just money and the safety of you and your family is more valuable and I would tell you to ditch the battery. However, since it's just my opinion on what might do. . .

As long as it's not out of balance or shows signs of distress (puffy) the battery should be fine. I the end "I think" it could have shortened the life of the battery a little bit.

One issue might be the rapid discharge was likely beyond the C rating. However, there is some margin in there and the discharge has to be over a sustained period of time. What that time is I don't know. It could 5 mS, 5 Sec or 5 Min for all I know. There is some datasheet somewhere that should spec that, but you won't find it.

The cells are in series and in theory it would draw current from all cells equally, so I don't "think" that one cell would have taken the brunt of the discharge.

The other possible issue is the internal connections between the cells were de-soldered. This would show up when you try to charge it. The total voltage would be 0 V and the cell voltage would be fine.

This is what I (me personally) would do, but you do what you feel is best. .

1. Make sure it's not puffy.
2. Always check the balance after I charge it and run it. If they are way out of whack then I might start to see some issues.
3. Make sure I balance charge it every time.
4. Run it till I see a problem.

 

[Arnie01]

Thanks for your reply, do you think it's only the battery and the rest is safe to gift to a kid? He's still pretty young, maybe I should have got him more kid friendly rc. I thought to get a better rc, because I'm tired of buying them cheap toys that will just break.

Personally I would try charging the battery outside in your garage and checking everything is ok. If you can use it and check everything is ok. I think you will be fine. I shorted a 6s battery 100c for a few seconds. I tried the above and everything was fine.

 

[Arnie01]

I'd say you did short the battery out, based on your description. To be safe, I'd replace the battery.

Don’t be a female pee pee. He needs to check the balance of the cells, and check there is no puffiness. If those points are fine it will be ok.

 

[Greywolf74]

You dont have to guess if the LiPo is ok. the IR (internal resistance) of the cells will tell you the health of the cells.

 

[Jerold]

Personally I would try charging the battery outside in your garage and checking everything is ok. If you can use it and check everything is ok. I think you will be fine. I shorted a 6s battery 100c for a few seconds. I tried the above and everything was fine.

I always charge outside. Too many flamible things in the house not to mention the smoke and smell wold be unpleasant if not toxic, should a battery ignite. What I need to do is get an old BBQ and set it up as a charging station.