hot battery melted wire

[JeanneRon]

last weekend after we pulled in from a two day trip we smelled a sulfur smell and popped the hood to find the battery, (one of the jell cell type) whistling and the case was too hot to touch. We also noticed a connector on the field wire that goes direct from the positive termiinal to the alternator had heated up and melted the insulation.  We took the battery to a parts store and the checker indicated that the battery was bad and needed replacement. I have installed the spare voltage regulator and will replace the wire to the alternator but am interested if any of you have had any similar incidents and would have any other ideas on things to check before putting it back on the road.
Thanks, Jeanne and Ron

[handyman]

Jeanne&Ron theres no way of knowing when a battery will short out I use to work for Sears and I saw tons of them come in what I do on mine is put a peace of 1/2 form rubber on the tray then make sure it's secured good if you have any wiring thats to close to metal tape it other than that theres not much else you can do if it's any consolation I'v been driving 40 years and only had it happen once so you probaly will never have it happen again  

[HPotter]

I once had a catastrophic electrical failure after leaving a shop where they had replaced my alternator. The heavy wire from the alternator had been positioned so that it rested against the right exhaust manifold. In about a mile the manifold became hot enough to melt through the insulation on the wire, causing a short that burned out the fusible link on the positive battery terminal and causing a total loss of electrical power.

Harold, #886

[Conrad]

Jeanne and Ron, you mention a gel-cell type battery.  Is this the engine battery?  I have never heard of one being used for engine power (starting).   If this is so, where can I get some specs on it?  Any advantage to using a gel-cell over a lead-acid batt?

[handyman]

Conrad gel cell batterys are for wheel chairs and the like there deep cycle and were made to go on air planes they should not be used for the starting battery but there great for the house