‘The ring melted to my finger’ It was a simple car service, but disaster struck
If you’re around car repair enough, it comes up in conversation at some point. Mechanics and DIYers don’t wear rings on their fingers (if they know better, anyway). No, not even their wedding bands. And for good reason, as a gal just learned while working on hers.
Severe burn from a car battery terminal
She says she was working under the hood of her car when she “hit the battery voltage.”
Unfortunately, she was wearing at least one metal ring.
Ccadventurephotography posted a reel on her Instagram showing followers the damage.
Warning, folks: it ain’t pretty.
When asked how she got the ring off, she responded that she was able to slide it off. Grimly, though, her skin sort of went with it.
The comment section lit up, wondering if the video was real or how this could even happen.
Well…
This kind of thing happens more often than people think. Here’s what likely went down:
Ccadventurephotography was working near the 12-volt battery, probably wrenching on or reaching around the terminals.
If that metal ring touched both the positive terminal and some grounded part of the car, boom.
Instant short circuit.
The ring basically became a conductor. That means a ton of current rushed through it. And when that happens, metal heats up fast. Like, red hot in seconds fast. The skin under the ring had no time to react.
To clarify, the burn wasn’t from electricity zapping her directly. It was thermal.
The ring basically turned into a branding iron, trapping heat right against her skin. Even if she yanked it off quick, the damage was done. It doesn’t take long at all.
A few commenters added their own stories, like this one: “I’m a lineman and have seen many secondary (120/240) flashes melt metal almost instantly. Usually [curses] up whatever tool or piece of material that hit it. Got a melted knife to prove it to ya.”
This is why seasoned techs take off jewelry before touching anything electrical
A 12-volt system may sound harmless, but it’s the amperage that does the damage. And car batteries can crank out hundreds of amps in an instant.
It was a lesson learned the hard way, and thankfully, it seems like she’s healing well.
If you work on a car, remember: no rings, no watches, no metal.
