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I would say you had a meltdown due to the corrosion on the battery, and bolt. Even though the terminal itself was not touching the holddown bolt, the amount of corrosion you have showing will cause it to conduct electricity. Normal lead acid batteries are more prone to this because the liquid acis vents a lot easier then the Optima's gel concoction. Normally this results in a parasitic draw that you have a hard time tracing down. In extremecases you get what you have pictured. We have a fleet of over 1800 vehicles, and of that 87% have Optimas installed. Normal lead acid batteries just cannot withstand the abuse of fleet use. An easy way to tell if your battery is due for the same problem, or you are experiencing a parasitic drain and cannot figure it out is to get a multimeter. Place one probe on the negative side of the battery terminal, and the other probe is used to run along the case of the battery. If you have a large area of wetness on the top or side of the battery, probe this area first. Road grime, corrosion, and acid residue all will conduct a sufficient amount of electricity. I have seen as much as 1.2 volts of parasitic draw just from acid residue on the battery. I also noticed that you have a corrosion protectant on the terminals, of which any overspray onto the top of the battery will also conduct electricity. Clean your battery terminals, and battery at least every 6 moths, you will be surprised at the longevity of your battery. And at $100+ for an Optima, I am sure you don't want to replace it again anttime soon. TC
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