Date:         Wed, 26 Jun 2002 23:47:00 -0500
Reply-To:     Roy Olynick <rrh@AUTOBAHN.MB.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Roy Olynick <rrh@AUTOBAHN.MB.CA>
Subject:      Battery Box Vents Update
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

I posted to the list recently concerning a second apparent vent hole in the
battery box of my '87 Westy. To recap: the box has two vent holes, one (about 1"
dia.) in the upper left of the forward wall of the battery box and another
(about 1 1/2" dia.) in the lower right of the forward wall. The smaller diameter
hole has a black, ribbed elbow venting to the outside in the passenger side
wheel well. The larger diameter hole didn't have any kind of elbow venting to
the outside. The hole was wide open to intruding water, slush and other road
nasties thrown up by the right front wheel. When I removed the Westy's battery
recently, I noticed the rust that had developed inside the battery box,
especially around the large vent hole. Close inspection revealed four small
holes grouped symmetrically around the large vent hole, which leads me to
believe that some sort of hood or venting pipe must have been attached at one
time. Even VW engineers would have foreseen a problem with an exposed hole in
the wheel well leading directly into the battery box!

Since my posting produced no definitive answers and neither did Bentley, I
proceeded to scout around local malls and parking lots, looking for 80s model
Westies to inspect their wheel wells. On an '89 Westy that I found, the large
vent hole was covered by a shield that extended laterally towards the brake
cable mounting, but was open on that end. This was the part that was missing
from my van.

Hoping to avoid having to fabricate this part myself, I visited the local VW
used parts emporium to purchase said part. Of the six Westies there, all were
1986 or older, and all had only one vent hole, on the upper left corner of the
battery box. So, it appears that VW added the additional vent hole in the 1987
model year.

Back home at my workbench, after repainting the rusty area in the battery box
with POR-15, I fabricated a shield from scrap sheet metal, painted with POR-15
and riveted the sucker to the battery box.

Something told me to inspect the box under the driver's seat as well. I did, and
lo, and behold, rust there as well. Two rivets protruding into the box from the
wheel well, had allowed moisture to seep into the box. More work but nothing
that POR-15 can't handle.

So, kiddies, the moral of the story is to be continually vigilant and check
those nooks and crannies for the enemy of all Vanagons and Westies.

Roy Olynick
'87 VW Westfalia GL
(till death do us part)
'91 Honda Civic SE
'01 Honda Civic LX
www.autobahn.mb.ca/~rrh/Westy_Home.htm