Date:         Wed, 21 Aug 2002 12:44:35 -0400
Reply-To:     Hector Zapata <hector.zapata@XRXGSN.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Hector Zapata <hector.zapata@XRXGSN.COM>
Subject:      Re: Battery Location - Rear Behind RR Taillight
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Speaking of wich. VW makes a battery cover that prevents this problem. I
know because I bought one for my wife's Jetta. Her sister had a GTI that
came with this battery cover from the factory, but not so the Jetta. I
bought it becuse I noticed the GTI's battery terminal were crust free and
clean, and so was the battery tray, and the Jetta was always looking like
crap. The only difference, the cover.


Héctor


>It is also the place on the loafs that rusts out within a few years. One
>of the prime reasons VW moved the battery inside was to get it out of
>the rain. In the loaf, every time it rained, battery acid washed off the
>case and sat on the sheet metal. If you put it back there, put it in a
>marine box, or use an Optima.
>
>OR
>
>Put it above the Spare tire, behind the grill.
>
>Developing business and guiding change since 1996,
>
>G. Matthew Bulley
>Bulley-Hewlett
>Marketing & Communications
>Business: www.bulley-hewlett.com
>AIM = IExplain4u
>Phone: +1.919.658.1278


>
>If you look at the ETKA, it appears that some Vanagon models came from
>the factory with the battery in this location.
>It is also where the bay-window busses had their battery, so you
>probably could even use factory cables for a bay-window bus, if you were
>so inclined.
>
>Todd
>'88 Westy
>
>Joseph Angrisani wrote:
>
>>I've been reading through the archives about installing a house
>battery.
>>Electrically, I know what I want to do.  My question involves the
>physical
>>location of the battery.
>>
>>Has anyone installed the battery in the dead space behind the
>passenger's
>>tail-light?
>>
>>It seems a good location.  It is very near the alternator for the main
>lead
>>as well as the field/trigger lead...wiring would be simplified and
>short
>>power leads are good!  It is on the right side of the Westy, which is
>>certainly the light side.  It is outside (from a chemical
>point-of-view).  It
>>takes up no interior storage space.  Even the "weight way out back" is
>less
>>of a lever arm than that of a spare tire and rack (or two bikes on a
>rack)
>>hanging out rearward of the bumper.
>>
>>The "box" back there measures 8" top-bottom x 8" front-back x 11.5"
>side-side
>>inside of the fiberboard cover of the intake tract.  The area is enough
>to
>>gobble up a 9.94"x 6.88" x 7.81" Optima easily.  A hold down is simple
>>too...100% access to the bottom of that box.  For those inclined, some
>work
>>involving a new brace, some 3M 5200, and a different air intake duct
>even
>>opens up the possibility of a ~100Ah (Group 29) Absorbed Glass Mat
>battery.
>>P-p-power!
>>
>>What am I missing?  This location seems superb.  Why isn't it being
>used?
>>
>>Inquiring Minds Want To Know......
>>Joe in CO
>>84 Westy
>>77 Targa
>>
>>ps...Please respond with your comments and thoughts to
>>"vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com" too (with the same Subject line) so this
>thread
>>will be archived.
>>
>>
>>