Date: Thu, 7 Jul 2005 21:39:12 -0600
Reply-To: dusty edwards <dusty.edwards@MAC.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: dusty edwards <dusty.edwards@MAC.COM>
Subject: Re: Optima Battery safety question
In-Reply-To: <AIEFIGCNNANNIHLNFBPEKEEFAGAB.mailinglist@fastforward.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
all that i can say is BE CAUTIOUS! i posted a "CRAZY story" the other
day about my westy and a electrical dash fire - the fire was traced
back to the aux. battery shorting out due to the cover sitting on the
posts without a post-guard. the plastic post-guard was once there,
then disappeared one day.........hmmmmm. she's in the shop right now
with several grand in repairs taking place. it could've been waaaaay
worse!
dusty.
On Jul 7, 2005, at 9:14 PM, David Marshall wrote:
> Tonight I installed a Group 34 Optima battery in my TriStar. I did as
> many
> people have done, laid it over on it's side so the terminals point
> forward
> and then secure the battery clamps. Has anyone ever started
> arc-welding
> using this method or have a battery be a projectile in an accident?
> With
> the battery on it's side the positive clamp is only a few millimetres
> away
> from the floor under the seat and there is no way of securing the
> battery.
> What I did to make me feel half at ease, is use the stock clamp down
> bar to
> force the battery to the rear of the tray so it can't lift up and used
> four
> layers of water softening salt bag under the positing terminal so will
> not
> [hopefully] touch if the Syncro goes on a weird angle or gets into an
> accident... but it can still slide from side to side - if it goes too
> much
> to the passenger side the positive clamp will touch the factory battery
> retaining bar. I have inserted a 2x4 and a 1x4 piece of wood on the
> passenger side of the battery to keep it in the driver side of the
> tray...
> someone please tell me there is a more elegant and safe way of doing
> this!
>
> David Marshall
>
> Fast Forward Automotive Inc.
> 4356 Quesnel-Hixon Road
> Quesnel BC Canada V2J 6Z3
>
> http://www.fastforward.ca mailto:sales@fastforward.ca
> Phone: (250) 992 7775 FAX: (250) 992 1160
>
> - Vanagon Accessories and Engine Conversions
> - Vanagon, Transporter and Iltis Sales and Importation
> - European Lighting for most Volkswagen models
>
>
> Due to the large volume of email we receive, PLEASE include
> previous
> emails when responding. This will allow us to read the complete
> dialogue
> in one message and will result in quicker and more accurate
> responses.
>
|___|_|_|__\
|___|__-|-__|
"(o)-----(o)--"
| 
