Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2019 09:19:56 -0700
Reply-To: Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: SLA AC Delco Deep Cycle? (vs Interstate)
In-Reply-To: <CAA5WjggPiTN26JMC3+6ORSaLvbb=wgvn7eM_AM1oV7G_SUpb=g@mail.gmail.com>
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I don't have enough formal education to confirm that this is true
(beyond suffering no obvious health issue running 3 batteries in my
1981 Westfalia) but I've read posts over on the samba Vanagon forum
suggesting that the amounts of hydrogen off gassing from a standard LA
battery during normal use is not a real concern even if one is running
a second or maybe even third LA aux battery. BUT..... if a battery
or batteries are overcharged and vent of that "egg smell" hydrogen
sulphide gas, that gas contained in the van might be a problem. And,
the bigger problem could be the over charging causing the battery to
fail in a dangerous manner.
There may be variations on this for different model Vanagons and in
different markets but both my 1988 and 1981 Westfalias have a vent to
exterior on the passenger side battery box but do not have that
exterior venting on the driver side box. Some folks put an AGM aux
battery in that driver side box some use a standard LA (group 42?)
battery as I do.
Any standard flooded cell group 41 battery I've used in my Vanagon has
had vent nipples. One vent is typically capped off so that the owner
can choose which side they attach a vent tube to. On some apparently
"maintenance free" batteries, one can still find a way to remove the
covers to check fluid levels in cells. I'd suggest that any LA starter
battery has to have some means of venting.
Neil.
On 3/27/19, Gabriel Hourtouat <ghourtouat@gmail.com> wrote:
> I don't have enough experience with it yet to make a well founded comment.
> (Others users were impressed with their Walmart batteries, I believe.)
>
> Also, it's a wet cell; but I can't find that it is vented anywhere. I
> figure it should be, but there is no way to check the liquid level; so I am
> confused about it.
>
> g
>
> On Tue, Mar 26, 2019 at 2:34 PM Neil N <musomuso@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Thanks Dennis.
>>
>> Venting is something to consider for sure so will consider investing
>> in an AGM battery.
--
Neil n
VE7TBN
1988 Westy 50º ABA swap: https://tinyurl.com/yap5hpwt
1981 Westy 15º ABA swap: https://tinyurl.com/y9n4xob8
VAG Gas Engine Swap Group <http://tinyurl.com/khalbay>