Battery Vapor???
 

Hey guys , long time reader, 1st time posting. In prep for my turbo install on my 91 CRXsi/b20, I did Abaz's DIY battery relocation including the same battery box and all. The other day I was talking to this dsm guy and had done a battery relocate, but said that you have to use a sealed box with a vent tube because the battery produces DEADLY vapors?? My old 73 beetle had the battery under the back seat, and new batterys are completly sealed anyways ???, is this guy on crack or what? :P-Thanks

Re:Battery Vapor???
 

no, i have never heard of anything like that before. hes smokin some good crack.

Re:Battery Vapor???
 

lemme get some of that good crack, im tired of all the ghetto oakland ---- >:(

Re:Battery Vapor???
 

Batteries, when charging/discharging, do produce a vapor, but it would take about 3,000 cycles of a charge/discharge to create enough to do any health problems..not to mention an air-tight vehicle.

Re:Battery Vapor???
 

uhh guys... batteries give off pure oxygen and hydrogen... therye not soo much toxic as explosive... thats why you have a vent tube

Re:Battery Vapor???
 

they also leak and if they leak good luck with the acid.

Re:Battery Vapor???
 

smoking and a venting battery do not mix. even a sealed battery vents...especially when it fully charges. sealed means that it doesn't have caps to pop off to refill the cells with distilled water and won't spill if tipped over. you'll probably be ok, but with how easy it is to put it in a sealed box and make a vent tube is easy and worth not finding out the hard way.

Re:Battery Vapor???
 

Hey Birdman,

Some of the racing sanctioning bodies (NHRA and IHRA) require a sealed box, with a vent tube to the outside air, for vehicles without a rear firewall (like a hatch or Rex). These requirements are for lead acid batteries.

Here is a link to an approved box from Moroso - http://www.moroso.com/catalog/catego...?catcode=42001

The vapors (actually it's hydrogen gas) lead acid batteries produce during charge/discharge cycles are explosive. That's why they sometimes blow up when people jump start and make the final connection near the discharged battery. It's not from hooking it up wrong, it's from that last connection that produces a spark near the heavilly discharged battery. All the vapors floating around it light off and blow things up.

There is a much smaller worry for this with a gel cell or sealed/dry cell battery. Here is a quote from the FAQ on the Optima website....

Does OPTIMA ever Gas?
When used with a properly regulated constant voltage charging system (such as an alternator) the OPTIMA will usually not emit hydrogen gas. However, gassing can occur when charging at higher voltage levels or in extreme high temperature conditions. In automotive applications this typically will not happen if the alternator/regulator stay below 15 volts.

That's it, I'm done now. Go and sin no more. ;D

Craig @ Tuner Toys

Re:Battery Vapor???
 

Well Craig pretty much summed it all up.. I'll add my .02 anyways.

I've worked a lot with batteries, within the autoparts industry and also with deep cycle batteries for various purpouses. I don't like working with batteries but I do anyways.

You might be fine without running a vent tube/sealed box; but it's highly recommended that you take the extra time and make one. Even if you drive with the windows rolled down all the time, it's just a good idea to go ahead and install that ----.. no sense in killing any more brain cells.

Re:Battery Vapor???
 

Cool 8), I am going to order that moroso box(or something similar) soon because hopefully my set up will be finished before the tracks close :P. That guy was looking at me like I was insane driving like that, so I figured I had to ask. Thanks again.

Re:Battery Vapor???
 

I've had my battery in the trunk for about a year now and so far nothings blown up and the only health problem I have is that damn third nipple, but I've had that forever so it's not from the battery acid.

Re:Battery Vapor???
 

Same here. It's in the back of my gutted interior in a Marine box just to keep it all clean. No real vent of sealed box. Talked to my dad mechanic once and he said it is possible but every condition must be there. The heat, The humidity, the proper gas mixture and spark. It's like 1 in 10,000,000.01. Probably even more zeros in the! And for the health. My car leaks water like a siff so air no problem venting that!

Re:Battery Vapor???
 

actually some battery's will fume vapors like a mother fucker. when you're starting you're car and it won't crank, well after a while of doing that you can't really see if but it will fume. if and when a short comes about, the battery will fume and you will notice it emmediately.. just that bit of fumes you inhale does damage you're body. maybe not now but, in time.

Re:Battery Vapor???
 

in all my experience with lead acid batterys I've never seen one spontaneously combust and turn into a fireball.

I've seen plenty that have exploded, I've even wrecked a car on the battery side and got one squished.

The things ya'll need to worry about are the vapors. Plainly put.