Achtung964

The battery in my car leaked acid which pushed the acid through the battery vent line as designed. The problem is the acid leaked around the area where the vent connects to the fender and has eaten through the paint causing some rust.



Called the body shop and it's going to cost ~$300 to repair (need to work both sides of the metal). This doesn't seem to be the ideal location for the battery to vent. Maybe one of the tub drainage holes would work better. Anyone take a different approach? Should I switch to Optima or some AGM battery?

AOW162435

I found some discoloration on the floor under my battery a few weeks ago (presumably from some acid discharge). I've never liked how the vent hose was routed, and found a few kinks in it.
So I removed it and then made a clean, short run to the forward most drain location using some 1/4" polypropylene icemaker tubing, and a 90-degree push-on fitting set into a grommet.
This drain does not interfere with the spare tire, so there's no chance of kinking or compressing my new drain/vent line.
Lastly, I cleaned the area under the battery and installed a 'battery mat'.



Andreas

LPMM

AGM batteries FTW, I run them in all my vehicles. Skip Optima though.

Achtung964

This happen to anyone else?

Achtung964

I'm considering tackling this job myself. The front side seems straight forward. The question is how do I access the side inside the fender? Will I have access by simply removing the wheel well liner or do I need to remove additional parts (i.e. front bumper)?

Vandit

Removing the fender liner will give you some access, but not great access. I believe that grommet resides right above the condenser.

Meatball911

Why skip Optima? I had one 15+ years ago but haven't since. Weight, size, or quality issues?

LPMM

Optima quality is not what it used to be, they seem to fail much to soon. For my Jeep, I switched to a Sears Platinum AGM (Odyssey rebranded) in 2008 and it still acts like the first day I bought it, even after going through the abuse (winching, sitting for 2-3 months without being started or outside overnight during our MN winters, etc...). Best part is that the battery comes with a 4 year full replacement warranty and then prorated, and there is a Sears in just about every town if you need a replacement.

I've also had one in my wife's Audi for the past 3 years without issues, and I'll put one in the 964 to replace the Optima the PO installed as soon as I am done with my projects. My $0.02, you mileage may vary.