RE: E34 battery replacement

["Rodney Moore" <m6bigdog@xxxxxxxx>]

Jim,
How important is venting a passenger or trunk compartment battery?  IMHO,
VERY!!
The vent tube on an E034, M5 is located on the right side of the battery,
nearest the door.

When a battery is charging it always generates hydrogen gas.
Should charging make a combustible mixture, by charging the battery over
night with the doors/trunk closed, you could ignite the gas by simply
opening a door or the trunk..
Under the rear seat, in an E-34, is a relay block and fuse panel on the
drivers side.
I will leave it up to your imagination to envision the result of the
igniting the combustible hydrogen mixture.
One example I have of igniting the hydrogen gas while charging a battery
blew the bottom out of the battery and spewed acid everywhere!!
Rod...

- ---------------original message---------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2000 23:55:33 -0700
From: Jim Walsh <jimw@domain.elided>
Subject: E34 battery replacement

I remember reading something a while back on this list about external
venting being required for an E34 battery because of their location under
the passenger seat (at least in my '91 E34 M5).  What replacements have
people successfully used?

- ---snip---

The current battery is a replacement.  I see no vinyl tubes or anything that
look like it would have been hooked up to the original for venting - how
does the battery venting work?  Since I've been driving this for a few years
without venting with no apparent ill effects, how important is it to worry
about?
Thanks,
Jim
- --------end-----
- ---
Rodney Moore
BMW CCA #86830
Golden Gate Chapter
m6bigdog@domain.elided

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