Re: Batteries

[steveb@falcon.kla.com (Steven Buchholz)]

> Whoa, Steve!
> See the post about the Audian that has his car burn when the fat guy sat on 
> the back seat and the wire frame from the seat shorted the battery that was 
> out of place.  Caution... here.  I also suspect that "sealed" does not mean 
> what you think it means.  Not positive, but I think sealed means that you 
> can't service it.  It still out-gasses, but there is no vent on your battery. 
> I have none on my 90V8 either and did not on my 86 5KTQ without any problems.
> As to the terminals being swapped(!) I think you got the wrong battery. 

Thanks for the input Roland ...

I don't know if it is their marketing strategy or simply because they are 
new, but you don't have too many options with the Optima battery.  There's 
the 800U with top and side terminals, the 800S with side terminals only, a 
6V battery and a marine battery.  If you get European Car, there is a one-
page article in the last issue.  The batteries are truly sealed ... appar-
ently the hydrogen and oxygen gasses naturally recombine in the cells  They 
even say that the battery can be mounted upside down.  The car does crank a 
little faster with the 800A source IME.  I like the fact that I don't have 
to worry about sulfuric acid getting into the area under the seat and the 
secondary benefit od the higher cranking current helped me make the call.  
As regards the shorting out issue ... I am very sensitive to that.  The 
bottom of the seat is foam, and I used the OEM battery's plastic cover to 
protect the (+).

Steve Buchholz
s_buchho@kla.com
San Jose, CA (USA)