wow.  i have always heard about the not connecting the
jumper cable to the neg post of the dead battery, but
i didnt know the reason.  that sounds like a pretty
good reason ;)
-steve

--- Joel Walker <jwalker17@earthlink.net> wrote:
> > i assume the standard primary battery on westies
> is
> > unvented, meaning it doesnt need venting to the
> > outside world.  is this right?
>
> as i understand it, right.
>
> > from what i can figure, a battery needing venting
> > discharges some gases during charging.  what are
> the
> > source of those gases, and why do it this way
> instead
> > of not having gases discharge?
>
> there's a chemical reaction when the charging
> electricity from the
> alternator is fed into the battery, and hydrogen gas
> is released. the
> higher the charging amps, the more gas is released.
> the battery folks
> don't have any choice ... if you have a lead-acid
> battery, you get
> gas. period. the UNvented batteries simply are built
> stronger to take
> the pressure from the gas until the gas is
> reabsorbed into the acid.
> the vented ones let the gas out and eventually the
> acid kinda weakens
> a lot.
>
> that's what i've been told and have read over the
> years. i don't claim
> to be a battery expert or anything, but one of the
> reasons you do NOT
> want to connect the negative jumper cable to the
> battery itself (but
> to the chassis/ground strap) is to NOT have any
> sparks around the
> battery ... those sparks might set off the hydrogen
> and the battery
> could explode. not a nice thing. :(
>
> hope it helps. good luck!
> joel
>

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