Could it be baking soda?
Baking soda sprinkled on the bottom of your battery box after a good clean
and repaint will help with any acid vapor or condensation that may collect
on the bottom of the box by imediately neturalizing it.

You can buy battey mats that have baking soda in them or use a couple
Brawney paper towels with a good layer of soda inbetween.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Malcolm Stebbins" <mwstebbins@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2006 10:04 AM
Subject: Re: White powder in battery box bottom

> --- Gerald Masar <azsun99@earthlink.net> wrote:
> > Is the battery cracked, or is there any evidence it did leak?
> > If the powder is all white, maybe it is baking soda, put in to
neutralize a previous spill.
>
> No sign of a cracked battery.  The "powder" looks more like fire place
ash, but as it laid on the
> bottom of the battery box, it was absolutely flat, as if it was the
sediment from a
> once-upon-a-time liquid.  M
>
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