David,
Thinking that I was getting an exact replacement for my discharged battery,
I went online and looked for a group 41 battery.  When I saw that it was a
Bosch, and the photo provided actually LOOKED like my battery, except that
there was no sticker, and the terminal cover was not there - no big deal -
just reuse the old one...I didn't ask them anything.  The store is
basically staffed with kids.  The manager, also young, is usually the only
one who knows anything.  I just showed them the description from their
website.  I didn't go through, "What is the make and model of your
vehicle,etc., etc."  I just now looked it up on their website, and after
putting all of the requested info for batteries, it came up with this
product <http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/9652149/00854>, which is
not even a battery!!!  I will go to my battery place and see what they have
to say about this situation.
Patti

On Wed, Jul 8, 2015 at 9:49 AM, <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:

> Patti, your old battery appears identical to mine, which I bought at Pep
> Boys 4 years ago.  If it has the nipples for vent hose attachment, it IS
> identical to mine, including the strap.  Pep Boys also sells the vent hoses
> in case a PO removed them from your compartment.
>
> The new battery, as you observed, does not have the cover for the positive
> post.  That is a dangerous situation, and since you observed that the lid
> contacts the post, it is simply not an acceptable battery for your van.
> Even with the post cover, I still cover the battery with a rubber sheet to
> prevent contact with the metal lid.    I know that folks say that there is
> a rubber lining on the lid, but mine does not have one, just bare metal.
> There is a foam gasket around the edge, but no rubber liner.
>
>
> I am disappointed to learn this, because I thought that when I came to
> need a new battery, I could go back to Pep Boys.  Are you certain that the
> one they provided you is the one listed for the van, or is it one that they
> had in stock, and thought would fit?  Such things happen.  Does it have the
> foot for the factory bracket?  If you look at the base of your old battery,
> it has a foot molded on the bottom that has a slot where one end of the
> factory bracket (clamp) fits, or at least mine does.  This is a very secure
> way of holding the battery in place.  Batteries without it really need to
> be shimmed with blocks of wood or some non-conducting material so that they
> do not move around in the compartment.
>
> mcneely
>
> ---- PB <pbrattan@gmail.com> wrote:
> > When I opened my battery compartment, it looked like I already HAD the
> perfect
> > battery
> > <
> http://s74.photobucket.com/user/edtech2000/media/2015-07-07%2018.58.35.jpg.html
> >!
> > It already had a strap and a terminal cover, so I went to Pep Boys to
> swap
> > it out for a new one.  The new battery they brought out was a group 41
> > Bosch, but NOT THE SAME BATTERY!!!  The new one was slightly taller and
> > narrower from side to side than the old one.  We did decide that
> including
> > the height of the strap on the old one, they were both actually the same
> > height.  However, this new one didn't have a strap or a terminal cover.
> > Pep Boys claimed that my old battery
> > <
> http://s74.photobucket.com/user/edtech2000/media/2015-07-07%2018.58.35.jpg.html
> >
> > was discontinued and replaced with this new model
> > <
> http://static.pepboys.com/images/productImages/56564100/BOSCH-BATTERY-41-675B-TOP.jpg
> >,
> > which ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT LOOK LIKE THIS PHOTO, so I decided to keep my
> > core until I was sure of the fit.
> >
> > My husband, who was helping me with the install, fashioned a way to lower
> > the battery into the compartment by using some ratchet straps that I
> > already had.  Once the battery was in the compartment, the bolt on the
> > positive battery terminal connector stuck up high enough to prevent the
> > compartment lid from closing properly. Since it was already dark when we
> > discovered this, I decided to wait until tomorrow to check this local
> place
> > that specializes in batteries of all sizes and shapes
> > <http://www.batterypower-inc.com/home.nxg>.  In fact, "Battery Power"
> has
> > already BUILT a discontinued battery for an electric bicycle I have.  I
> > have also been able to find several motorcycle batteries of very odd
> sizes
> > and shapes, in stock for immediate purchase!  Had I known that Pep Boys
> did
> > not have an EXACT replacement for my battery, I would have gone to
> Battery
> > Power in the first place. I  am sure that one way or another I can count
> on
> > them to either resolve the bolt issue, or sell me a new battery that will
> > fit as well as the old one. They may even have battery carrying straps
> and
> > terminal caps in stock!
> >
> > By the way, while my starter battery was removed from the car, I
> discovered
> > that my stereo, dome light, and fluorescent light all worked. I don't
> know
> > if that means that I already have this kind of battery relay system
> > <
> http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=2418&category_id=&category_parent_id=
> >
> > installed.  Tomorrow I will take a look at the aux battery to see if I
> can
> > figure it out. I do know that there is a 12-volt receptacle attached to
> the
> > aux battery, and I have used it many times.
> >
> > An up date will follow!
> > Patti
> > 90 Westy Automatic
> > Los Angeles
> >
> >
> >
> > *♪♫**♥**♫♪♪♫**♥**♫♪♪♫**♥**♫♪♪♫**♥**♫♪*
> > If it's not on my Smart Phone, it doesn't exist...
> > ●▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬♥▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬●
>
> --
> David McNeely
>
>
>

-- 

*♪♫**♥**♫♪♪♫**♥**♫♪♪♫**♥**♫♪♪♫**♥**♫♪*
If it's not on my Smart Phone, it doesn't exist...
●▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬♥▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬●