OEM battery vent hose missing?

[m3f_///Mbmw]

I bought my interstate battery MP91 back in march, I finally got the vent hose from interstate. When I went to install, i noticed that I am missing the factory vent hose to the body/chassis.



I have the battery bolt for bracket (i am newb at this since this is my first e36) but how this hold the battery in without bracket that holds battery in place? I really need the picture to able to understand what parts am I missing so I can install those right away.



I went on real oem website, but I can't seem to find anything. Can anybody help me out with part numbers?

[m3f_white-hot]

Search?



Here is one such post.

[m3f_Roland H]

I just went to ace hardware and got some clear tubing (2ft or so) hooked it up to the MTP91 vent kit, and ran the other end out through the grommet in the floor of the trunk so it dumps outside.

[m3f_cscat87]

I connected the positive and negative terminals, put the black plastic cover over it, and drive the car! No hold-down, no vent tube. What's it really going to do? Had it that way for years so far..

[m3f_englishtom1596q]

I connected the positive and negative terminals, put the black plastic cover over it, and drive the car! No hold-down, no vent tube. What's it really going to do? Had it that way for years so far..

same

[m3f_enderw88]

I connected the positive and negative terminals, put the black plastic cover over it, and drive the car! No hold-down, no vent tube. What's it really going to do? Had it that way for years so far..

Recently there was a thread with a guy having his car completely cut out during heavy braking. Turns out his battery was unsecured, and when he stopped hard the positive terminal was contacting the body, so he had a MAJOR short (I doubt you can have a worse short). His solution was to stick a piece of plywood there.



Really, guys these are CHEAP parts. Why not do it right?

[m3f_Richardsperry]

Everything you need to see.

http://bmwfans.info/parts/catalog/E3...ystem/battery/

[m3f_TomS2]

I connected the positive and negative terminals, put the black plastic cover over it, and drive the car! No hold-down, no vent tube. What's it really going to do? Had it that way for years so far..

it is going to wake you up in the middle of the night, crawl out from under your bed, and piss acid all over your face.



when i was young and stupid i acted the same way as you. then i thought about it for maybe a minute, maybe as long as it took to let a log go. i did some of my best thinking on the throne in those days.





after very little thinking i concluded that the acid in the battery is best in the battery, and if it gets out of the battery bad, very bad things could happen. then i thought about all the plastic parts that crack from age, heat, etc. like the radiator that is secured to the core support of the car. hmmm, if the radiator cracks and the liquid in the radiator spills out without being banged around, what could happen to the battery bouncing in the trunk?





And that vent tube thingy - why is it there, why not just ignore the piece? the battery is in the trunk. then i realized that an internet search is my friend. your friend too.





I once wondered why the tech inspectors were so anal about shaking batteries to make sure they were in securely. i didnt think an enthusiast would take a car to a track and risk their own safety let alone the safety of others without ensuring the car was in tip top shape. I guess not all enthusiasts are created equal.

[m3f_cscat87]

I once wondered why the tech inspectors were so anal about shaking batteries to make sure they were in securely. i didnt think an enthusiast would take a car to a track and risk their own safety let alone the safety of others without ensuring the car was in tip top shape. I guess not all enthusiasts are created equal.

That's a different story than with these cars. Back when I first graduated college I worked as an NHRA tech inspector at a dragway in New Jersey, and had to check batteries in all cars. Foxbody Mustangs were the worst; they weren't very old back then, and they still all had rotted battery tie-downs. The battery could flop back and forth and it was legitimately dangerous. The way these cars are setup, there is very low change of anything moving since the battery sits down in a groove.

[m3f_finespline]

I'm replacing the 10 year old battery in my '95 today. There is no vent tube, but not sure if it was just never put back or if it didn't have one originally. The plugged hole beneath the battery doesn't look like it had a fitting for a vent tube.



The vent nipple from the old battery lines up directly with where the metal fender meets the wrap around bumper and I have a rust spot there. I suspect if the vent tube were installed it would have prevented the corrosion. Will be looking to install a proper vent tube with the new battery.

[m3f_fiveightandten]

I connected the positive and negative terminals, put the black plastic cover over it, and drive the car! No hold-down, no vent tube. What's it really going to do? Had it that way for years so far..

All it takes is some hydrogen built up in there from no vent tube, and a spark from a jolt causing one of the terminals to contact the chassis, and you're going to have a very bad day.


Really? It's $10 to get the parts to secure the battery and run a vent tube to vent it and takes 5 minutes to fix. Are you going to have any issues? Probably not. But those parts are there to ensure that you won't, as opposed to driving around without proper safety measures in the car and just hoping that it'll be ok.