TECH: Battery Vent... where to?

[Allargando DiFortissimo]

2008 Smart ForTwo...

I just got a new upgraded battery and don't know where the vent tube goes. When removing the old one, I didn't pay attention; just pulled it out figuring it would be obvious where it went. Well, it ain't obvious... at least not to me.

Looking into the battery well from the passenger seat, the A/C drain is through a grommeted hose on the left (near) side, and the battery wiring harness goes through a large grommet on the right (near) side. The vent hose is not very long, so it should be easy to find where it goes but, unless it just pokes through the same large grommet hole as the wiring harness (which I don't like the idea of), I'm just not seeing it.

Instruct me, and I shall be wise.

ADiF

[Smart Bob]

It should fit through a hole on the same side as the A/C drain tube. Your replacement battery may have covered the hole? The drain tube connection on the battery should be towards the rear of the vehicle if we are talking about a 451 series with the battery located in the passenger side footwell.

[Allargando DiFortissimo]

Originally Posted by Smart Bob

It should fit through a hole on the same side as the A/C drain tube... Your replacement battery may have covered the hole?

Perhaps it does cover the hole, but the new battery is the real-live genuine Smart replacement one, just the larger of the two sizes they came with.

Originally Posted by Smart Bob

The drain tube connection on the battery should be towards the rear of the vehicle if we are talking about a 451 series with the battery located in the passenger side footwell

Yep, the "2008" was the giveaway there. Standard '08 ForTwo, build date is September '08... so "Happy Birthday" to my car this month.

I'll return to the scene of the crime and look yet again. I don't really want to remove the battery again (heavy, unwieldy & situated in a tangle of important wires) but, if you're SURE it's near the A/C drain hose grommet, then it MUST be covered by the battery.

Thing is, the new taller bracket that came with the new battery pretty-much rules out the battery moving very much at all. However, if it DOES move at all, it would be forward... which just may uncover this mysterious orifice. The reason I'm not sure of this is that there's already a good bit of empty space there at the rear (towards the passenger seat) of the battery box area. I didn't measure, but the new battery looked mostly TALLER rather than longer.

Bottom line: Since there's a blue-million of these things running 'round with the larger battery, it's GOT to work, so I'll go see what I can come up with. Instead of trusting my fingers, I reckon I'll use a mirror and see what I can find.

Thanks,

ADiF