My battery has not been holding a charge for more than a couple of days and when I did a load test it came in at the low end of good (right near the high end of weak)... so I was looking at my Jaguar brand battery and noticed there was no obvious vent... so my questions are:

1. How many battery vent tubes should there be in my jag - I only see ONE that has like a 5/16" hose with a slightly larger rubber elbow on it - is that the only venting tube?
2. And where should the tube connect to the battery? I looked around the Jaguar brand battery but didn't see an obvious spot to connect the hose...
3. And if I find out that I need a new battery, what brand do you all think is the best over the long run? I was looking at the SLA AGM batteries from Bosch, Sears, etc. but wondered what you all thought was the best choice?

THANKS!
Chris

 

Any vented battery is going to have a small hole at the top of the battery usually at one of the ends. It may come with a plug in the hole for non vented applications.

Personally, I bought an Advance Auto Parts battery for $108 after promo code and core charge refund plus local sales tax. Promo code TRT30

 

Thanks! I found where the hose would connect to the battery, but now I can't tell how to connect it as I don't see any nipple on the battery and all I have is this hose:



Is there anything non-oem that I can get to replace the nipple?


And there is also a barbed coupling and a slightly fatter hose with an elbow:



Are those oem as well?


And lastly, there is some kind of rubberish pad in the center of the battery tray:



Is there something else I can put there instead??


Sorry for all the questions, but with the vented battery in the trunk I just want to make sure that everything is done properly so I don't have any acid related issues later on

 

On mine that tube and elbow connect to the vent on the end of the battery at the top (nearest the front of the car) and exit via one of two rubber grommets just in front and to the right of the battery tray.

Picture below shows my battery tray (before painting) and the location of the grommet.



And here is a pic of the vent tube on the battery:-

 

blind your picturein the right corner shows a rubber tube going to the front and down thru the floor... think that's the battery vent and someone stuffed in into the trunk liner front panel ... the battery vent s/b under the top lip of the battery somewhere around the positive terminal if I remember right and any of the top of the line batteries will work well just get the best deal and the longest warranty as xk's eat batteries like kids eat fruit loops . also check the flap where the key goes into the ignition switch .... its notorious for sticking open when key is removed and making the computer think the car is on . another thought you may want to put a layer of baking soda in the bottom of the battery tray to neutralize any possible spillage if it happens .

 

I see that Everstart (WalMart) carries an AGM battery. Would that solve this vent problem?


BrandEverStart PlatinumNumberAGM H8Price139.63†

 

I believe that regardless of construction type, all trunk-mounted batteries need to be vented because all batteries will outgas to the atmosphere (some moreso than others). Perhaps the AGM batteries are less prone to outgas but if you do the research I think you'll find that they still need to be vented if they are mounted in the trunk....

 

Vented batteries are not a problem, they are a solution.

 

Well put, Test Point. You are absolutely right.

During the battery charging process, some (extremely explosive) hydrogen gas is released by the battery, and it is vitally important that this gas be allowed to vent to the outside of the vehicle, and not accumulate in the trunk.

I've never seen a car battery blow up due to this hydrogen being ignited, but know people who have witnessed it first-hand.

 

Gents,

AGM batteries really do behave differently in this regard. Unless something unusual happens, an AGM will go its entire lifetime without burping out any significant amount of hydrogen. If charged way too rapidly or overcharged it can do so, but much less than a traditional flooded cell would.

If they ever start making unvented AGMs for our cars, it would not worry me to use one. Many AGMs are used unvented in confined spaces.