GEL Battery - Cadillac Allante

I found this behind my battery cover, any one have an idea what it could be or where it belongs.  (Allante 90)







thanks in advance for any info.


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MODERATOR EDIT: 
Thread Title 

mystery part alright.  i havent seen that on any Allante, not that i seen all the parts.

plastic or metal?

have you opened the compartment behind the driver seat and see if there is a matching half to it?
i'm thinking aftermarket windscreen part, probably wayyyy wrong, but .. hey, what can i say.

quote:

ORIGINAL: cap4000

I found this behind my battery cover, any one have an idea what it could be or where it belongs.  (Allante 90)







thanks in advance for any info.

nothing on the other side. Probally dosen't belong to the car, just stored there for some unknown reason.
 
thanks.
 
btw quick reply...
 
also nice site

quote:

ORIGINAL: cap4000

nothing on the other side. Probally dosen't belong to the car, just stored there for some unknown reason.

thanks.

btw quick reply...

also nice site

 
Okay, probably right, nothing to do with the car, however, I'm not giving up so easily.  Could you supply the length and material of the object? 

okay, not at home right now, but here goes

plastic tubeing ( hard ) a little over 1/4 inch diameter. approx... 8 inches at the longest part, may be 4 inches after the bend.
I thought it might have been some sort of overflow tube for the battery ( like a motorcycle breathing tube).
It's probally something more found under the hood.
The wierd thing is the one end is fix (plugged), so it's not like anything could flow through it. The other has a tee  (1 side hockey taped closed).
I originally found it draped half over the battery and under the speaker box (that now plays loud and perfect and no pops, after replaceing 8 caps in each amp).

On another note while looking at the other side (behind drivers) I also found 2 emplty plugs with 3 cut wires, behind the SDD unit on the wire harness. Another mystery. I took pics but don't have them here. The cut wires have the hard little white plugs crimped on ends ( plugs looks like a little hat) If I remember they are a 6 pin and 4 pin plug. ( see pic added below)

thanks again for the quick replys
later
 
 
 

i sent out global inquires. we like mystery stuff.

the responses to the inquires are starting to come in ..

quote:


by Chris

My guess is that it would be part of the venting assembly, but since
mine
had its vent stuff removed way before I got it, I wouldn't know.

Could look in the service manual diagrams...

i believe that settles it.  two skilled guys with same independent resposnes.
sorry it took so long

my '88 has none of this as i use a GEL Optima, no vents needed

quote:


by Jim Heslop

It's the vent assembly for the battery. The two flattened fittings go over
the vent tube on each side of the battery (in the middle of the short side,
on top). The round fitting goes over the outside vent tube located in the
front inside corner of the battery compartment. Since lead acid batteries
produce hydrogen, and hydrogen is flammable, the battery must be vented,
much like the 1960 and 1970's Corvettes. All delco batteries now have  vents.

I added a pic for the description of 2 mystery electrical plugs behind panel on drivers side ( a few replys back)
 
thanks

thanks guys, it is a vent. I guess the last owner replaced the battery with one that has no vents so he just draped it over the battery.
I am going to check later to see if there are in fact no vents.

if you are running a unvented standard acid battery,  PULL IT OUT ASAP.
spray the area with a mist of baking soda solution to netralize  any acid fumes
deposits that may have been in there.  you wont believe what the acid fumes can do.
also remember, the BOSE is right there along with carpeting.

next suggestion?  get an OPTIMA GEL (or whatever brand GEL).
many of us have made that upgrade.

quote:

ORIGINAL: cap4000

thanks guys, it is a vent. I guess the last owner replaced the battery with one that has no vents so he just draped it over the battery.
I am going to check later to see if there are in fact no vents.

by one the off-road guys. 
the battery of choice for those that go where others dont dare.
this one shows a set of twins,  GEL. twins.

no, that is not rust or dirt - MUD that the 4x4 collected on the local mud holes.









My Allante carries a GEL BATTERY, Gel Optima #15, RED top, 720 CCA

any user of the optima gel have a model number. I checked the web site ( and local wal-mart ) they say non compatiable, but they list one for the eldorado of same years (1990). same 4.5 alternator setup. Should work ????????????????

thanks for the info stealth... my allante has a nice new redtop battery from wal-mart

Me too - just this weekend - a new Optima - and I even had to take it out for a test drive

quote:

ORIGINAL: foxpaws

Me too - just this weekend - a new Optima - and I even had to take it out for a test drive

Fox,

Well, did the battery run well?  give you the extra ponies you hoped for?

Welcome to the Gel Club.  I should have started a "Rebel's GEL Club" when i first kicked
off this controversy in Allante world.  We be up to quite a few members by now.
Like some have said, this is a no brainer ....

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for all those members of this site that missed the jest of the prior discussions, my '88 Allante
carries a GEL BATTERY  and numerous Allante owners have now switched to the GEL Batteries -
I use the Optima, but there are other brands that works just as well.  It is now over 4 years old,
past its 3 year warranty, it looks as new as the day it got put into the compartment behind the seats,
no leakage of any sort, never a problem keeping the charge - I simply dont think about it anymore.  
When it is time to replace it, a twin Red Top Gel will take its place.

i dont have to worry about acid fumes eating away the carpeting, the upholstery, or the BOSE system
that shares the compartment .



Gel Optima #15, RED top, 720 CCA




Key Features:

The Optima Battery is 100% Leak Proof - non-spillable!

The Optima Battery is 100% Maintenance Free - No adding water!

The Optima Battery can last up to 2X Longer than regular batteries!

The Optima Battery is 15 times more resistant to vibration

Completely maintenance free.  Sealed construction eliminates periodic watering, corrosive acid fumes and spills.

Electrolyte will not stratify, no equalization charging required.  Allows faster recharge.

Increases durability and deep cycle ability for heavy demand applications.

Less than 2% per month stand loss means little deterioration during transport and storage.

Tank formation ensures voltage matching between cells

.

.

no acid fumes to harm interiors

no liquid spills in an accident

no sipping corrosive leaks

clean battery compartment

minimal or no corrosion on terminals

long term storage without losing charge

.

does you car battery reside under the back seat? 

or as in the Allante inside the passenger compartment?

think about these features

.

Optima FAQ
http://www.optimabatteries.com/publish/optima/americas0/en/config/product_info/technology/faq.html

.

quote:

More Starting Power

OPTIMA batteries deliver a higher level of power to the starter in the critical first 10 seconds of the vehicle starting cycle.They feature a patented SPIRALCELL Technology allowing for the lowest internal resistance of any battery on the market today. This decreased internal resistance,along with the completely sealed case,is the key to Optima's unparalleled high power delivery, increased cycle life and fast recharge capability for fast recovery in short driving cycles.

.


Thumbnail Image

you want to see impressive?  look at the strenght of structural design. 
try that on a standard battery ...

go here:

http://www.optimabatteries.com/publish/optima/americas0/en/config/product_info/automotive/starter.RowPar.0003.ContentPar.0003.ColumnPar.0001.Image.9999.0.gif

In defense of the standard "vented" Delco. The one in my Car is now four years old. The compt and battery all look as "new."  And I haven't had a smidgeon of trouble with it.
Also as we all know from previous posted schematics of the "Gel", they all have "over pressure" plugs built into them, so it is just possible to have one heck of a mess in that battery compartment. But of course the chance of that happening is about as great as having one "run over."

 
zinzin,

just curious ..

what do large and small airplanes carry in the way of batteries these days?




 

I honestly don't know.  They were all chemical when I retired.  The Debonaire I fly now still has the liquid battery and the only aircraft I have ever heard of using the "Gell" are those specifically used for aerobatic flying. This could have changed mby now as the Gell has been around for many more years in the motorcycle industry.
I still have not heard of one auto manufacturer in the world who installs a gell battery at the factory. Even those with the batteries in the car, (Prius) use a vented standard 12 volt.

I have the optima gel in my allante as well, thanks to stealths great advise, and no problems with it for just over 2 years now, maybe 3 years(memory) anyways it is the best way to go. Jim

quote:

ORIGINAL: hyperion

I honestly don't know.  They were all chemical when I retired.  The Debonaire I fly now still has the liquid battery and the only aircraft I have ever heard of using the "Gell" are those specifically used for aerobatic flying. This could have changed mby now as the Gell has been around for many more years in the motorcycle industry.
I still have not heard of one auto manufacturer in the world who installs a gell battery at the factory. Even those with the batteries in the car, (Prius) use a vented standard 12 volt.

i believe it is the battery of choice for those that push the envelope..
 - aerobatic flying, 4x4 wheeling, bikers, and ......... .......  

i wouldnt expect a Prius to fit that criteria.

One thing I have noticed since new gel battery. I thought I had a leaking heater core. Could not smell anything but the window would lightly haze up. Cleaned it with different kinds of cleaner and it came back after 1 or 2 days. it has been over 2000 km's and it has not hazsed again. It was a white film that left no dirt on paper towels and was very difficult to remove, lots of elbo work. I have a deville right now that needs a heater core. I can smell it every day and it doesn't dirty my windows. So I am wondering if gases from a battery can leave some sort of deposit on inside of windows?

quote:

ORIGINAL: cap4000

One thing I have noticed since new gel battery. I thought I had a leaking heater core. Could not smell anything but the window would lightly haze up. Cleaned it with different kinds of cleaner and it came back after 1 or 2 days. it has been over 2000 km's and it has not hazsed again. It was a white film that left no dirt on paper towels and was very difficult to remove, lots of elbo work. I have a deville right now that needs a heater core. I can smell it every day and it doesn't dirty my windows. So I am wondering if gases from a battery can leave some sort of deposit on inside of windows?

NO .. the GEL wont leave a film, to the best of my kowledge, there is nothing to do that .

most likely the film is gasing from the dashboard and interior vinyl surfaces specially if you applied a cream to them and the sun bakes it.

BTW, going price at Costco?    $135 for a type 15 red top.

don't have a the problem since I got the Gel... I was wondering about the old battery ?
 
 
hey stealth is that charlie sheen hanging on the back of the allante ?

quote:

ORIGINAL: cap4000

don't have a the problem since I got the Gel... I was wondering about the old battery ?


hey stealth is that charlie sheen hanging on the back of the allante ?

dont know about the old battery but i have seen carpets and upholstery fall apart with acid fumes.

ahhh .. you seen the movie?