Battery vent tube replacement

Hey all, just a note about the battery vent tube. I wasn't sure if they were available as a replacement part, but they are!

I noticed I didn't have one and it's integral to not have corrosion going on under the rear bench.

You can find them on Amazon (if you have Amazon Prime, free shipping for 18.95 out the door) - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0055B04XW

and also at RockAuto.com

Cheers!

They were unavailable for a while. You also can often get them for nearly free at a pick n pull.

in general - consider going to a pick n pull to get maintenance spares. They won't charge you much if anything. Donor cars of interest - olds aurora, other Rivieras of course, 90s and early 00s Cadillac Seville and deville, buick park avenue. Replacement driver side mirror faces, fuel injectors to send out for rebuild, minifuses, thermal breakers, relays, coils, and things that obviously got replaced lately like brake rotors and light bulbs (what you do is you check that they have not darkened with age - if the glass is tinted gray or has become silvery you probably don't want that bulb) are among the items to scavenge. You will find that for the miscellaneous items like bulbs and the vent tube the clerks will let you take for free, or charge maybe 1 dollar for the whole pile. Pound for pound the scavenge will save you an awful lot.

So as for those vent tube assemblies, if they are still in the car they won' charge much if anything for them at a pick-n-pull.

Other possible donor cars - mid '00 LeSabres, Bonneville. I know for sure the '04 is under the back seat.

Yeah, I need to take a visit to the junkyard.

Just go to the nearest parts store that sell Delco batteries, they have them by the box full.

96riv wrote:

Just go to the nearest parts store that sell Delco batteries, they have them by the box full.

this is also true although they won't be (nearly) free. many places that sell the batteries, however, if you buy a battery will give you the vent assy to go with it (usually if they are charging full retail for the battery).

I ordered the part off of Amazon because mine was cracked. Took about a week to get here with Prime 2 day shipping. I complained and got a full refund while getting to keep the part. Even though Amazon lists this as the correct part, it does not completely match the original. That being said, it still worked out just fine. Sorry for the blurry pictures, I thought the camera had focused.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0055B04XW/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Gather a small flat blade, a large one, and a pair of needle nose pliers.

Lift and remove the bottom of the back seat (obviously)

Slip off the old vent tube and pull it out of it's hole

Remove the grommet that attaches the tubes to the outside of the car. I was able to lift it with a flat blade and grab it with needle nose pliers. Wash it off with warm water. Using warm water will soften the rubber making installation easier.



Slip the drain end into the grommet. Mine looked like a bendy straw. I had to make the hole larger, so that is what the large flat blade and needle nose pliers are for.



While doing this my hand slipped and lifted up my thumb nail. Don't do this.



Force the grommet back into it's hole. Make sure it is completely flush with the body. You don't want an increase in road noise or the possibility of something coming in, do you? After that just slip the ends over the battery.



Replace the back seat and make sure it is seated (ha.....) correctly.