Poll to determine incidence of respraying the battery box

[MerlintheMad]

Here is mine.... thank God it is intact. Whatever the hell they are.


View attachment 24710

Sprayed before the drain plug or grommet were put in. A new wrinkle on top of the use of yellow.

This is getting very interesting. We now have our first two votes for a different color spray paint. What does it mean?

There does not appear to be any scraping damage to the original buff paint on any of these pictures other than mine. So if there isn't any scraping to the metal, why spray the battery box at all? When is this being done? If it were at the end of assembly, wouldn't the spray color be the same? If the touch up is being done prior to delivery then various inspection points along the way are using different colored Rustoleum (I am assuming that each of these sprayed jobs are using rust preventive spray paint).

So back to the core question: why are "they" spraying the bottom of the battery boxes? To judge by this poll so far (in its infancy) most Stinger battery boxes are getting sprayed at some point. Yet I looked at three brand new Stingers and none of them had any spray paint over the factory buff.

 

[westcoastGT]

.....................hmm so you'll be Merlin Unplugged ...............................I'll stick with Eric Clapton .................I've got you pegged as a poetry reader ...................

 

[eflyguy]

I have a theory, but it's just like an opinion, so we all know what that's worth..

Because the battery is located inside the enclosed cabin space, there might be some kind of requirement for it to be vented during transportation, so those plugs are not installed at the factory - and therefore the protective coating is not applied in that area. Once they arrive in port, the plugs are installed and coating is applied by hand.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I have a theory, but it's just like an opinion, so we all know what that's worth..

Because the battery is located inside the enclosed cabin space, there might be some kind of requirement for it to be vented during transportation, so those plugs are not installed at the factory - and therefore the protective coating is not applied in that area. Once they arrive in port, the plugs are installed and coating is applied by hand.

Two vents? Because there is the vent hose higher up the right side of the battery box.

What is your theory for the reason they spray paint some cars but not all?

 

[Stinger GT SS]

Well, you can update us on how that goes, the price of the part and install, etc. Please. Thankyou.

Update: Today I ordered a new plug AU$11.00 for the part only, install should be just a push/twist with right/left hand whichever is applicable, service guy says they are drain/vent plug & grommet.
I’ll post again when job is done..

 

[Coast GT]

Not to be left out here’s mine

But just to freak @MerlintheMad out, what’s this drain? (Also I’d like to know and haven’t bothered to look it up)

 

[Stinger GT SS]

Not to be left out here’s mine
View attachment 24784 View attachment 24785
But just to freak @MerlintheMad out, what’s this drain? (Also I’d like to know and haven’t bothered to look it up)
View attachment 24786

Probably be horrified that you have no black overspray in that area & will demand a 20 page report & analysis as to why....Bwwwwaaaaa.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Not to be left out here’s mine
View attachment 24784 View attachment 24785
But just to freak @MerlintheMad out, what’s this drain? (Also I’d like to know and haven’t bothered to look it up)
View attachment 24786

That is the battery vent hose. If you look at the rear of the battery, you'll see it attached to the battery there.

 

[Stinger GT SS]

My new plug came in this morning, it’s more like a vent as you can see, also see part number for those who may need one.
Price was AU$10.40
It just “clicks” into place

 

[MerlintheMad]

My new plug came in this morning, it’s more like a vent as you can see, also see part number for those who may need one.
Price was AU$10.40
It just “clicks” into place
View attachment 25366 View attachment 25367 View attachment 25368 View attachment 25369 View attachment 25370

Thanks. A "vent", as I suspected. Why? Is there a dead air space below the battery box? My "vent" hole is deformed, so this would not stay in place unless I get it straightened. A plug of silicon glue would prevent any road crud from getting in there. But would pressure build up "in there" and poison the air inside the cabin and kill the passengers? (JK)

 

[MerlintheMad]

I just order my "push-plug" from Smithtown Kia Parts Center; total with shipping is $8.27. This is funny (not really), because the first parts house I was about to order through slapped on enough shipping to raise a discounted $7 part to over $17. WTH!? So I clicked on three more. The most expensive shipping slap-on was a total of over $18. Ludicrous. So capitalism wins again. For the expenditure of c. ten minutes of my time, I saved c. ten bucks. Go capitalism!

When the part arrives I'll go to my local body shop of choice and ask how much to straighten that bent vent hole, so the push-plug will fit.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I have solved the mystery of my missing "vent plug": it happens when I go directly over a low profile curb; you know, the kind that is intended to be driven over at the mouth of driveways. If you come out and the back end drops evenly, the sidewalk level part (the highest part) will contact the underside of the battery box with a palpable "scrunch!" Ask me how I know. I did it this afternoon coming out of the church parking lot. When I got under there and looked, sure enough, brand new scrapes and deformity. I half pushed in the rubber grommet and peeled off yet another sliver of protective foam. Damnation.

At some point in recent driving history, I had no doubt driven over some high spot and not noticed or disregarded it. With my heightened sense of awareness, this time I took heed: at the time, I thought, well just be more careful and angle across these danged curbs. Then I just now went out and checked it, and sure enough I am the reason for the injuries, not once, but probably three times all told (thinking back over the months, and dimly recalling *noise* caused by my incautious negotiation of these damned low profile curbs). It won't happen again.

It's a good thing that my replacement vent plug hadn't arrived, or I'd have had it in by now and destroyed it!

I've resprayed the black Rust-Oleum over the abused area, aaagain.

 

[eflyguy]

Good to know, but still doesn't explain the weird discrepancies in how the underbody protection has been applied.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I figure that the issue of marring the bottom of the battery box is well known and inspection points have that on their alert list. It doesn't matter what color of Rust-Oleum they have on hand. If there are scrapes/scratches in the paint it gets sprayed. I must have really bottomed out hard before too, to deform my box that much. What I visualize is dropping straight down on the end of the vent plug, and while it shattered it also pushed in the metal at a cockeyed angle. This time, there was no vent plug and the box itself took the full hit. Ironically, if I were a more careless, fast driver, there wouldn't be enough time to smack the bottom on the curb: forward speed would make the bottom miss the curb. But because I am so careful, slow and deliberate when negotiating gutters, I created the perfect storm conditions to beat myself up.

Good to know, but still doesn't explain the weird discrepancies in how the underbody protection has been applied.

 

[M'Kehyah]

Thanks stinger gt ss for posting part number! Mine is missing too. [thumbs up]

 

[MerlintheMad]

Thanks stinger gt ss for posting part number! Mine is missing too. [thumbs up]

Can you post a pic? Any damage along with the missing vent plug?

 

[Chucky]

I have solved the mystery of my missing "vent plug": it happens when I go directly over a low profile curb; you know, the kind that is intended to be driven over at the mouth of driveways. If you come out and the back end drops evenly, the sidewalk level part (the highest part) will contact the underside of the battery box with a palpable "scrunch!" Ask me how I know. I did it this afternoon coming out of the church parking lot. When I got under there and looked, sure enough, brand new scrapes and deformity. I half pushed in the rubber grommet and peeled off yet another sliver of protective foam. Damnation.

At some point in recent driving history, I had no doubt driven over some high spot and not noticed or disregarded it. With my heightened sense of awareness, this time I took heed: at the time, I thought, well just be more careful and angle across these danged curbs. Then I just now went out and checked it, and sure enough I am the reason for the injuries, not once, but probably three times all told (thinking back over the months, and dimly recalling *noise* caused by my incautious negotiation of these damned low profile curbs). It won't happen again.

It's a good thing that my replacement vent plug hadn't arrived, or I'd have had it in by now and destroyed it!

I've resprayed the black Rust-Oleum over the abused area, aaagain.
View attachment 26332 View attachment 26333 View attachment 26334

Looks worse than a scrape or scrunch; the underside is dented. I would have been under there with a flashlight straight away if I heard anything hit. I drive over driveway "curbs" and back into parking spots where the back is over the concrete pylon all the time and have never been even close to bottoming out the rear of the car; is your car lowered, if so how much? Are you hitting it in the same spot over the same curb? I've had to be much more careful with the front than the back; 360 camera helps a lot.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Looks worse than a scrape or scrunch; the underside is dented. I would have been under there with a flashlight straight away if I heard anything hit. I drive over driveway "curbs" and back into parking spots where the back is over the concrete pylon all the time and have never been even close to bottoming out the rear of the car; is your car lowered, if so how much? Are you hitting it in the same spot over the same curb? I've had to be much more careful with the front than the back; 360 camera helps a lot.

I know it's dented!? This thread started with that observation/revelation. The gutter I dropped into yesterday is formed a lot like this one, but more pronounced. So when both rear wheels dropped off the edge the suspension retracted and the battery box whacked the high part of the curb. Without the suspension drop, there is no chance of scraping. (I would never lower this car!) The same exact spot has been hit two or three times now. And now that I think back on it (and slept on it! ), I have gone over this exact curb with a "scrunch!" once before; but probably not twice before, but that is possible. Months ago I may also have heard a slight contact with an acutely formed speed bump: again, if you don't go quickly over these, you risk smacking them as your suspension retracts. It's a case of being too careful/slow catching you! If you went slower yet, and eased down - without bouncing the suspension - that would work, to avoid dropping low enough to make contact. But of course, if anyone is behind you, they'll think you're parking the car.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Revelatory! I've been and taken some in situ pics:

Clearly, I was unclear about the severity of the trap. I never saw it like this from the car. Heh!? Angle over it, or leave the parking lot by some other egress.

 

[Jacques]

Merlin, I think my driveway curb is a hair more "curbed", but appears to be the same height of drop. So far (knock on wood), I've not heard any scrunching when I exit or enter my driveway (I ALWAYS go in and out in an angle). To the point of the OP, I've not looked at my battery box yet, but I'm scheduling my first oil change (hopefully later this week), so I can take a look underneath while it's on a lift.