New 12v Optima battery installed; vent tube elbow missing!

With a brand new optima battery I'd say the change of any significant kind of gas build up would be little to none.

 

I would say that the risk is partially associated with how old the battery happens to be (an older battery is more likely to have a shorted cell); and partially with the likelihood that the DC/DC converter will decide to produce a voltage substantially above the nominal 13.8VDC.

In any event I think you are good as-is for a reasonable time while you decide how to attach a vent elbow to the new 12V battery.

 

Can't be worse than the risk you were already taking with the non-vented non-OEM type battery you've been driving around with.

The concern is if the battery has a catastrophic failure, it can release gasses into the cabin where the passengers are. The vent hose allows those unlikely gases to escape to the outside world. If the hose isn't connected and something goes wrong get everyone out of the car or roll the windows down.

 

Like others have said, I think you will be Ok for now. You might consider going by your local Toyota dealer parts dept. and ask them if they have the missing part. If they don't have it in stock, I would imagine they could order it for you.

That way you will have peace of mind knowing that all is well back there.

Best of luck to you.

 

I wish I would have read your post before you wasted your money!
All the vent tube is is a "Drip Mist" 90° connector. A bag of 5 is a buck, the tubing is 1/8th" aquarium air tubing. My local OSH, True Value, and Lumber City, all sell it by the foot. You need about 8"!
But you have one coming, it will take care of the nasty smell of battery farts!
Nuff said!

 

When I needed one I tried looking through vacuum fittings at the local Autozone. When the manager asked me what I needed and I told him, he just gave me a fitting off of one of the Optima batteries on display. He said they always had extras because most people wouldn't need to vent the battery, or would reuse their old fittings.

 

I had understood that is was to vent outside the more common, normal venting and 'battery farting', which tends to include a bit of sulfuric acid mist. The tube isn't big enough to handle a catastrophic failure.