Small plastic tube in passenger's footwell

[Motik]

Yesterday when refitting the battery in my '94 Chim I accidentally disconnected what looks like a very small black plastic tube running along the right side of the footwell. The problem is that I don't know where and how it was connected before nor what it is

A few droplets of water fell from it so my guess is that it is some kind of drain... I found a suitable hole about the same size under the place where the two heater hoses enter the car from the engine compartment, but I cannot believe that tube is just fed through there without anything to retain it, ending up just above the hot exhaust collector

Any thoughts?

[BrianMillar]

The original batteries had a vent connection on them so that any gasses generated in the battery were passed outside the cabin to the wheel arch. Many new batteries dont have the vent. That could be what you are looking at.

[bobfather]

I fitted a sealed battery that had a breather hole. I think there are versions of 'sealed' battery. Gel batteries are truly sealed but cost twice as much as standard sealed batteries. The sealed battery replaced the battery with plastic covers over the fill holes over each cell. These batteries would spill their electrolyte if they fell on their side, sealed batteries don't spill but I believe they can still breathe.