phidauex
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Sam
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2020
- Threads
- 17
- Messages
- 966
- Reaction score
- 1,843
- Location
- Colorado
- Vehicles
- 2021 MachE 4EX, 2006 Prius, 1997 Tacoma
- Occupation
- Renewable Energy Engineer
It looks like minerals coming up from the concrete to me - possibly something that has been there in the past but not noticed because nothing had changed.
It is extremely unlikely to be battery electrolyte - unlike normal "car batteries" that have large reservoirs of liquid electrolyte, the lithium ion batteries in the MachE have many small pouch cells, and the electrolyte is trapped in the anode and cathode of the cell. If you pierce a fully discharged lithium ion pouch cell, you will get somewhere between no liquid electrolyte pouring out, or maybe up to 10-15mls, but nothing more. To get enough electrolyte to dry into a powdery substance a whole swath of the cells would have to have been severely damaged while at close to 0% SOC.
Importantly, if one of the cells were to be punctured or damaged, its voltage would drop quickly and the BMS (Battery Management System) would flip out and light up a ton of warning lights. It would be easy for the system to detect and correctly identified as a severe problem.
Another possibility, unlikely but more realistic than battery electrolyte, would be leaking coolant. The coolant system is sealed, but a bad fitting or hose somewhere could still result in leaking coolant. Might be worth looking at the coolant level if you aren't sure.
It is extremely unlikely to be battery electrolyte - unlike normal "car batteries" that have large reservoirs of liquid electrolyte, the lithium ion batteries in the MachE have many small pouch cells, and the electrolyte is trapped in the anode and cathode of the cell. If you pierce a fully discharged lithium ion pouch cell, you will get somewhere between no liquid electrolyte pouring out, or maybe up to 10-15mls, but nothing more. To get enough electrolyte to dry into a powdery substance a whole swath of the cells would have to have been severely damaged while at close to 0% SOC.
Importantly, if one of the cells were to be punctured or damaged, its voltage would drop quickly and the BMS (Battery Management System) would flip out and light up a ton of warning lights. It would be easy for the system to detect and correctly identified as a severe problem.
Another possibility, unlikely but more realistic than battery electrolyte, would be leaking coolant. The coolant system is sealed, but a bad fitting or hose somewhere could still result in leaking coolant. Might be worth looking at the coolant level if you aren't sure.
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