LiPo leaking fluid !?
#1
Tech Regular
Thread Starter
LiPo leaking fluid !?
Okay, before anything else, this battery pack is heading straight into the trash can just as soon as I have fully discharged it,
cut and solderdered the two output leads together to ensure it does not recover ever again.
But before I do that let me explain the puzzle.
I purchased this Desire Power LiPo 33C 14.8V 4S1P 4500mAh pack just six months ago for my starter box.
It was 'Initiated' according to the manufacturer and LHS guidelines, and has been cycled several times before it was
discharged to the 50% 'Storage' level. It was disconnected and stored in a cool dry place for about two months.
Two days ago, I fully charged the pack, re-installed it in my starter box and ran my buggies to about four tanks a piece.
So the starter box was only used eight times, both my engines are fully run-in and require little effort from the starter box to
'Fire' the engines up.
While preparing to pack up to go home, I noticed two things about this Desire Power LiPo 33C 14.8V 4S1P 4500mAh pack.
It looked like a black sausage, not firm and rectangular any more and....... Oozing or leaking from somewhere under
the brand label, was this clear, slightly thicker than water and odourless liquid! I felt there was no point in checking the cell voltages or anything else, as the sight of this bloated corpse looked positively frightening. So out it came from the starter box, into a LiPo safety bag and secured in a munition box in readiness for it terminal demise.
Any ideas as to what the 'Clear' oozing liquid might be? My belief was that LiPo's did not use/contain liquid electrolyte
in their make up.
.
cut and solderdered the two output leads together to ensure it does not recover ever again.
But before I do that let me explain the puzzle.
I purchased this Desire Power LiPo 33C 14.8V 4S1P 4500mAh pack just six months ago for my starter box.
It was 'Initiated' according to the manufacturer and LHS guidelines, and has been cycled several times before it was
discharged to the 50% 'Storage' level. It was disconnected and stored in a cool dry place for about two months.
Two days ago, I fully charged the pack, re-installed it in my starter box and ran my buggies to about four tanks a piece.
So the starter box was only used eight times, both my engines are fully run-in and require little effort from the starter box to
'Fire' the engines up.
While preparing to pack up to go home, I noticed two things about this Desire Power LiPo 33C 14.8V 4S1P 4500mAh pack.
It looked like a black sausage, not firm and rectangular any more and....... Oozing or leaking from somewhere under
the brand label, was this clear, slightly thicker than water and odourless liquid! I felt there was no point in checking the cell voltages or anything else, as the sight of this bloated corpse looked positively frightening. So out it came from the starter box, into a LiPo safety bag and secured in a munition box in readiness for it terminal demise.
Any ideas as to what the 'Clear' oozing liquid might be? My belief was that LiPo's did not use/contain liquid electrolyte
in their make up.
.
#2
Wow. I do not know the answer to the question but did you take any pictures? I would contact the manufacturer as they be able to replace it or give you some insight on what could have happened. Luckily nothing catastrophic happened!
#3
Tech Regular
Thread Starter
Unfortunately, I did not have my smart-phone or a camera with me at the time, as I had only gone out to my 'Test Track' on a friends
farm to 'fine tune' both my buggies, so that they would be good and ready for when my local club opens it's newly refurbished track and facilities.
I was also going to return to my OP here this evening to declare the bulbous LiPo pack is "Now truly Dead and made Inert' and that the post-mortem
revealed a 'microscopic' pinhole that may have been caused by our infamous 'Goathead' bindi that proliferate the farm.
So the new hard cased LiPo packs are now mounted high up in the starter box,
just so they are well clear of such nasties if using the box on the ground again.
Still curious as to what the 'liquid' was though
.
Last edited by Palebushman; 11-01-2014 at 06:41 AM. Reason: 4Got the smilies;-)
#4
In my opinion that liquid is the dead lipo.
We bleed right a red liquid, right?? Lipos bleed a black liquid!
That's it...
Have ever see the internals of a 1:1 pb batery? it's just mainly water!
We bleed right a red liquid, right?? Lipos bleed a black liquid!
That's it...
Have ever see the internals of a 1:1 pb batery? it's just mainly water!
Thanks for your reply post skeasor,
Unfortunately, I did not have my smart-phone or a camera with me at the time, as I had only gone out to my 'Test Track' on a friends
farm to 'fine tune' both my buggies, so that they would be good and ready for when my local club opens it's newly refurbished track and facilities.
I was also going to return to my OP here this evening to declare the bulbous LiPo pack is "Now truly Dead and made Inert' and that the post-mortem
revealed a 'microscopic' pinhole that may have been caused by our infamous 'Goathead' bindi that proliferate the farm.
So the new hard cased LiPo packs are now mounted high up in the starter box,
just so they are well clear of such nasties if using the box on the ground again.
Still curious as to what the 'liquid' was though
.
Unfortunately, I did not have my smart-phone or a camera with me at the time, as I had only gone out to my 'Test Track' on a friends
farm to 'fine tune' both my buggies, so that they would be good and ready for when my local club opens it's newly refurbished track and facilities.
I was also going to return to my OP here this evening to declare the bulbous LiPo pack is "Now truly Dead and made Inert' and that the post-mortem
revealed a 'microscopic' pinhole that may have been caused by our infamous 'Goathead' bindi that proliferate the farm.
So the new hard cased LiPo packs are now mounted high up in the starter box,
just so they are well clear of such nasties if using the box on the ground again.
Still curious as to what the 'liquid' was though
.
#5
Tech Regular
Thread Starter
But in my OP I wrote: "Any ideas as to what the 'Clear' oozing liquid might be? My belief was that LiPo's did not use/contain liquid electrolyte in their make up."
It did appear to be more like a thin clear oil, rather than water.
Not to worry, it did not cause any burning/corrosion to anything, so maybe
it is some kind of secret substance used in the manufacturing process.
.
.