Since we don’t (yet) have a VW section …
Welcome to my disassembly log of the VW Passat GTE 9.9 KWHR Battery (96S 28AH Samsung).
IMORTANT NOTE: I CAN NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANYONE ELSE DISMANTLING A BATTERY IT IS HERE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN! Please appropriately educate yourself on safety!
I Can Not understate the importance of Insulation when dealing With High Voltages, Both of your tools and yourself of course! Also ensuring that we do everything to prevent a Shor Circuit.
All Metal tools were covered in Tape And/Or Heat Shrink so that in the event of a drop there would not be a dangerous short circuit, and also as an added layer of insulation from the battery to myself!
I only ever toughed the HV contacts when I absolutely had to, no point taking chances!
Useful/Tools used:
1. Torx & Socket Drive Set (insulated with shrink wrap/tape)
2. Electric Screwdriver
3. Magnet on a stick (Covered in tape of course)
4. Insulation Tape & Duct Tape
5. Gloves … I used nitrile gloves, Electrician’s gloves & some garden gloves so I didn’t tear the electrical gloves.
6. Electrical screwdrivers & a normal screwdrivers covered in insulation tape.
7. Voltmeter
8. Insulated shoes
9. Nylon straps the battery came tied to the pallet.
10. Emergency help on hand in case of electrocution (including gloves for them & I attached one of the nylon straps to myself so I could be pulled away)
11. Work in the dry obviously
This VW battery box is seriously impressive piece of cast aluminum, probably bomb proof
, however about 30kg, so about 25% of total weight, if anyone does use one of these batteries In a project I would seriously consider using the original box.
After Undoing all of the torx bolt on the top the cover can be removed … look at those precision straps to hold the modules down.
At this point after prodding about underneath the foam and looking down the sides I need access to the bottom to unbolt the modules, find that un-loved screwdriver (covered in paint in my case on top of my daughter’s rabbit hutch) and use gentle persuasion to remove the rubber plugs to get access to the torx bolts and remove them. Be very careful this thing is damn heavy you don’t wan this to land on your toes or any part of your body.
Now back to the top side … remove all the foam, disconnect all of the cables you can (I could not remove the module bms plugs). Happily my module sat at 355 volts (88.8v per module) so not too low at about 3.7v per cell!
I then started tackling all of the bolts holding down the modules in the middle, however then came the ones that were under the Contactor box.
The scary bit where I disconnected the HV connections from the Contactor box thing, immediately covering with insulation tape, first negative, positive, then I tackled the mid pack connection (not shown in this photo). Then I removed all of the connections from the contactor box to allow it the removed to allow access to the torx bolts obstructed by it.
The coolant pipes need disconnecting, these damn blue plastic clips are fiddly, the really nice laser cut straps (left/right) holding down the modules need removing.
Then the really fun/controversial part trying to get the modules out! What I found that worked was to use a strap to lift the outer side up, jammed a wooden mallet underneath, this allowed me access to the bolts that connect the module to module HV strap (& BMS connector) so they can be removed therefore allowing the modules to be lifted vertically (once the wooden mallet was removed).
... this car should be lighter than stock when done!
, however about 30kg, so about 25% of total weight, if anyone does use one of these batteries In a project I would seriously consider using the original box.
