eslaâs âRapid Mateâ connector connects the battery pack to the vehicle. The connection has two high-voltage power connections and a ground in the center. The connection is made by attaching the battery pack to the car. The male and female spades are joined as the battery pack is lifted into the vehicle.
This precision task requires careful positioning of the battery pack during removal and installation. Any misalignment errors may result in damage to the battery pack and rapid mate connector.
To remove the battery, follow all safety procedures to depower the battery and isolate the high-voltage system. If you are not trained to handle high voltage, do not attempt.
The battery pack is secured by more than 30 bolts. To prevent damage to the battery, you need an EV battery lift table like this to hold the battery in place while removing each bolt.
While you may think the point of a lift table is to handle the weight of heavy battery packs, that is only part of its mission. Equally important is being able to precisely line up the connectors on the vehicle with those on the battery pack. With this table, you can not only move the battery up and down but can also slide it horizontally with millimeter precision.
It allows you to position the battery pack and rapid mate connector on a Tesla, as well as similar connectors used by many other EVs and hybrids.
Once the battery is removed, the rapid mate connector can be serviced. The first step is to remove the bolt that secures it to the bracket and the plastic cover that secures the high-voltage cables. Now, you can pull it down to service the connector. You can detach the connector by pressing these tabs on the side of the bracket. While gently pulling down on the high-voltage blades, pull up on the housing to separate the housing from the blade retainer. Release the clips that secure the blade retainer to the high-voltage cables. Remove the blade retainer and discard it. To reinstall a battery pack, replace the seal and retainer clip.
When the battery is reinstalled, positioning the connector and battery pack is critical. Trying to make millimeter adjustments while the battery pack is on pallets, carts, or other repurposed piece of furniture is impossible. This can lead to damage to the battery pack and rapid mate connector. This is why you need a specially designed EV battery lift table.
This video is sponsored by BendPak.
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