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Recently, the demand for electric cars has increased significantly due to their excellent levels of safety and cutting-edge features, as well as many other advanced specs like their efficient and powerful engines, which require less maintenance than fuel engines, but they are still complex machines that still require periodic maintenance.
We've listed the most essential steps you must perform to periodically check the electric motor.
Top Tips & Procedures to Ensure Better Maintenance of Electric Motor
One of the very remarkable things that feature the electric motor is that it doesn’t need to be activated at all while the inspection process; nevertheless, if it's linked to the car, you must disconnect it before continuing with the following maintenance steps.
Here are some guidelines and essential steps to maintain the safety and power of the electric motor.
Perform Visual Inspection
You can perform this basic step by removing the motor from power, then removing the cover of the motor, therefore you can start taking a look at its physical condition and recording your observations. Then, you should check the motor for visual indications of damage, you might spot wear or dirt buildup on individual components, especially if the EV runs in an arid environment.
All these factors may cause an internal problem; this also could lead to a burnt smell due to the high temperature.
Read The Motor Nameplate
The motor nameplate is attached on the motor side (or on top), and it lists all important data, without it is difficult to determine the specifications of the motor. The information included in the nameplate usually includes the following:
- Engine manufacturer name
- Engine model and serial number
- Rotor inertia
- Engine horsepower
And other information must be ensured to determine engine testing standards and thus maintain its safety.
Perform a Brush and Commutator Inspection
Some electric motors have two ends in the rotor which are commutator and carbon brushes, therefore you should take a closer look at them, and make sure that there are no signs of wear or damage on the brushes; As any hint of excessive wear can lead to commutation problems with the motor. To avoid this; You need to change the brushes to restore the integrity of the motor function.
You should also check the commutator to make sure there are no dents, grooves, or scratches in it; these rough spots indicate brush sparking, thus; this can overheat or burn the motor out.
In addition, you must inspect the engine mount, rotor, stator, and belts thoroughly, and you must replace all worn or damaged parts to keep the engine running at its best.
Conduct a Motor Winding Test
After inspecting the various components and parts of the engine, the next thing is to check the motor’s windings, as this test will give a better idea and identify any anomalies or failures in the engine windings.
To prepare for the test, make sure the motor is disassembled, as this will help identify any damage to it. If you see any burn marks or cracks or smell a burning odor, as well as cracks in the windings; the chance of serious damage is higher. Therefore; you should check your car with the dealership as soon as possible.
Check the Bearing’s Efficiency
You should check the bearings that hold the shaft and allow the shaft to rotate freely and smoothly. There are different types of bearings, including roller and spherical.
Back at the test, start inspecting the bearings by placing the motor on a hard surface, placing one hand in the motor, and then turning the rotor with the other hand, if there are any vibrations or noises, then this may indicate potential problems, like poor lubrication, dirt buildup, and wear and tear. These damages cause overheat, which means that the motor is getting overheated or there is an insufficient amount of grease.
Thus; the motor might stop or be exposed to serious damages, so you must immediately address this problem to the dealership.
Inspect Operating Capacitor
Most capacitors are protected from damage by a metal cover on the outside of the motor, therefore this cover must be removed to access and inspect or test the capacitor, it should be noted that a visual inspection may reveal oil leaks from the condenser pan, bulges or holes in the condenser body, a burning smell or even smoke residue, all of these signs indicate potential faults that must be detected and remedied.
Check the Radiator Cooling Fan
The Radiator cooling fan must be ensured that it is firmly fixed and that it’s not clogged with dust or any other impurities, as the openings of the rear metal protective cover must obtain free and complete air movement, so as not to have insufficient cooling nor overheating, so if there’s a continuous overheating, it may damage the engine components, therefore it's important to have the issue addressed as soon as possible.
EV Battery Cooling
Lithium-ion batteries in electric cars require a coolant to keep them from overheating and posing a fire risk, so you should regularly check it at the dealership for maintenance of the electric car battery in accordance with the auto maintenance plan.
Finally, we have provided you with a list of the actions that are absolutely essential for performing the ongoing periodic inspection. We also advise you to regularly examine your car carefully and make sure it is safe by stopping by the maintenance facilities. On the Motory website, you can visit the Car Advice section to learn more about the different parts of your car and how to take care of them.
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