Mahle starts selling its latest service unit, E-Care Fluid, in Europe. The innovative solution enables easy maintenance of the cooling circuit in vehicles of all drive types. In the event of a repair to the high-voltage battery or the replacement of a component from the coolant circuit, it can be emptied and refilled with E‑Care Fluid in a fully automated manner. In addition, mechanics can check the circuit for leaks with an integrated vacuum and pressure test. “Whether workshops, fleet managers or reconditioners – with our new service device E‑Care Fluid we get our customers ready for the service of electric vehicles,” said Philipp Grosse Kleimann, Member of the Mahle Management Committee and head of the Lifecycle and Mobility business unit. E‑Care Fluid is suitable for all relevant cooling media.
“Regularly changing coolant is crucial to ensure the efficiency of the cooling circuit. This is particularly important for electric and hybrid vehicles as the traction battery is very sensitive to temperature fluctuations,” said Felix-Matthias Walter, Director Service Solutions at Mahle Lifecycle and Mobility.
Chemical reactions that can be triggered by the aging of the coolant, as well as contaminants, may affect the cooling capacity and, therefore, the performance of the battery. In the worst case, this can lead to long-term damage to the cooling system.
E‑Care Fluid has two tanks: In one, the drained coolant is collected so that it can be reused. In the second tank, the service unit can produce a coolant mixture according to the manufacturer’s specifications and refill the circuit fully automatically. The device also includes a flushing function to remove contaminants from the cooling circuit. Workshop employees can create a final report directly via E‑Care Fluid and submit it to the customer.
To ensure an uncomplicated and clean maintenance and leak testing of the coolant circuit, mechanics are guided step by step through the process via an intuitive 7-inch touch screen. An integrated database for electric vehicles not only provides information on the correct type and amount of coolant but also on the cooling system, the opening points, and the vehicle-specific test pressures and adapters. The database is continuously updated via a wireless network connection. In addition to the fully automatic process, the service unit also offers a manual procedure that is mainly used in hybrid vehicles and vehicles with an internal combustion engine.
With each E‑Care Fluid device, Mahle supplies an accessory case with around 20 different adapters, covering all common vehicles and drive types. The touch screen of the device indicates which adapter must be used for the respective vehicle. Mahle service technicians can connect directly via a remote function and support workshops with maintenance.
SOURCE: Mahle
