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Lots of white powder under car? Doesn't seem like road salt

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by max451, Dec 31, 2016.

  1. max451

    max451 Junior Member

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    I found a BUNCH of powdery white stuff under and around the car. I've had road salt stains in the garage before, but we haven't had any salt put down here yet. And I've never seen it powdery. Everything under the hood looked normal, nothing leaking from the 12V battery, none of the fluids are low.

    Could it be something from the traction battery? Nothing on the dash panel is giving me warnings. My only other guess is aluminum oxide which would seem to be a big issue.


    20161231_151830.jpg 20161231_151903.jpg 20161231_151947.jpg 20161231_152454.jpg
     
    #1 max451, Dec 31, 2016
  2. WilDavis

    WilDavis Senior Member

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    Where are you? I'm in NH, way up here in the North East, and it is my understanding that the stuff they use to depress the freezing-point in the winter is not just rock-salt, but a cocktail of various chemicals, and I've noticed the same white crusty stains on my garage floor during the winter months - I try and take the car through the local car-wash after a particularly bad spell (like last week), and I see from the wx fcast that more snow is on the way :eek: - but at least that will give me an excuse to leave the car in the garage for a couple of days and very timely, since the TractionBattery is due for its biannual recondition (see other threads) -

    BTW: Welcome to PriusChat! (…but beware, PriusChat is quite addictive! ;) )
     
    #2 WilDavis, Dec 31, 2016
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  3. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    ... Now you tell me I'm an addict???? :LOL::LOL:
     
    #3 RCO, Dec 31, 2016
  4. max451

    max451 Junior Member

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    I should have said, New Jersey, it's approached freezing temps but no ice or snow yet
     
    #4 max451, Dec 31, 2016
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i get that on my concrete floors when moisture is coming up from underneath. i'm not quite sure what it is, but i think it's called efflorescence.

    did you have a look under the chassi to see if anything was wet from a leak?
     
    #5 bisco, Dec 31, 2016
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  6. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    I agree that it's probably some chemical ice-inhibitor they've laid down to prevent black ice etc
     
    #6 RCO, Dec 31, 2016
  7. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    It looks like efflorescence from the concrete. How old is the concrete floor.
     
    #7 alanclarkeau, Dec 31, 2016
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  8. Bluegrassman

    Bluegrassman Active Member

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    #8 Bluegrassman, Dec 31, 2016
  9. max451

    max451 Junior Member

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    I've never heard of efflorescence, I'll have to look into that. The garage floor is probably 40 years old, we've been here 2 years and I haven't seen anything like it.

    When I swept up the mess underneath the car I didn't see any moisture from a leak. The water was from an earlier drive through the rain.
     
    #9 max451, Jan 1, 2017
  10. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    I had a concrete retaining wall which for all the years I was in that house would get this same white powder build-up. It was physically dry, but in wet weather, or after I'd hosed the area clean would get worse - and white marks on black trousers if not careful.

    Also had another where the air-conditioner condensate which dribbled on the floor would bring out the salts from the concrete. A shallow plastic drip tray solved that.
     
    #10 alanclarkeau, Jan 1, 2017
  11. MikeDee

    MikeDee Senior Member

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    My garage floor does that, especially in winter. Seems like it did that from day one.


    iPhone ? Pro
     
    #11 MikeDee, Jan 2, 2017
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