Neat 📸

[EssExTee]

Turns out the battery tray on a (North American) 2nd gen Focus has a cute little well that holds a solid 5-6oz of water

[ttyymmnn]

@EssExTee

Go ahead. Drink it. I dare you.

[aremmes]

@EssExTee That's the shallowest well you'll ever have to dig.

[Highlander]

@EssExTee Full of electrolytes.

[ibRAD]

@EssExTee Remember, goggles.

[EssExTee]

@Highlander I'm not a plant.

[Roadkilled]

@EssExTee

Older batteries weren't sealed and had to be topped off occasionally. If somebody put too much water in it, it could overflow with some of the acid leaking out. The recess in the tray may be to catch leaking battery acid before it gets to something below the battery

[DrDanteiii]

@ibRAD said in Neat :

@EssExTee Remember, goggles.

[EssExTee]

@Roadkilled Sealed batteries became the norm in the 70's. This car is like a 2008.

[Roadkilled]

@EssExTee

Ford may be reusing a battery tray that they use in cars sold around the world. There may be places sealed batteries aren't as common.

It may also be from a very old Ford specification that says that battery trays must be able to accommodate a certain amount of overflow. If it hasn't caused problems, they won't update the specification. They may justify it by saying that sealed batteries shouldn't be affected by liquid on their bottom.

I'm not saying its a good design decision. I'm just saying that there may be a design decision behind it.

[EssExTee]

@Roadkilled The well appears to act as a standoff to lift the tray off of whatever bracket it's bolted to on the bottom. They just stamped it to save money. Couldn't even be bothered to drill a drain hole.

[pip bip]

@EssExTee just drill a hole in it

[Old Busted Hotness]

No drain hole keeps the steel support from rusting away. Batteries love to get crusty, and keeping it in the plastic is a good thing.