Substance anomaly under front passenger seat

[Zarwin]

wax could be left over from a casting process and stuck to a part (in the seat) while still in the fab area, and fell out as it was exercised with seat movements

Tesla wouldn't intentionally use something that melts that easily and catches fire like that in the interior of a car

This is the most likely explanation. I was never able to locate the exact origin of it, but everything else makes sense now.

• The seat was moved all the way forward for the first time less than a week ago(I don't know this for sure, but never remember a time I've moved it all the way forward before this and I'm the original owner)
• The material (wax) on the carpet lines up with the wax on the track rail only when the seat is all the way forward
• I'm certain it was not there ~2 weeks ago when I vacuumed that spot

The only part I don't get is that the mechanism to move the seat forward does not seem to be related to the mechanism above where the wax would have fallen out. But I still think this is the most likely scenario. Come to think of it, I did adjust the seat "up" and the seatback "forward" when I moved the seat all the way forward. Perhaps a combination of movements ....

 

[MGMDaware]

One of the better threads I have read in a while. @Zarwin, your level of dedication to posting your findings is fantastic. Thank you!

 

[Zarwin]

I think I may have found the origin as the last pieces are falling into place... I'm deciding that this is the answer and will stop obsessing over it now. Here goes ...

The rail on the bottom of the seat travels along the track and the motion of the seat all the way forward has been suspect from the very beginning. I think this is indeed what caused it due to wax being inadvertently left in the track. Cleaning up the last of the wax a short time ago I discovered something UNDER the wax. A gap. The bolt hole by the large pile of wax is elongated to allow adjustment/alignment and there is a gap going down. I can't see completely down and don't see any wax but there was some in the top part of the gap that pulled out when I cleaned the other wax up. So my assumption is that there are stoppers inside the track that pressed together when the seat moved all the way forward, ejecting the wax upwards in a spectacular display that no-one saw. This caused it to break apart and fly in different directions with most of it stacking right around the source.

This would also explain one other thing ... the small piece stuck under a metal lip. Makes more sense for this piece not to have come from above.

 

[MGMDaware]

I wonder if this can be confirmed. If I get some time tomorrow, I'll play with my seat position and look for mystery wax

 

[Btr_ftw]

I got a sample of your mystery substance. After looking at it for about 3 minutes It's only one of 2 things.

There is no grease that thick under the seat however this is the same grease and bonding substance this is used to glue the floor panels together right above the battery pack.

It also is the same consistency and color of the wax covering used in my kids circle cheese. So either a rodent dragged it in or someone was eating circle cheese in your seat and dropped a little of the casing to the side or tesla but a little too much adhesive on the aluminum panels.

 

[MGMDaware]

I got a sample of your mystery substance. After looking at it for about 3 minutes It's only one of 2 things.

There is no grease that thick under the seat however this is the same grease and bonding substance this is used to glue the floor panels together right above the battery pack.

It also is the same consistency and color of the wax covering used in my kids circle cheese. So either a rodent dragged it in or someone was eating circle cheese in your seat and dropped a little of the casing to the side or tesla but a little too much adhesive on the aluminum panels.

Maybe both . . . .Perhaps Tesla factory employees were eating laughing cow while building the car and made some substitutions.

 

[Zarwin]

I got a sample of your mystery substance. After looking at it for about 3 minutes It's only one of 2 things.

There is no grease that thick under the seat however this is the same grease and bonding substance this is used to glue the floor panels together right above the battery pack.

It also is the same consistency and color of the wax covering used in my kids circle cheese. So either a rodent dragged it in or someone was eating circle cheese in your seat and dropped a little of the casing to the side or tesla but a little too much adhesive on the aluminum panels.

Thanks for taking the time to look at it. If it didn't come from the car itself, I'd say:

0.00% chance it was food left in the car related as no food goes in the car except the rear facing seats way in the back, and circle cheese has never been in that car

0.01% chance it was rodent related being that I've never seen evidence of a rodent in the garage at all, and the car lives in the garage.

I'd say I'm almost certain that it came from the car, from the track or below the track somehow. But there is a the slightest of chances it could be rodent related. I hope the hell not, but it's possible. We've never seen evidence in the garage, but my wife's Prius did have mice in it about a year back out in the driveway. Had to put traps in her car to catch those sly bastards. So while wildly unlikely... it's possible.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

This thread is making me hungry..

 

[Btr_ftw]

Thanks for taking the time to look at it. If it didn't come from the car itself, I'd say:

0.00% chance it was food left in the car related as no food goes in the car except the rear facing seats way in the back, and circle cheese has never been in that car

0.01% chance it was rodent related being that I've never seen evidence of a rodent in the garage at all, and the car lives in the garage.

I'd say I'm almost certain that it came from the car, from the track or below the track somehow. But there is a the slightest of chances it could be rodent related. I hope the hell not, but it's possible. We've never seen evidence in the garage, but my wife's Prius did have mice in it about a year back out in the driveway. Had to put traps in her car to catch those sly bastards. So while wildly unlikely... it's possible.

Then it may be the adhesive from under the aluminum panels.

However.... Never rule out it being food, ever take your car in for service? Rangers and service center guys gotta eat too.