Have you ever been at home and had the power flicker? Have you seen the lights dim or flicker, and come right back on? You would for sure take notice of this event. Sometimes, this will turn off your TV or reboot your computer if you had it on at the time. Sometimes though, if the flicker is quick enough, just for half a second or less, you'll still notice the lights, but your TV will stay on, and your computer will continue to run unaffected. This is because there is a slight buffer time, or capacitance in most modern electronics.

It has been posted by some, that you can perform a FAS ( forced auto stop ) in the Ford Escape Hybrid, and continue on your way safely, with power steering. It has been posted by some, that you loose power steering with a key off maneuver while in motion. Which is it?

Turns out, the power steering has a bit of buffer time. The computer, or the part of the computer that controls the power steering has a bit of latency. If, and only IF you turn the key off and then back on to run in 2 seconds or less, will the power steering stay "on". If you take your time, or fumble the keys, or get distracted ( actually paying attention to your driving, perhaps? ) and take 3 seconds or more to cycle the key back to run, your power steering will NOT work after a FAS! And you can't get it back on until you start the engine.

I find it very interesting that the computer, or the part of the computer that runs the ICE does not share this same latency. Thus a very quick turn of the key off then back to run will shut down the engine, but not the power steering. This is similar to how a very quick power flicker will not shut down your home computer. Sometimes.

So can you drive after a FAS with power steering? Yes.
Can you rely on it to always work? NO!
Can you have power steering without starting the engine at least once, such as pushing it out of a garage? NO! The engine must have been started once to "activate" the power steering.
Hope this clears up some mis-understanding on this matter.

As far as I can tell, power brakes work all the time, even when pushing the car out of the garage, as just opening the door pressurizes the brake fluid. I used to have a manual garage door, since my power door was broken. I would push the FEH out of my garage and a few feet down my sloped driveway, before getting out and manually closing the garage door. I did this to save gas. I did this without ever starting the car, and power brakes always worked.

Hope you all find this helpful.
-John