Hi All:

___I have my own overall “Experience” write up just about ready to go but think this is a great thread for continuing discussion about the topic of the event or the event itself.

___Randy, I think John and I were speaking to you via Cel the night before as we were headed out that way. If that was you, thank you for your feedback given it matched the experience to a T as to what we experienced.

___An item I want to discuss occurred while I was walking with one of the battery engineers past the row of Escape’s whose owners were in the second session of the day at that point in time. We looked at 8 Escapes and the tire pressures were as follows:

Escape HEV #1: 4 - 5 #’s low.
Escape HEV #2: 2 #’s low.
Escape HEV #3: 2 - 3 #’s low.
Escape HEV #4: 4 - 5 #’s low.
Escape HEV #5: 2 - 3 #’s low.
Escape HEV #6: 5 #’s low.
Escape HEV #7: 2 - 6 #’s low.
Escape HEV #8: 7 #’s low.

___This was not a good omen although even with those slightly under inflated pressures, receiving 36 + on the Ford chosen slower - city route was a slam dunk using any of the basics some had just learned and were about to use in practice for the first time.

___When John arrived at my home, the first thing I did before we even attempted to drive off for some test runs was to modify his Escape HEV a bit. His pressures were 44#’s when he left CO. but were between 34 and 36 when he arrived here? I upped them to 47 front and 46 rear to start. I would drive with 50 #’s all around myself but it was a good tradeoff. Although none of the Escapes at the Experience oil levels were checked (I didn’t see that it was?), here is another area for improvement. John’s Escape had an oil change just a few thousand miles previous and the level was ½ again above Hi-Lo mark! I drained it all out and installed 4 quarts of Mobil1 0W-20 (1/2 way up the stick) to cure his Escape of that small problem. Next I built a radiator block as we were going to be driving in 55 degree F temps and below. The only item I forgot was that I left the knife used to cut the cardboard with on the shelf under the hood. Whoops. Ford saw that and even wrote it up as “Knife under Hood” Anyway, I just want you all to make sure that your pressures are corrected as you see fit, your oil level and type is what you consider optimal, and that you do not leave any tools under the hood for later discovery

___P&G and DWL were not recommended by Ford because they drop speeds by 15 + miles per hour supposedly? Ford screwed that one up but it was far to detailed a technique to teach a non-FE enthusiast in 2 minutes of presentation and the same while behind the windscreen out on a test drive. I know you all love the L gear as it is about the only way to get the Escape HEV to guaranteed ICE off below 40 miles per hour and above 50 degrees F. I can tell you from many P&G’s in any number of hybrid and non-hybrid automobiles that even though Regen is the Escape’s holy grail for the EV mode/Glide afterwards, if the ICE dropped out as easily as a FAS or Prius II in a P&G, you would receive even higher FE then the pegged 60 mpg I received with the Escape’s somewhat quirky ICE off threshold. That 60.0 + was achieved and then maintained across 14 miles of test road and all the way back to a local Shell station near my home after another 10 miles of highway and suburban roadway. Thanks to John for teaching me in real time what I have read about these last few days as there is nothing like an experienced pilot sitting in the seat next to you Anyway, your Escape HEV’s bleed FE because of its extremely well designed pack and MG2 imho. For the highway w/ and w/out cruise control discussion, who here has absolutely flat roads to drive on? I drive without 99% of the time in and around Chicago and Chicago is what most would consider a very flat area. Cruise is good when you or your accelerator pedal foot is fatigued but in my experience, your right foot and anticipatory behavior will knock cruise into the dirt each and every time.

___I have to apologize to a few Ford Employees as I was taking a drink of water while speaking to 4 or 5 at a time. That H2O went down the wrong pipe and I practically spit up all over them while coughing away afterwards! I was embarrassed of course but I bet they all had a good laugh about it later

___I have a few more tips in regards to highway FE and will share them at a later time but your Escape HEV’s just like the Insight, Prius II, and HCH is worth some truly outrageous FE when pushed. I see no reason that any of you with an all-city 20 + minute commute cannot achieve a 45 - 50 mpg tank when it warms up again next year. A longer distance highway driver will easily achieve 45 + in warmer temps if they have the patience and the ability to take it easy while playing in traffic out on the highways of just about any major city today.

___Finally, I want to say that in order of pack longevity, the Ford Escape HEV setup and protection schemes are far better then anything Toyota offers in any of their hybrid’s to date and far better then anything Honda has placed into any of their hybrids as well. When I said the Escape HEV was built Ford Tough earlier, I really meant it! If the HH, RXh, Prius I or II, Honda anything were subjected to what your Escape HEV was during its initial trials, they would not be anything but a totaled pile of junk. I am glad they did not have the opportunity to test my MDX to the same level they tested your Escape HEV’s to or it would be ready for the junk pile as well. In other words, you all have one hell of a tough SUV/Truck that just so happens to have the ability to receive FE that most Toyota Corolla and non-hybrid Honda Civic drivers can and will only dream of!

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net