What the..... (frustraded no EV today!) - GreenHybrid

08hybridok · #1 (**permalink**) 01-07-2008, 12:35 AM

I know I know, there are any number or reasons and if/then's statements that are required to enter EV. Been practicing for what 6-7 months now, through various weather conditions. I didn't gripe or complain (much) when the ICE rarely, if ever, shut of in the freezing or near freezing tems of the last few weeks, I still managed a 27ish mpg on my whopping 5 mi treks to work & back.
So Today, as Bruce Almighty would say, was a Beeeaaaautifullll day! 73, sunny, warm, slight breeze (down to 10-15mph today) and dry 33% humidity. I drove to work with the top open and climate controls off. I get to the first stop sign, ICE on, well ok, hasn't been on long, only 1.5mi, can't recall the Fwt (I think that what water temp is) on the SG. So go another 1.5 mi to next stop sign, still no ICE off!

Fwt is 172, SOC 55-57. Ok so well maybe, humm well lets see. Another mile to next stop, still no ICE off!

So last leg another 2 mil, then the parking lot, I almost always EV through the parking lot, even at 30 degrees!!! Still no ICE off! Fwt still 175-185, SOC still 55-57, no climate controls on, but SG does read 34mpg Avg for the trip! Way better than the 27 or lowers it's been getting.
So time to come home, it's cool at 2am, 61, humidity skyrocketed to 76%. I had the exact same responce going home, No ICE off at all, even tried the L trick, double tapping, I almost wanted to try key off, but didn't recall the "trick".
I'm not at the magical 10k recal mileage yet (7500).
Any other good reason to no achieve EV, even once!

denverjay · #2 (**permalink**) 01-07-2008, 05:34 AM

It's possible you were in a battery recal situation. Let the computer do it's thing - it will shut off when it is ready.

gpsman1 · #3 (**permalink**) 01-07-2008, 09:02 AM

I can't tell you without being there. But that happens to us all from time to time.

Was the car parked in the sun at 73 degrees?
The battery in a parked car can get too hot to allow EV.
100'F is too hot to enable EV, and a parked car with windows up easily passes that.
Unlikely, but it is possible the A/C was running without your knowledge?
I'm not to familiar with the 2008 climate controls, but any possibility you had it in an "auto" setting which was running the A/C without you noticing?

08hybridok · #4 (**permalink**) 01-07-2008, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gpsman1

I can't tell you without being there. But that happens to us all from time to time.

Was the car parked in the sun at 73 degrees?
The battery in a parked car can get too hot to allow EV.
100'F is too hot to enable EV, and a parked car with windows up easily passes that.
Unlikely, but it is possible the A/C was running without your knowledge?
I'm not to familiar with the 2008 climate controls, but any possibility you had it in an "auto" setting which was running the A/C without you noticing?

Yea, no pampering of my baby, she sits in the weather! It was mostly sunny, windows up, but was just driven a few hours earlier and I had the windows open, didn't feel hot inside, but didn't have a thermometer either.
The 08's have auto climate control with lights in the dials when it's on, so there was to "auto" or manual override going on. Just one of those day's I guess. I did watch SOC thinking maybe I'm getting a re-cal early, but it stayed 54-57 the whiole trip (which for me is normal).

08hybridok · #5 (**permalink**) 01-07-2008, 06:48 PM

Well today is similar temps, higher humidity, and EV was back to normal, at all stops except 1st, which is just to early after starting to ever hit EV.
So yesterday was just a freak thing!

gpsman1 · #6 (**permalink**) 01-12-2008, 08:08 AM

Sometimes, you just can't predict.

Today, after ten minutes of stop and go, with periods of EV, water temp was 184'F, CHT 233'F, CAT 1430'F, Battery Temp 64'F, Battery Charge 48.8% and NO EV at the next couple of lights.

Sometimes this car just has a mind of its own.

08hybridok · #7 (**permalink**) 01-12-2008, 08:17 AM

Just gotta wait for one of these genises here do devise us a EV override button somehow. Like the Highlander commercial. (I don't know how it works, just see the guy come home from work, push EV aka Stealth mode, and pull in the driveway.)

gpsman1 · #8 (**permalink**) 01-12-2008, 08:57 AM

What do you think a DIY EV kit for the Escape is worth.... $ wise....

IF I can come up with one?

-John

( I've been reluctant to try under warranty, but mine's up in about a month. )

08hybridok · #9 (**permalink**) 01-12-2008, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gpsman1

What do you think a DIY EV kit for the Escape is worth.... $ wise....

IF I can come up with one?

-John

( I've been reluctant to try under warranty, but mine's up in about a month. )

Yea, for atlest 3-5 years I don't think I'd do a serious mod, but I do have $100 in my PP account.....

kristian · #10 (**permalink**) 01-14-2008, 10:52 AM

I had this coming home from Loveland Basin yesterday. The car was COLD when we started with temps in the single degrees (although I do not remember the fWT). After a short drive through the parking lot, we merged onto stop and go traffic on I-70 where I was using L gear to maintain speed and quickly had 60+ SoC. That meant that it kept using Electric Drive for propulsion and the tach stayed about 2500rpm on the ICE.

The fWT slowly climbed up to 172 degrees, but it wouldn't go into auto stop. I tried low gear, drive and neutral, all with no success. All this time, we were in 5-10mph traffic and I was getting about 30mpg on the iFCD which seemed very low to me (for warming up the engine and using electric drive). Finally by Idaho Springs, some 20 downhill miles later, I saw the first auto stop. From that point on, my iFCD mileage was a lot better.

I don't have gauges like cat temp or battery temp loaded so I can't comment on their status, but I was surprized and frustrated that the first 20 miles of the best mpg road in the state were lost. Next time I will warm the car up in the parking lot before merging into traffic! Any thoughts on which gauges I should program to check this next time?