In the meantime, keep an eye on the SoC when the car has been sitting overnight or longer. Self-discharge problems showed up for me when I parked at 52% and returned 12 hours later to find SoC at 30%, that's an indication of end of life HV battery.
SoC was 43.3 yesterday at 5:30 pm and I checked it again 16 hours later while car sat overnight and the SoC was 42.5. Seems like the HV battery is holding its charge.
Do your reverse lights illuminate when this happens? The gear selector is just an electrical switch that tells the computer which mode to operate in; there is no shifter cable. If you have no reverse lights, maybe an iffy gear selector? The indicator on the dash may also offer clues.
I could be wrong, but from what I understand how the hybrid operates, if the ICE is running then the motor-generator should be able to provide ample current to run the traction motor even if the BSOC is low. This is also how the vehicle propels forward in Drive mode at very low speeds if the battery is low.
The gear selector is just an electrical switch that tells the computer which mode to operate in; there is no shifter cable.
That is incorrect. The car has a conventional shifter cable in addition to the electronics. If the shifter cable is old, loose, worn through or binding it may not be moving the lever arm on the eCVT into Reverse, but once it gets to DRIVE there's enough movement to put the lever in the right place. The car also has a conventional parking pawl inside the eCVT case. Cables get old and stretch, and cable ends wear and get loose with time. As a result, going from PARK to REVERSE the cable may not be moving the lever enough, but once the shifter moves all the way to DRIVE it goes far enough to push the detent lever into DRIVE on the transmission housing. We're not talking about a long movement here. Here's a video of a fellow replacing the one on his 2007 Escape Hybrid:
The workshop manual for the 2011 Escape Hybrid states:
The external control of the eCVT is mechanically controlled by a selector lever cable connected to the floor selector lever. The floor shifter position determines PARK, REVERSE, NEUTRAL, DRIVE and low modes.
There is a cable and I think he should check the cable. It's a pain to replace but it can be done.
Here's the install procedure from the manual on the transmission end:
Attach the selector lever cable fastener to the engine front cover stud bolt.
Attach the selector lever cable fastener to the A/C compressor mounting bracket.
Connect the selector lever cable.
Install the selector lever cable bracket and the 2 nuts finger-tight.
Attach the selector lever cable to the manual control lever.
Position the control lever between the 2 casting ribs on the transaxle case.
Place the gear selector lever in the D position.
Tighten the selector lever cable bracket nuts to 23 Nm (17 lb-ft).
To verify the correct selector lever cable adjustment, observe the selector lever on the transaxle while an assistant moves the selector lever into each range position ending in the D position.
Also, the cable can be adjusted. This is from the 2011 workshop manual showing the full adjustment procedure. If you want the installation procedure, it is also in the manual but I recommend that you subscribe to the manuals using the Ford Motorcraft site. $24.00 for 72 hours and it gives you full access to everything including the electrical diagrams.
But here is the adjustment procedure:
Shifter Cable Adjustment Procedure - 2011 Ford Escape Hybrid
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11-12-2021, 01:58 PM
Re: 2009 FEH not going into reverse
