Nice work Billy. And thanks for all your effort.
What you helped to re-inforce is the fact that the HV battery will power your accessories down to 35% SOC, and then at that point, it cuts off, and only your 12v battery provides power to the car after that.
35% is still a safe level with enough power to start the car.

You also showed that this does NOT equal a poor man's PHEV!
( Which was the original topic of this thread).
With a little help, you answered your own question! Awesome!
Great to have you participate with such enthusiasim.
You proved to me at least how this thing works and what it does.
Since I live above the 44th parallel now, I'm going to get one!
-John

 

I got a big surprise at 6:00am when I started my garaged FEH. Immediately after starting, I glanced at my newest scangauge and saw 26.7 SOC! How did that happen? Normally cooling of the HV battery drove down the SOC? Maybe I need to repeat this experiment and bring a ready to use digital camera into the vehicle prior during the early am starting session to see if I can reproduce this SOC level and to document what I saw. I drove 1 1/4 miles to the YMCA for an early am workout as I normally do, and my SOC increased to 46.1.

 

If it got cool during the night... it would appear to loose charge. It will also loose some charge just sitting there, but that seems like a bit much for overnight. My guess is what you saw is completely normal and nothing to be alarmed about.

 

I just bought my used 2006 FEH 2wd in San Diego, and I have brought it back to coldest Alberta. I picked up the complete block heater system at a US Ford dealer in Auburn WA. I can see how it goes together. Have any members installed one by themself, or was the installation done at the dealer?. I can see how the parts go together, but wonder about where exactly they go.

Having read the discussion, the purpose of most block heaters is to keep the coolant in the engine block from freezing and cracking the block, and the secondary purpose is to take thick as molasses engine oil and warm it slightly for better lubrication and to assist in engine start up. Block heaters usually work in one of three ways, a heating element is inserted into the engine block and warms fluids by direct contact. Second a heating pad with an adhesive backing is glued to an oil pan or flat surface, and third a radiant reflector is attached near the block and it gives off heat to the air while it is near the block (saturn used this system). None of these systems has anything to go with warming a battery. Batteries are warmed so that chemical reactions can take place and provide cranking amps to a starter. Battery heaters are either a hot plate that is on the bottom of the battery, or a battery blanket which has heating elements that wrap around the outside of the battery. Canadians and Alaskans use combinations of these devices to get cars started in -30 to -60 degree temps. Sometimes we don't have the luxury of heated indoor parking. Many businesses have electric hitching posts that we use to plug our vehicles in while we are at work. Too hot and two cold are real enemies of batteries. Most of us in severe temperature operations count on replacing our 12 volt batteries every 3 winters, unless the 3rd winter is an El Nino winter.

I am interested in finding ways to force the FE hybrid into electric vehicle operations in winter time, because my wife's 2001 prius seems to spend less time in electric mode in winter time!

Rocky near Edmonton, Alberta

 

Hey there Rocky! Nice to see a fellow Albertan on the board....I would offer you my FEH to work off of while installing your block heater but I'm way south just above Montana.

One trick to combat the cold up here I plan to implement this winter is a heating pad for the HV battery. I have found a place in Great Falls that sells dog bed warmers that are a perfect size and cost around $50; I'll wire it so that is comes on the same time as the block heater and will hopefully allow EV to kick in much sooner on start up.

 

Rocky, your FEH "block heater system" should have 3 parts.

The wires should split and go two ways from the house plug.
One way goes to the traditional block heater, a brass plug that goes into the engine block, and the second wire plugs into a cable by the washer fluid tank, and that wire leads directly into the HV battery in the back.

Reading this thread, it looks like it does not charge the HV battery ( unless perhaps near totally dead ) so we all hope it does some good and heat the HV battery, even if just a little, that would help. Mine is on order, and I should have it on hand in a couple of days. -John ( S. Minnesota )

 

Hey John, are you planning on having yours installed? I would like to tackle this myself, however looking for some information that either you, or others here could provide.

I have a friend at a dealer that said he could probably work a deal for the block heater package (and a replacement leather cover for the driversseat I poked a hole in )

It seems reletively straight forward to install, however I doubt the parts come with detailed instructions. I am going to pick up one of those "grey market" DVD's off eBay for a service manual, and hope that may help.

 

I ordered one online and am having it shipped to me.
I also plan to do it myself.
It may take me more time than a dealer, but hey, I have more time than money right now!

My question is, does any coolent leak out when you install the block heater? ( Is there a plug you remove, etc ) Or does the heater only touch metal and never actually contacts water?

I know how / where to install the electrical connectors already.
I have a shop manual on CD produced in 2004. I have not looked for a block heater section yet, but the document list is pretty huge so it may be in there. I'm traveling now, and don't have my manual CD with me.
-John

 

Is it coolant that would leak? I was always under the impression that these things sat down in the oil/oilpan area to warm up the oil and block before starting the car, not the radiator coolant.

 

I dont know about the FEH specifically but all block heaters I have seen go into the coolant on the block usually where a freeze plug would be. Yes you will loose coolant. Pick up some G-05 or Motorcraft Gold coolant and when you replace it be SURE to use distilled or de-mineraled water.