For those of you who may be searching for an easy way to run a wire from the engine compartment to the passenger compartment on your Escape Hybrid, it's very very easy.

There is a 2" diameter passthrough hole that is visible from the driver's side of the engine compartment which leads directly into the passenger compartment. Just look at the firewall near the driver's side and you'll see a clear view to "under the dash" of the passenger compartment. I believe that this hole was meant for the clutch on manual transmission Escapes. Anyway, for ham radio operators who need to run a wire from the 12 Volt battery into the passenger compartment, this passthrough hole makes it very convenient.

I used this convenient passthrough hole in order to wire the temperature sensor for a Gentex Electrochromatic (self-darkening) mirror/compass/thermometer. This is the same electrochromatic mirror supplied by Ford in some of its non-hybrid vehicles (such as the Ford Expedition and Explorer). You can buy one on EBay for about $190.00. This mirror is great if you're travelling long distances at night. I think that it's much darker than the manual mirror supplied with the Escape Hybrid. In addition, the compass and thermometer built into the mirror are necessary features which are unavailable on the Escape. The Mercury Mariner Hybrid and standard Escapes come with the electrochromatic mirror but without the compass and thermometer readouts, although other vehicles in Ford's lineup can be ordered with this Gentex mirror (including the compass and thermometer) as a factory installed option.

 

I was looking for this hole today but couldn't find it. Could you be more specific about its location?

Thanks!

 

I also found it pretty easy to run an accessory wire though the same rubber gromet that the hood release cable goes though. Follow the cable from the hood release as one option.
-John

 

For the temperature sensor that is with these mirrors, where is the sensor mounted in the engine compartment? I'm guessing this is for the 'outside' temperature, and obviously it has to be somewhere away from anything that gets too hot/cold as that will cause problems with the readings, but for those who have installed this, where was it placed?

 

I mounted the temp sensor above the body cladding under the front bumper.

The Gentek temp/compass/reading lights mirror was one of the first things I added to my 05 FEH.

~John