Hi all.

New to this Forum - and a new Hybrid owner.

Today I noticed that my Escape was lacking serious take off power and after some investigation I found that the car was not switching into EV mode or using the hybrid assist - I stopped the car for a while and let everything cool down - it was 90 in LA today - and the EV mode worked again for a few minutes but soon stopped going into EV - HOWEVER - the hybrid assist worked and continued to work all the way home - when I was nearly home the car started going back into EV mode at traffic lights.

As I said - I am a total nube to EV cars and would love some help - I drive uber and I cant afford to be off the road for long and sure as hell cant afford a deal fix.

EDIT: I did notice that the AC wasnt cooling the car...

 

90? Cute... 100°F in Phoenix today...

First, not going into EV mode is typically a non-issue. You don't actually want to into EV mode except during slow speed operations like parking lots and moving the car from one spot to another (driveway, side of house, street, etc.).

The FEH is a hybrid. It's battery capacity is very small. Just drive it conservatively and let the car manage itself. Do not make any effort to force EV mode.

The lack of power/loss of EV assist is of greater concern. If you're not COOL and comfortable, your battery is likely too warm. Do not spare the AC. Use it often and regularly. The FEH has an evaporator core as part of the cooling system, and will actually air condition the battery cooling air if it determines ambient air is not cool enough. The best thing to do if you think the battery is hot is blast the AC.

Also, check and replace your battery air filter often.

 

Hi.

I understand the normal function of the hybrid assist - for the first part of the day it was not assisting the main motor. Later it was assisting but not going into EV mode.

Where is the battery air filter located? Also, would a bad (regular) battery have any affect on this?

 

You can look it up as easily as I can:

https://owner.ford.com/tools/account...scape%20Hybrid

You should probably take the time to familiarize yourself with your vehicle.

From page 6 of the manual:

Conditions thatcause the engine to start up or remain running include:
• Driving request for moderate to rapid acceleration
• Vehicle speed above 40 mph (65 kph)
• Ascending a hill
• ECON mode not selected (while Climate Control is ON)
• Selection of climate control defrost mode or defrost/floor mode
• Charge level of high voltage battery is low
• Very high or low outside temperature (to provide system cooling/heating)

When troubleshooting, confirming your 12V battery is good is often an important first step.

 

Dude - I'm sorry for not telling you but I'm not retarded... I understand the normal conditions as to why the car does and does not slip into EV!

Now that we have established that I understand the general
rules behind why and how a hybrid works maybe now you can assist if able - I would not have written a post if it was falling under the normal working conditions.

I have been a little concerned with the 12v battery for a couple of weeks but I'm curious as to if it will actually impact the hybrid functions of the car.

If you can and are willling to offer and advice on the problems I would be grateful.

Regards

 

Yes, the 12V battery will impact drivetrain characteristics. If you don't know it's condition buy a new one.

The auxiliary cooling air filter is in the cargo area, under a small pop-out panel on the driver's side wall, about a foot above the floor. You probably need one.
Under that is a motor assembly that opens the AC duct to the battery. These often fail. replacing it takes about an hour, and it costs $20.

Another common cause of poor EV performance is a defective coolant thermostat. If the coolant isn't warming up to 180 you won't see much EV action, and fuel economy will suffer.

 

hi - thank you so much for the response.

I'll change the 12v and the air filter today but can you tell me a little more about the AC duct? Do you have a part number and how to guide?

Also I noticed yesterday that the AC would get cooler the faster I drove!! Does this offer any more insight?

 

Google is your friend. I got the results below in 30 seconds, faster than I could pull the receipt from the file drawer at my elbow.

Motorcraft YH1770

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...+motor&tbm=vid

This has also been discussed at length in this forum. It's worthwhile to read back through the archives to understand the nuances of this vehicle.

That AC symptom sounds like the valve under the compressor. It's documented elsewhere on this forum.

 

Your problem also sounds like it could be bad battery A/C fans or a leak in the cooling system (which has lines running front to rear). You probably want a knowledgeable tech to sort it all out, luckily most Ford shops in LA area will have experience with their hybrids. Otherwise you'll just be guessing what's wrong and might be buying parts you don't need.

 

sorry for the late reply - working all day.

Yeah, I read a lot of the forums but it seems like most are incomplete and lack any relulotion or write up.

I just want you to confirm the part number as I have gotten it wrong before... thank you.

If you can can locate any of the resolves theads on the AC issue I'd be super grareful.

agian / thank you so much.