2008 FEH battery not cooling
 

First off, I've been reading these forms almost daily since I bought my 2008 escape hybrid back in January. I've looked at (I think) every thread on cooling I can find, but my exact issue doesn't seem to be remedied anywhere.

The symptoms: during warmer weather (above about 70F), it will not go into EV mode after about 10 minutes of driving. Mileage during the colder weather was regularly around 35 mpg and EV mode would engage after my 30 minute commute to work.

Troubleshooting so far:

-checked battery cooling air filter, looks clean, no debris build up
-checked blend door function by pulling filter out while the engine was running and battery hot (105F TAV via SGII). Door was open. Shut engine off and door closed.
-checked resistance across thermistor for battery cooling air and found ~18 kOhms
-passenger compartment AC works great
-during blend door check, with engine running and filter cover removed, I noticed there was no air flow across the filter.
-Checked air intake at the rear window and nothing. Listened for the fans to kick on in the battery compartment and didn't hear anything.
-removed section of duct between coil and battery with engine running, no air flow
-Felt AC lines going to coil and found them to be cold

So, I think I have it narrowed down to the fans not running, but I am second guessing myself because I have no codes showing up on my SCII. I've also checked in the "Engineering Test Mode" and it displays no DTC. From everything I've read, others that have experienced fan failures always received a code for one fan, the other or both. Is it possible to have a fan failures without any codes?

Another reason I think it may be the fans is that the fresh air door was open when the battery was over 100F. If I understand correctly, it should be shut at any temperature over about 85F. My theory is that the fans are not moving the hot air from the battery up to the thermistor, so it thinks the temperature is okay and leaves the door open. Thoughts?

Any help is appreciated!

Re: 2008 FEH battery not cooling
 

When FEH is stopped and ICE is off the battery fans are loud enough to easily hear from the front seat. You might run the FORScan test that commands the fans to run and just listen for them from the cargo area. That's how I would start. The Blend Door failure does throw a code but I'm not sure what condition causes the code.

Also, when it won't go into EV, whats the battery temperature from the Scangauge? That might tell you if it's a cooling related problem.

Re: 2008 FEH battery not cooling
 

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll have to wait until tomorrow to try and listen for them, the ICE won't shut off now due to the battery being too hot (I believe). It should cool enough overnight. I'll give the FORScan test a shot and reply back!

Re: 2008 FEH battery not cooling
 

Troubleshooting diagnostics quite often improve over time so old versions of on-board software can be a liability in many ways. When you use FORSCAN, see how old your various software programs are. You may want to consider having them updated at a dealer if you are keeping the vehicle idefinitally. Concur with Econoline, one of the module tests I ran through FORSCAN turned the cooling fans on for a few seconds only. I will try to post at some point what software the dealer updated when it was in for the SSN/no start issue (turned out to be the PCM). Technicians often update software first and then run a new diagnostic test. Seems like newer vehicles like Teslas can do this automatically over the air for what they consider critical updates, at the very least.

Re: 2008 FEH battery not cooling
 

Well the OBDII Bluetooth module I had didn't want to work with FORScan, so I bought another off Amazon that ended up working great (link below). I bought the FORScan Lite app for Android for $6 and it immediately showed that both failed battery codes were present. I ran the battery test and confirmed that they would not turn on.

In my search for replacement fans, I only found one dealer in the DFW area that had them and they're wanting $350+tax which seems a bit much. I'll probably bite the bullet and purchase it on Monday unless I can find a better deal that won't take forever to ship. Thanks for the help!

KINGBOLEN V1.5 Firmware OBDII OBD2 Bluetooth Car Diagnostic Scan Tool Auto OBD Scanner for Android Devices

Re: 2008 FEH battery not cooling
 

Just want to wrap this up.

I received my new fan kit in the mail today. Total cost was about $350 including taxes and shipping from White Bear Lake Ford in Minnesota.

I plugged in the new fans and then ran the battery test on the FORScan app and they kicked on like the should. Reassembled the everything in about 20 minutes and then took a test drive. The fans were working and the AC was turning on as needed. Then the wrench light came on. So I parked it, ran the test again and this time it came up with the blend door failure. I had a replacement on hand and installed it quickly. Another test followed by a test drive showed it to be working properly now.

I definitely learned the value of the FORScan app. I've even used it on my 2003 F150 to troubleshoot a little. It's amazing how much diagnostic capability you can get for so cheap.

Thanks to those that responded and gave me some insight. I would be happy to help anyone else that needs it.

Re: 2008 FEH battery not cooling
 

i do have one question about FORScan.
I have a 2009 escape hybrid limited.
Can Forscan turn off the DRL?