Hello,

This issue has probably been addressed here fifty times already, I've read through some of the threads and taken some notes to give to my mechanic. So far I do recognise some of the symptoms and am hoping some of the suggestions made in other threads will work. I intend to follow up with the results here, in case anyone else is having a similar issue:

The car appears to run fine aside from higher RPMs than usual, no weird noises, and it's not stalling. My issue is on the highway only, after driving for at least 100kmph (62mph) or more for about 30 minutes. If I turn the car off, the light does not come on when I restart. This issue does not happen at lower speeds, it is exclusively when on the highway for extended periods of time. My fuel efficiency is significantly reduced (previously averaged 7L/100km or 33mpg and now averaging 11L/100km or 21mpg).

My mechanic tried to use a code reader while the light was on, but no error codes were found. As I understand it, he needs to use a scanner instead. I'll mention that to him as well, he might be able to get his hands on one that has Ford programming.

So far, my research tends to indicate more of a throttle control issue rather than a powertrain fault. The car just feels like it's getting too much gas, I don't feel any problems with the CVT or when shifting gears. I'm going to have him look at the throttle body, positioning sensor, and wiring, as well as the APP sensor. On the list is also the HV battery blender door actuator motor, the drive by wire throttle connection of the body or pedal, or the MECS pump is failing.

Has anyone found that their issue was not one of those listed above? If yes, how did you find or resolve the problem? Looking forward to getting to the bottom of this!

Thanks!

Abey

 

UPDATE: My mechanic borrowed a scanner, confirmed the code reader found no errors, and the scanner did the trick. It found code B1239 "airflow blend door driver circuit". So it looks as though we'll be replacing the HV Battery AC blender door actuator motor. This was one of the most common results when I searched previously on this site, aside from the throttle body control. Thanks for a great forum!

 

A dirty HV battery filter will cause that same code. You may want to replace the filter or run without a filter for awhile to see if the problem reoccurs. In my case just replacing the air filter fixed the issue.

 

Hi!

Thanks for your reply, I agree with you 100% and already asked my mechanic to change that air filter too. It doesn't make sense to leave it, especially since he's going to be back there anyway. I bought this car used in 2014 and this is the first issue I've had, it's been quite reliable so far (knock on hood!). We've been surrounded by construction dust the past few years so I have no doubt it needs swapping out.

Regards,

Abey

 

Just to be clear, the blend door actuator could be okay and the filter is just dirty. So I would confirm it's not the filter before replacing the actuator.

If you do replace it, the part is about $20 on Amazon and 1 hour labor. There's a really good youtube video on how to replace it:

 

"Just to be clear, the blend door actuator could be okay and the filter is just dirty. So I would confirm it's not the filter before replacing the actuator. If you do replace it, the part is about $20 on Amazon and 1 hour labor. There's a really good youtube video on how to replace it:"

Isn't that a great video? I was watching it last night and plan to show it to my mechanic. When I was looking into the maintenance history of my car, I see that the actuator and filter were both replaced in 2013 (the previous owner was quite vigilant with his paperwork). Six years later, I figure they're both due for a change at this point, especially as I am now driving an hour each direction for work (all highway), they are both cheap parts, we're digging around in the back any way, and I don't want to have to go in twice (nor will I have the time working 12 hour days), so my thinking at this point is: better safe than sorry and replace both parts

Thanks for the super informative link!

 

UPDATE: My mechanic confirmed that the actuator motor was indeed pooched, so he changed that and the air filter as well at my request. $50 for the actuator motor, and the grand total was only $120 to fix. I took it for a test drive and immediately noticed lower RPMs, smoother acceleration, and the fuel efficiency on the highway is back to normal (6 or 7L per 100km).

 

Six years is way too long to wait between hybrid filter changes. The filters are very cheap and checking/changing takes literally a minute.

I always keep one tossed in the back and check periodically while filling the tank. If it's dirty, replace it, note the date, and order a new one (< $10 on Amazon). And still have time left before the tank is full.

 

Indeed, you make a very good point, but being new to Hybrids I had no clue there was even an air filter back there until I started researching the car's symptoms. Now that I know it's there I will ensure it is changed on a more regular basis.

Can you please elaborate what you mean by checking it when you're filling up with gas? Don't you need to remove the inside trim panels to access that section? Thanks!

 

• open the liftgate (or just the window if you prefer)
• pull off the cover (it's on the left trim panel, just pull)
• remove the inner cover (show a bit of care here - the tabs that hold on this cover break easily)
• pull out the filter
• inspect
• replace if dirty
• reverse steps to reassemble (make sure the arrow on the filter is pointing up)

Zero tools, < 2 minutes after you've done it a couple of times.