I don't think the oil is the problem but it might become a problem. Did you use synthetic oil or conventional oil? The heaver oil will not flow quickly on start up. These engines start and stop more frequently than conventional engines. Old school beliefs were older engines need a thicker oil due to wear and age, this is NO LONGER TRUE. Modern engines have MUCH tighter tolerances and clearances. They are designed to run on thiner oils. A worn modern engine still is tighter than a new old school engine, thats why they are going 200K now. I have seen Ford Explorer lose(jumped off the lifter) rocker arms because the oil could not fill the lifters fast enough, they were using 10w-30. This failure occurred 3 times over 200 miles before switching back to 5w-20 which solved the problem.

 

2006 MMH

FYI, the Dealer replaced the entire transaxle... basically the entire hybrid system under the hood.

They did this months ago and the "stop safely now" message and complete power loss has not happened again. It was under warranty and took a week or two.

I'm pretty much done with this car...

But for those with this problem, I thought it might be helpful to know that this solution worked for me.

 

It could be as simple as a loose intermittant wire, and mean nothing mechanical. It could be a bump in the road made some sensor trip...
It could be a lot of things... but most, are very minor and cheap.

P.S. Go back to 5w20 ASAP.

 

I drive a 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid. 92,000 miles, and it's still under warranty.

A few months ago, I had my first "STOP SAFELY NOW" message while in my parking lot. The engine stopped and I tried to coast into my parking space. I shut the car down, and successfully restarted my car about 20 minutes later.

I brought the car to my local Ford dealership, where I bought the car used. They were very busy that day, and I could not afford to leave my car overnight. I was told that they "had never heard of this before" and "it was likely just a glitch." I believed them since I was able to restart my car and drive.

I drove the car without incident for the next few months. I had forgotten about this issue. But today it struck again. This time I was over an hour away from home on the interstate. I was on my way to visit my parents. The car would restart after a short break, but the engine would shut off with the same "STOP SAFELY NOW" message happening (twice in about 20 minutes now). I had the car towed to a Ford dealership and they're going to look at it Monday.

If there is anything I can tell them to help in diagnosing this problem please let me know. I've read through through this thread, but I'm really not too savvy when it comes to cars. Should I ask the Ford dealership for a copy of the code numbers that are pulled? If I post that here will it help? Whatever it is, I sure hope my warranty covers it.

TIA

 

Here is an update on my situation.

I replaced all of the relays and that seemed to do the trick. We didnt have a Stop Safely Now message for a month or so. It started acting up a few weeks ago and threw a code. I had Autozone read the code for me and it was a running lean or "Excessive Air" code. About a week after the code the vehicle would not run. It started fine but would only run for a few seconds before choking out.

The two most probable causes listed were;
1. Vacuum leak
2. Stuck EGR Valve

I tested for vacuum leaks with the old brake parts cleaner trick and did not find any (although I could not completely spray the lower intake gasket) I think that the EGR valve being stuck is a bit of a stretch but if it comes down to it I will check it.

Any advice?

 

I'm wondering if your issue might be a dirty Mass Air Flow Meter. The ECU could think that too much or not enough air is going into the intake if the MAF is not measuring the air flow into the intake correctly due to build up on the heated element that is used inside it to measure air flow. They make a spray cleaner for the MAF. It couldn't hurt to give that a try.

 

It could be anything and I recommend taking it to a dealer for a scan and testing. My '05 FEH acted this way but I got a "Stop Safely Now" message. The PCM had to be reprogrammed.

GaryG

 

My first "Stop Safely Now" occurred yesterday. Thankfully, it was just due to low fuel and the car was in my garage. But that scared the heck out of me. Does anyone have a guide they can recommend to follow when this message occurs, for whatever reason? It seems some have been able to coax their hybrid back into service. I hate the thought of being stranded somewhere with a car that won't run, or when the dealership is closed, like yesterday. Thank you

 

You don't have the year FEH on your sig page and some FEH don't have a "Stop Safely Now" alert when you run out of gas like my '05 FEH. If your under the "Ford Roadside Service Plan" you can call them anytime. They towed my '05 to the nearest dealership and I called them when they opened. You can also pay to have it towed there if your not under warranty. I've ran out of gas in both my FEH and still made it to a station in EV. If you can't move the FEH and you have gas in it, you might as well have it towed so Ford can evaluate if it's covered under the Hybrid warranty or not. One thing I would try before having it towed is let the FEH cool down and try to start it after. Write down any codes and post them here for further help and recommendations.

In all cases remain calm till you try the above because it could be just a computer glitch and all you have to do is cycle the Key Off for a few minutes. I had this happen on a new '10 BMW X6 Active Hybrid last November during a BMW Hypermiling documentary.

GaryG

 

I'm ordering a relay to carry just in case. I think GaryG accidentally transposed the 8 & 9 digits. I believe the correct number is F0AZ - 14N089 - A