A/C not keeping engine on?
 

I have a 2006 escape hybrid, up until this week the engine would turn on if A/C or defrost was on. However, it seems that is no longer the case. Twice now I've been driving and have come to a stop, then the engine shuts off and won't start even when switching to A/C or defrost.

Also it's happened where the engine has shut off when I already had the A/C on....

Has anyone experienced this?

Re: A/C not keeping engine on?
 

Has to be "MAX A/C" or defrost, right?

Manual says "... the engine will typically run continuously..." in those modes, which kind of implies the engine may not always run. Might be some other conditions present that cause it to turn off, don't know.

But, in my very limited experience, the engine has always been running in those two settings. I guess that probably doesn't help you very much.

Re: A/C not keeping engine on?
 

Yes, Max A/C doesn't turn the engine on. None of the 'Red' settings....

Up until now it's always started the engine switching to those settings.

Re: A/C not keeping engine on?
 

I live in a cold climate and mine does the same thing when it is cold. The AC compressor won't run in cold weather to prevent damage, so the logic seems to take this into account.

Re: A/C not keeping engine on?
 

That is correct; the AC does not run regardless of the climate setting if the temperature is below 32 or 33 (not sure which) degrees F.

Re: A/C not keeping engine on?
 

Thanks for the info! Glad to hear my FEH isn't broke.

Kinda stinks that the heat cuts out to nothing but cold air when I stop. When it's -20 Celsius out its a real... Pain. We've had -55 Celsius with windchill here before so I'm disappointed to hear that I can be without heat and there's no way to keep the ICE on when stopping.

Re: A/C not keeping engine on?
 

There is a separate electric water pump to circulate water through the heater when the engine is not running. Sounds like yours is not working.

Re: A/C not keeping engine on?
 

Wait... are you saying that there's supposed to be heat available when the ICE is off?

I've only owned my FEH for less than a year and the whole time if the ICE is off, then there's no heat available... just outside temp.

There should be heat?

Re: A/C not keeping engine on?
 

There should be heat, although as the coolant temp falls with the ICE off it becomes pretty weak. But then when the coolant temp falls low enough, the ICE will restart anyway.

Re: A/C not keeping engine on?
 

Right. The FEH has 3 water pumps. One is mechanical and runs off the engine belt drive, one is electric and cools the electrical devices like the DC-DC converter and the third serves the cabin heater when the engine is not running. As long as the engine is hot, you should get heat.