In the event you are not familiar with Willard West, he has previously admitted to being comfortable with creating fear, uncertainty and doubt about driving or owning an Escape/Mariner/Tribute Hybrid, and has no personal experience with them. SO PLEASE IGNORE HIS INTENTIONAL CONFUSION. As to the AWD capabilities of Escape/Mariner/Tribute Hybrid, here is a description from a Ford handbook referencing a 2008 model:
Intelligent 4WD System

Escape Hybrid is a front-wheel drive vehicle with available Intelligent 4WD. The Intelligent 4WD System reacts to the driver. It enhances the level of traction and control in various driving conditions. On the highway, the vehicle is driven by the front wheels for efficiency. When increased handling or traction is required, the Intelligent 4WD System actively controls power to all four wheels independently. This provides a balanced level of control.

• Automatically sends power to the wheel or wheels with the best traction
• No driver-operated switch or button, the system is automatic
• Reacts quickly to changes in road conditions, enhancing control
• The system can even sense when wheel slip might occur and will start to transfer power even before the wheels begin to slip
• Each wheel’s speed is monitored 200 times per second
• In normal conditions, the system maintains front-wheel drive

(FWD) operation

Performance and Handling

Intelligent 4WD enhances performance and handling.

• In a curve, the front wheels steer the vehicle to maintain direction, as well as propel the vehicle forward
• The Intelligent 4WD system sends power to the rear wheels, allowing the rear wheels to help propel the vehicle
• This helps improve overall handling by allowing the front tires to apply more available traction to steer the vehicle

Off-Road

When the adventure takes you off-road, traction becomes an important consideration. Gravel, sand, mud and snow all challenge a vehicle’s ability to maintain traction and control.

• Intelligent 4WD proactively compensates for these conditions, immediately transferring torque from front to rear, so all four wheels have power
• This allows the vehicle to maintain traction so the driver can maintain control throughout the off-road experience

Rain, Sleet or Snow

Weather conditions can create a slippery patch on the road surface.

• When the vehicle encounters these situations, Intelligent 4WD responds proactively within milliseconds, redirecting power to the appropriate wheels with the best traction

Normal Driving Conditions

Under normal conditions, Intelligent 4WD operates much like a front-wheel drive vehicle.

• The majority of power is sent to the front wheels
• The Intelligent 4WD system continuously monitors throttle position, steering angle and wheel speed to balance the engine’s output to the wheel(s) with the best traction

 

FEH is a 06 FWD
RX330 FWD

 

Willard West continues to post incorrect information about the FEH. He does own this vehicle. At no time could the 05-07 FEH AWD lock the rear wheels to the front as he posted. The 05-07 FEH has the same AWD system as the 08 model year. He needs to be ignored if not banned from the FEH section.

 

Steve - I was going to respond to this but I wanted to wait until I had access to the Shop Manual and could send the attachment. Others have beat me to it. [Note: I have found it best to ignore, or not read at all, any technical details posted by Mr. West wrt the FEH]

Here is the description of the Intelligent 4WD as used on '05-'08 FEH/MMH. The mention of a "4WD Indicator Light" does not apply to the hybrids... there is no indicator on the hybrids. [I think Ford was too lazy to redesign the instrument cluster to add a place for this indicator on the hybrids - if in fact hybrid system instruments ("charge-assist") were now taking the locations of the 4WD indicators on the first generation non-hybrid Escapes.]

 

You've got to be kidding me..!!!

The rear PTU is driven ONLY by the right front halfshaft.....???

After thinking about it overnight my best guess would be that this is some sort of typo or miss-statement.

The rear PTU (sometimes PTO, Power Take-Off) should/must always be driven somehow by the transaxle output. My guess in this case is that there is a sleeve shaft (surrounding the right halfshaft) that on one end is coupled to the front diff'l case/carrier and at the other drives the rear PTU (ring and pinion..??). That's the way the PTO on my '01 F/AWD RX300 works and it took me more than several "studies" of the diagram to realize that.

Does anyone read the Document any differently...??

But on other matters it appears that the rear drive electric clutch used in the previous design is now powered by a PWM, Pulse Width Modulated power output device (power transistor..??) in order to provide some linearity to its otherwise BANG-BANG, on or off, engagement. But like a any clutch that is continuosly slipping it is subject to overheating and if that begins to happen, AND AWD functionaly is still required, the system reverts to the old technique wherein the electric clutch is FULLY energized, LOCKED, to hopefully prevent further overheating.

And..pull over to the side of the road if the linear electric clutch continues to overheat even after being fully locked (due to continuing driveline windup and/or tire scrubbing..??).

Why not, instead, should the driver be aware that the OVERHEATED FEH 4WD is no longer needed, necessary, simply turn off the electric current to the rear clutch and drive away...??

Yeah, good system, that....!!

I'm now willing to lay bets that the new VSC capable F/awd system doesn't continue this design aspect.

 

Hi folks,

As a moderator, our goals are to encourage a free and open discussion by:

• minimizing SPAM or freeloader marketing
• minimizing abusive language directed at individuals

But there is a gray area when someone just rubs you the wrong way but they aren't SPAMers or abusive. For example, when I came to GreenHybrid three years ago, many well meaning Honda owners tried to offer advice about the Prius cars not realizing how different these two types of hybrids are. They honestly were trying to be helpful but didn't really understand the differences.

One approach to 'bad speech' is 'better speech.' That means researching and posting well documented facts and data. A little harder, it means finding original source material that supports your understanding as well as running 'experiments'. It takes more work but often it leads to new insights for the researcher.

Another approach is "User CP" has an option that allows you to "ignore" someone you don't care for. We had a troll several years ago, a self described "Captain" who posted every hybrid skeptic lie and falsehood imaginable. But he was 'well behaved' and wasn't selling anything but a complete fantasy. Nor was he pursaded by facts and data, he had his anti-hybrid nonsense to spread. In his case, I got a lot of relief by putting him on my "ignore" list.

One final approach is to encourage someone whose enthusiasm isn't matched by their knowledge is to invite them to forums that have more technically astute members about their favorite technology. For example, a Honda Hybrid pest should be encouraged to visit Honda Hybrid forums or a Prius pest invited to visit http://priuschat.com/, one of the more active Prius forums. Those who believe hybrid technology is less important than driving style have found a lot of like minded folks at http://www.cleanmpg.com/.

I'm known to be sometimes clever about things engineering but I've often found my opinions handed back on a platter when I try to post suggestions about other vehicles. I often learn valuable lessons but I always go there with a lot of humility and readily acknowledge my limitations. I know where my expertise lies and try to stay in areas where I can help without stumbling all over myself ... so to speak.

This posting is not a warning but instructional and hopefully will give folks insights. I'm into people being happy and sometimes that means finding new ways to learn about our marvelous vehicles and what they can do. But as a moderator, my primary goals are keeping down SPAM and keeping folks from 'going postal' with each other.

Play nice and we'll all have fun and maybe even learn something,
Bob Wilson

 

In regards to regen braking, here are some clinical data, obtained from my own vehicle, using aftermarket testing devices:

Regen brake amperage at 75 degrees OAT, and 72 degrees battery = 50.0A
Regen brake amperage at 60 degrees OAT, and 75 degrees battery = 52.0A
Regen brake amperage at 44 degrees OAT, and 72 degrees battery = 50.0A
Regen brake amperage at 33 degrees OAT, and 69 degrees battery = 49.0A
Regen brake amperage at 23 degrees OAT, and 66 degrees battery = 47.0A
Regen brake amperage at 23 degrees OAT, and 23 degrees battery = 26.0A
Regen brake amperage at 15 degrees OAT, and 69 degrees battery = 49.5A
Regen brake amperage at -15 degrees OAT, and 60 degrees battery = 42.0 A

The following actual data shows battery amps ( regen pink and assist green ) as a near linear function of battery temperature with no regard for outside air temperaure.



Sorry Willard... there is no implementation of "cold weather regen reduction".

However, since cold outside air usually means a cold battery pack, this may have lead some folks to the illusion than cold outside air reduces regen brake. IT DOES NOT. Keep your battery warm by parking indoors, or using a heater, and you get FULL REGEN BRAKE ability in the dead of the coldest winter.

There is nothing to debate. This has been proven for the 2005-2007 models and very, very likely holds true for all models of FEH.

-John
FEH Specialist

 

I don't see an obvious source on the chart for OAT, what was used..??

There are a few "unknowns" that are potentially important to understanding, validating, the chart insofar as OAT importance is concerned.

A) SOC.
B) "Pure", full throttle lift, coastdown..??
C) Brakes currently or "previously" applied..??
D) Persistence, duration, of low OAT periods.

 

Willard continues to twist and turn when confronted and fails to produce evidence at this Ford Escape Hybrid section of Greenhybrid. Will you please leave this section and do as bwilson4web suggested?

 

Billy,

Doesn't the document attacted to post #24 by GlennB pretty much verify, validate, everything I've said about the FEH F/awd system...??