What this shows is intial HV voltage=330.17 volts, then 329.16, then 328.19. In other words, no charging taking place. My guess is that the charger has an output limited to about 300 volts, so it would be useful to bring up a discharged battery.

 

Without the hybrid/navigational display unit it is difficult to tell the state of your hybrid battery charge.

I guess we need someone with this headunit and engine block heater to test this concept that an engine block heater can recharge a hybrid battery.


We can also look for ways to remove the 300volt limit(?) on the charger portion of the engine block heater.

Any thoughts?

 

I assume they ( Ford ) didin't provide any spec sheets or any specs on the box(es) the parts came in? You know, or directions for a do-it-yourself?

Maybe you could call the dealer who did the work and ask to talk to the person who did the installation?

Say "Hey, I'm curious... what does the second part that came with the block heater do?" There's a chance you'll not get a good answer, but some answer is better than none. If they say "it's a charger" because that's all the computer page they are looking at says ( and that's all it says, I've seen the screen they look at at my Ford dealer ) ask "charges which battery".
We know for sure the wires go to the rear, but see if they agree.
[Edit: actually, I know for sure wires exist that go from near the coolant / washer fluid tanks to the rear battery pack, however, I have no idea if Ford actually connected them up. I'll go take a picture of where you can look. ]

Then ask if they would check on the exact voltage and wattage the charger is capable of. They probably won't know right away, but tell them you are worried about how much wattage the "plug" will draw from the garage, since you have other "tools" plugged in. I'm 99% sure they won't know, but if they are willing to "dig" we might get answers. Thanks Bill! You have been very helpful!
-John

The bottom of the photo is the front, passenger side wall.
The cap is for the washer fluid re-fill.
There is a bolt sticking through the side wall.
The bolt (unused) you see in my photo, may have been where Ford mounted the module in your case, but I'm not sure. Did they? Did they connect those wires? One is purple ( violet ) and the other is violet-orange.

 

This may be naive, but since we know that the NiMH battery pack incorporates a heating element, could it be that this so-called "charger" that doesn't seem to charge the battery at all, is just a battery-pack heater power supply? Keeping the battery warm would serve the same purpose as keeping the ICE warm — increase its efficiency at start-up.

Stan

 

I thought the "charger" charged the 12v, and not the HV battery pack.

It was another step, to somehow divert the charge from the 12v to the HV battery, but that is not how Ford designed it (the engine block heater accessory) to work.

 

Stan, see post #6 in this thread ( by me ).

Walt, there is no connection whatsoever from the plug to the 12v side of things. The wires for sure lead to the rear of the car. What they do when they get there is still unknown. However... the Ford Wiring Guide DOES call the violet / violet orange 20 ga. wire "AC/DC converter wires".
-John

 

There would have to be some sort of voltage step up somewhere to go from 120 to 300 to charge the battery. That would almost tripple the amps coming from those small wires as, if I understand this, are connected directly to the plug (unless the step-up occurs under the hood). Less likely to be a charger and more likely to be a heater which makes sense since the purpose of the device is to heat the engine.

Cheers,

Roch

 

I believe the A/C-D/C converter is in the battery itself. Interestingly enough, the FEH parts catalog diagram only shows two items, the screw-in block heater and the wiring that connects to both the heater and the connector on the passenger side of the engine compartment.

 

It is the reverse.

3A at 120v = 1A at 360v

Thats one reason we don't have a 12v traction motor!

 

The Ford diagram I have Dated May 2007 version 19.08
shows a 120v AC plug, a 3-way Y pigtail, one wire going to a block heater, one wire going to a charger box or module, the box or module has a wire coming out that looks like it would plug into the connector near the wiper fluid re-fill in the photo posted previously.

My price for all parts and wire assemblies was quoted $239.91 on 6/19/07.
I asked them (Dealer) to print a screen shot of the parts, and they did.

PN 4M6Z-6B018-AA WIRE ASY $80.53
PN F5RZ-6A051-B HEATER ASY $45.72
PN 5M6Z-10B689-AA WIRE ASY & CHARGER $113.66