Very High Engine Rev for Low Speeds
 

Hi folks, having a very odd issue with my 2005 FEH w/ 99k miles.

No fault codes were displayed.

Had the power steering go out and very high engine rev problem come up around the same time. Fixed the power steering issue by buying a new PSCM.

High engine rev is still occuring, thought it was somehow tied to the power steering.

The car is having very high engine RPM's when going up to 30-40 miles per hour. Its having to get close to 4500RPM just to reach those miles, which is unlike any issue I've ever dealt with before.

Drove it last week at night time and got the STOP SAFELY NOW message when I pushed the car more than 4000RPM. Turned the car off and back on to get home.

Took it to a local mechanic, he believes that the engine is not shifting into 3rd or 4th gear. Told me to take it to Ford.

Ford spent a few days with the car and found a code related to Electronic Throttle Body. Asked for $700 for parts and labor to change it. I changed it out myself and was told that I should bring it back to Ford to be "reprogrammed."

Brought it back to Ford, and they said there was "nothing to reprogram" even though high rev issue was still there.

Not sure what else I should do now. :confused:

• MECS pump was changed
• Battery was changed last year
• No fault codes via Torque and Bluetooth OBDII adapter
• Blend Door Actuator was NOT replaced. Can this be causing the problem?

Re: Very High Engine Rev for Low Speeds
 

Get Forscan. Torque is great for what it is, but there's a lot it can't do.

Re: Very High Engine Rev for Low Speeds
 

I had a brief episode of high revs the first day it got cold here. In my case, it was unrelated to vehicle speed or throttle input. The engine would rev as I braked for a stoplight, hitting 3500 RPM as I rolled to a stop, then settling down slightly as I sat still. After it warmed up it stopped. Has not happened since.

It sounds like yours is related to engine speed and throttle input though, right? Like a slipping clutch?

Re: Very High Engine Rev for Low Speeds
 

That is caused by a cold battery being unable to accept the charge from regenerative braking while stopping. The ICE gets spun up by the MG to use the power that the battery can't accept.

Re: Very High Engine Rev for Low Speeds
 

Thanks for the input.

Got the Forscan App. Used with ELM 327 v1.5 adapter. Only code that showed up was C1524, which I think is something related to Brake Pedal calibration.

Not sure how much this is related to my issue.

I'm seriously very confused with whats happening with the vehicle. Its also odd that Ford has been incapable of figuring it out, they're telling me to bring it back when their transmission guy is back from vacation.

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EDIT: Does anyone know any reputable Ford Escape Hybrid technicians in the Los Angeles/Pasadena area?

Re: Very High Engine Rev for Low Speeds
 

Well that makes sense. But why doesn’t it do that every cold morning?

Re: Very High Engine Rev for Low Speeds
 

I have a ScanGuage and when SOC is very low it does this until it charges up a bit. Especially in reverse which is electric motor only. Hope this helps.

Re: Very High Engine Rev for Low Speeds
 

I would think a low SOC would want all the regen it could get. Maybe it was also low battery temp?

I guess I did not look at the scangage when that was going on, or I did not see anything that was a red flag. Anyone know at what point this happens? Under 40 degrees?

Re: Very High Engine Rev for Low Speeds
 

Hey everyone; just wanted to make a quick update to this post.

Here's a video of the problem happening when I was driving home around 3/4am from work. The road was on a slight incline but nothing I would necessarily call a "hill".

Video Link:
As you can see, despite giving gas and the RPM going up to 4000, the MPH simply doesn't change. At one point, it hard shifts back down to 1500RPM.

I've also decided that now is a good time to purchase a ScanGauge II, it should be coming in at the end of the week so I can see what the battery temperature/charge state is.

Re: Very High Engine Rev for Low Speeds
 

Hello everyone. Just wanted to update this thread with some ScanGauge II values.


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.gre...810f8e14be.jpg

This is after driving around town for about 20 minutes. The outdoor temperature was about 65 degrees.

I'm not sure if anything looks out of the ordinary. After comparing my results to numbers I saw in the Sticky ScanGauge Thread, these don't look out suspect. Is there any other information I can provide that would show that my Blend Door Actuator is bad or Hybrid Fans are not working?

Re: Very High Engine Rev for Low Speeds
 

41% SoC is on the low side. It shouldn't generally be that low after 20 minutes of driving unless you were being very aggressive with EV mode.

Re: Very High Engine Rev for Low Speeds
 

2 tricks I would suggest:
1) put transmission in 'L' and drive around for a while, watch your scanner to see how the regen/assist is going. It's ok to run around in L all the time, I've been doing it for over 150,000 miles and the only time I go in to 'D' is when I'm going down a long downhill and need to use regular brakes.
2) Park in an empty lot or other flat open space with the engine running, wait for it to top off the HV battery, then see how long you can run around in EV mode at low speeds (<20 mph). It should be able to run for at least a few mins without the ICE kicking in.

Re: Very High Engine Rev for Low Speeds
 

The SOC should be around 53% after driving for 20 minutes. In fact it should get there within 5 minutes of driving, depending on outside temperatures and what the SOC was when you started the vehicle. I suspect that you're encountering some form of HV battery charging issue. The cold weather will definitely mess with your SOC at startup, especially if you drained some power off (drove in EV mode) for the last mile or two before shutdown the previous night. There's something wrong if you're driving around with SOC readings that low after initial warm up.

My FEH (2005 w/230K+) will reach full SOC at 53% within 5 minutes, regardless of how low it was when I started out. It really doesn't like a cold day and SOC below 20% to start out. It will behave strangely if these parameters exist. High revving, hesitation and generally complaining about getting moving like a teenager being dragged out of bed. These symptoms all subside after about a minute and it will still reach full operating SOC within 5 minutes.

Keep in mind that an HV battery charging issue doesn't automatically mean that your battery is somehow failing. There are other factors that can interfere with HV battery charging such as battery cooling fan failure, corrosion on connectors or corrosion on the computer connectors. I suggest finding a hybrid specialist in your area to have them do a system check. Or maybe just describe what's happening and get their opinion as to whether or not it may be a charging issue.

I live in the Seattle area and we have a shop here who does HV refurbishing. These guys are experts and they often know more about these vehicles than the factory techs do.

Re: Very High Engine Rev for Low Speeds
 

Hi there everyone.

Didn't want to bump an old thread but I figured I would provide an update.

As it turns out, the catalytic converter on my 05 FEH was clogged. When I figured this out, the damage was already done.

Back pressure caused by the catalytic converter ruined the engine, I now have a very audible rod knock.

I've decided that I'm going to buy an engine here in Los Angeles, CA and replace the engine myself in my garage despite the fact that I've never done such a thing.

Salvage yard here in Los Angeles, CA area has a 06 FEH long block engine with 78k miles. Employee said its been compression tested and was working fine until the vehicle was a in rear collision. Said he doesn't have the VIN number. I'm not entirely sure what to look for when getting a used engine besides the visual stuff like no cracks or leaks on the body itself and no dents in the oil pan.

Here are some pictures of the engine itself at the salvage yard: https://imgur.com/a/g6Umb2f

Questions for you guys:

1) Based on the pictures, does the engine look like its in good condition?

2) Besides the gaskets on intake/exhaust manifold, what else should be changed or replaced? I'm thinking serpentine belt, electronic throttle body gasket, anything else?

3) Can I put an 06 FEH engine into an 05 FEH?

Thanks everyone, I know I'm in a little over my head as I have never done this but with the help of some good friends and the fact that I love this car, I think its possible for me to restore this car into good working order again.

Re: Very High Engine Rev for Low Speeds
 

Re: Very High Engine Rev for Low Speeds
 

I'm not sure that lucky is the operative word in my scenario. Nor would I call them MY trusted shop/mechanic but I see where you're coming from.

This has been a rather pain enduring and difficult journey having to deal with mechanics who have no idea what the problem is, or don't understand how to correctly diagnose the issue. Really seems to me that Ford hires incompetent mechanics here in the Los Angeles area. Had another mechanic put red coolant into my FEH that clearly doesn't take that color.

Re: Very High Engine Rev for Low Speeds