fbov

Ford's battery defects showed up in the Escape Plug-in, not the Hybrid.

Here's my data, display vs pump mileage. Display is ~5% high. Yours sounds similar. There's supposed to be an adjustment in "engineering mode" but that's not available with the new diagnostic system. Perhaps through ForScan?

Yep; you've got displays I don't. Based on what you say, is this right? - you started with full HVB, so 56 mile range - you drove 10 miles, expected 46 miles left - you found the range was now 42 miles, 75% of starting range, but only 4 miles short of expectation. It sounds like AC cool-down of a hot car cost you 4 miles, about 800 Wh if you're getting 200 Wh/mile. Driving an average of 30 mph, 10 miles is a 20 minute trip, so: 800 Wh / 1/3 hr. = 2400W, 2.4kW to run AC on high. It will be interesting to see if this is consistent, or varies with the weather/pre-heating As to displays, I have numeric power displays that I don't see on the right side of yours. Mine also has a circular bar for the total power, color coded by source, similar to the speedometer's rim. You too?

That's my bet. I had a rear caliper problem that warped the rotor. It made the brakes feel like they failed, a "dead zone" as you suggest.

That's a plug-in report I assume?

True.

I expect the same timing. This is only an early warning; if you get 5 minutes, there's nothing to worry about. If 2 minutes, you've been warned. BTW climate matters... "Rule of Thumb: A general rule of thumb for a vented lead-acid battery is that the battery life is halved for every 15°F (8.3°C) above 77°F (25°C). Thus, a battery rated for 5 years of operation under ideal conditions at 77°F (25°C) might only last 2.5 years at 95°F (35°C)."

Yes. @SnowStorm just measured the sequence. Timing the shut-off period has been used as a measure of 12v battery condition. Good is ~10 min., as reported above. Get down to 2 minutes and it's time to replace.

Glad to hear there was a root cause for the major issues. I use Tire Rack reviews for things like rolling resistance, but I find their latest on the MaxLife has no mention of rolling resistance. That's not good, even if the tire fairs quite well in the objective testing. https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=265 Looking at the specs, I see an 11/32" tread depth. Michelin Energy Savers tread is 9.5/32". This matters because a thicker tread is harder to bend, so has greater rolling resistance. However, as a newer tire, I'd expect the MaxLife is a LRR design. This test includes the Energy Savers... in 2009. Very interesting variation in results.... https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=121 Finally, give them time. This data's from the new Escape, but the pattern is consistent. Mileage data is noisy, even if you control for things like speed and temperature. I will note that the car's rolling resistance is easy to measure. - find a paved surface that transitions from flat to hill - find the location on that surface where the car will just barely stay put, not roll - measure the angle of the surface. The Tangent of that angle is the rolling resistance. The easy way is to measure the angle in radians, which is ~= tangent for small angles like this. Put a bubble level on a meter stick, hold it level with one end on the ground. Measure the distance from the ground in millimeters. That's the RR. You want less than 0.010, I got 0.007 for my C-Max. I need to measure the Escape before the OEM tires die.

Very little information here... what car/year/model do you have? You talk about a cord and charging, so a C-Max Energi perhaps? The Energi defaults to Hybrid operation if you don't plug it in, so it's unlikely this is the HVB but rather the 12v battery. The kicker is you can jump it, just like any car with a dead battery. Have the 12v battery checked out. They do fail based on time and environment (hotter is shorter life). 2 years in AZ will do it, we get 8+ years on the Northern border.

Regen braking?

How? I use throttle to 0/0/0 the wattage display. You used to use the shifter in Mad Max, IIRC, which is problematic in Escape. Mine wants confirmation, has a "Neutral Tow" option. Which tires? Ecopia's are rated to 41 psi.

Escape has liquid cooling for the HVB. My hybrid's is smaller, yet seems bigger. I credit cooling.

It's about time, wouldn't you say? Now we need a Mad Max closeout report. Good idea to wait a little on modifications. I expect the plug-in may behave differently, but I found the Escape handling put the C-Max to shame, mostly due to stickier tires. I have Ecopia 442 on 19's, what's on your 18's? Check your math, that doesn't add up... and my marginal rate is $0.08/kWh. IIRC, C-Max plug-in had a segregated battery, using all the capacity when running as an EV, but only part of the HVB in hybrid mode. Might it be hiding? Alternatively, it might be too small. From 60 mph, you'd only fill the hybrid battery ~25%. See what a really long hill does.

Now, it's days....

I see C-Max engine braking as similar to a diesel's engine braking, which is commonly used enough to have "No Engine Braking" signs. Not a reliability concern, even if it's obnoxious. The Escape has a similar HVB cutoff, but it switches to what I suspect is a resistive load. Regen drops from up to 35kW to 20kW when the HVB is full. And I still go with the data that says the oil pump makes a difference in reliability. Problems can have multiple solutions.

Arranging your financing for late August is sure to bring it in mid-month!

Thank you for the support you are able to provide.

There's a cure for that...

That's odd... your manual says otherwise. Look under "recreational towing." "Can I tow the hybrid behind my motor home with all four wheels down? Yes. Your hybrid vehicle can be flat towed without modification. See Towing (page 182)."

Don't discount the benefit of warm weather. Your EV range should peak when it's in the mid-70's, and drop severely once you use heat, since it's an electric heater in the Energi.

Note: There's a nearly identical post in the Escape Forum.

Rear brakes were my one sore point, too. I understand rear wear, given regen only works on the front axel. But I had a bad caliper on the passenger side that the dealer missed at 50K miles, so I had a shop fix it when it failed again at 55K miles. My symptoms included an odd loss of braking coming to a stop. Regen braking needs speed to work, so we all stop using friction brakes. The fake brake failure occurs at this transition, because the bad caliper warped the rotor, which pushed the brake pads back. That caused a delay in braking force, which feels like you lost the brakes.

Do you have an another key? You'll need an unprogrammed or "administrator" key to change anything: "Any keys that have not been programmed are referred to as administrator keys or admin keys. These can be used to: • create a restricted key • program optional MyKey settings • clear all MyKey features." From there, it's as simple as: "You can clear the programming while you create a MyKey or use an admin key to clear the restrictions. When you clear the restrictions, you return the key to its original admin key status. To clear your MyKey, use the information display to do the following: 1. Access the main menu and select Settings, then MyKey. 2. Scroll to Clear All and press the OK button. 3. Hold the OK button until ALL MYKEYS CLEARED displays"