Playing with a sick Ford Escape hybrid...

[Externet]

Hi all.
This 2006 vehicle shuts off by itself showing "overheating" on the dash
I will have to dig deeper on which cooling system is failing
Cannot tell if it is the battery cooling, or the engine cooling, or the electric motor cooling yet
Chances are some electrical coolant pump for the electrical system died.
'Made in Phillippines' sticker on the electrical harness makes me think
There is no thermometer on the panel
The voltmeter for the 'assist' battery shows half way, but no Volts
Reading articles on the web, I believe my 'standard' OBDII reader will not display the error codes
Reading the owner's manual; got really scared at the complexity of everything.
Computer controlled brakes and steering too
I am NOT buying one of those hybrid things, no way.

As last resource, what to do with a 300V/6A NiMH battery pack ? Too big to make an electric motorcycle

I ran out of --->
Miguel

[CeaSaR]

Miguel,

Does the vehicle beep? Apparently the Escape will beep the codes instead of flashing a light.
See this forum for an idea on how to get some information from the vehicle without the OBDII reader.

Good luck,

CeaSaR

[Externet]

Hello Ceasar.
No code beeps other than assumed typical chimes for 'door ajar' ; hood ajar' ; 'seat belt unhooked' shown on a text display.

I have to learn much more to attempt finding problems. The airbag was deployed, who knows if that prevents it from performing. Have to study the service manual first, it has to be of brutal complexity. If I do not know how it works, I cannot fix it. Pressing the throttle, does not rise rpm much... another feature ? I suspect things like with a door/hood/belt open, its compfuser prevents many things. First I will tackle the temperature warning.

Miguel

[CeaSaR]

Was the airbag reset/re-installed by the dealer yet? I think that most of what you are dealing with
can be taken care of by a dealer moreso than by a private individual. I know that defeats the purpose
of DIY, but when it involves "crash" repair (presumably the reason the airbag was deployed), most
times it is best to let the real professionals take care of it. They at least have the insurance to save
them should anything else happen as a result of the repairs.

Wish I could be more helpful,

CeaSaR

[L. Daniel Rosa]

Please, stop playing with it. From my job as an "emissions inspector" (tailpipe sniffer, long ago) I learned that Fords have suicidal engine computers. Couple this with steer by wire and driving becomes a criminal act of premeditated recklessness with chance of murder.

BTW, I wonder what "hybrid" means to them anyway. A couple of months ago I witnessed one idling in a parking lot for 15 minutes.

[dacflyer]

did i read right,, you said the battery pack was 300 v @ 6A ?????? or 600A ?

[haklesup]

I read somewhere that Escapes before 2008 had a problem with a current sense resistor overheating. The computer would sense this then shut down the engine as soon as the driver could stop requiring a tow to get it home. This was a covered recall and should be easily fixed by the dealer. Most Escapes have a 7 year warrany (10 in CA) this problem should be covered. Stop messing with it and bring it to a dealer, they are the only ones qualified to work on it.

[Bob Scott]

BTW, I wonder what "hybrid" means to them anyway. A couple of months ago I witnessed one idling in a parking lot for 15 minutes.

AHA! So that's how Ford's "Hybrids" work! When the owner isn't looking, the thing charges its own batteries with its own portable generator!

[Externet]

Well, I played a little more today and got embarrassed, Very. The front bumper being plastic, was hiding one of the 3 radiators (engine, electric system and airconditioning) broken by a mild crash. Ordered a new one, should take care of the overheating. The coolant reservoir showed normal level. Well, stained to normal level; appeared filled from the outside. More embarrassment.
Those bumpers just bounce back after the damage is done, wrongly asumming everything is fine behind
It is a very good condition, complete 'discarded' car at a good friend's wreckyard, am repairing it as a sport and fun. Spliced solder/shrink over a dozen wires in the instrument panel someone cut instead of unplugging Controls work fine now
Yes, traction battery pack is 300V 6A NiMH per the manual, about 3' x 2' x 6" and I have another Escape 2008 battery pack in my hands, and a Prius one too. if I find what to use them for.
There is also some water cooled switching power supply in it that converts the 300 V into 14V for the 'normal' auxiliary battery. Another charges the traction battery from regeneration; I have not found yet if there is a module that makes the 300V three phase? speed control AC. Will see, some nice hackable modules, a CVT where the electric motor resides...
Suggestions for any interesting project ?

https://www.fleet.ford.com/showroom/200 ... _FINAL.pdf

----> http://z.about.com/d/alternativefuels/1 ... motor2.jpg
----> http://z.about.com/d/alternativefuels/1 ... motor1.jpg
----> http://www.hybridcars.com/gallery/22070/photo

[haklesup]

Suggestions for any interesting project ?

Windmill!

As for the other batteries, if they are still good, they would form the basis of a battery upgrade needed to go plug in hybrid.

ford publishes a detailed wiring diagram for that vehicle. I got my copy (2008) on eBay (search escape wiring diagram, I see one now <$10 incl shipping). It shows all the modules, the pin names and corrisponding wires and connectors etc. Many of the module illustrations contain schematic like block diagrams where simple but the complex modules do not have schematics.

You can't use ODBII because the Escape uses the CAN bus. I don't have a CAN bus reader either but if I were to get one, I would get a PC interface (to USB), you have more choices for the GUI this way and more flexibility, just less portability.

Furthermore, there are 2 CAN busses onboard. The High speed CAN bus is all the systems critical stuff under the hood and safety restraints. The medium speed CAN bus is all the stuff on the dashboard and outside/inside lighting. The HSCAN bus is ported in the ABS Test connector under the hood, the MSCAN bus is somewhere below the dashboard.