Does anyone know anything about installing the 110v AC outlet in the console (parts needed, job difficulty)? I have a 2005 4WD without the option, and I'd love to add it.
-- Jim Chinnis Warrenton, Virginia, USA
I am disappointed that the ignition has to be on, not just accessory, for it to have power. You could easily use the blank for a chassis mount AC outlet, wired to a $30 inverter that you can buy almost anywhere.
do the math.. suppose you're running a 75 watt appliance. With losses, that's close to 10 amps from the battery.
Imagine the dealers dealing with the complaints of run-down batteries
On the Hybrid, does the inverter run off the traction battery, or otherwise? Is there a 12v battery in addition to the traction battery? Does the Hybrid even have a "start" position on the key switch - or is it just "on"? I've never really looked at one...
Rob
How is that math any different from anyone else using a plug in inverter?
I'm not sure anyone would ever notice a run down battery. My plug in inverter sounds an alarm when the battery drops "too low", intending to leave a strong enough battery to start the car, and then it stops drawing 12v power.
In the Escape Hybrid, where the high voltage battery is used to turn the motor, there would be less demand for 12v.
arghhhh.. sorry. Dumbass me.. oughta learn to read.
Jim Chinnis wrote in part:
Uh, let me rephrase my question a bit: I assume the AC outlet draws power from the 330v battery. I'd like to install an outlet such as the one that is offered with the car as an option.
If the 12v battery is run down, the 12v battery can be charged from the 330v battery by throwing a switch. After waiting a while, the car can then be started. I don't want to do that.
-- Jim Chinnis Warrenton, Virginia, USA
That would be an interesting assumption. I wouldn't expect it to be driven from the 330v battery. The high voltage lines are bright orange, and don't enter the passenger compartment. I'll try to have a look under the dash to see if I can tell where the power comes from.
You have such a switch? Since starting is driven by the 330v battery, why would you have to wait a while? I think the 12v battery in the car could be much more depleted and still start the car, as compared to a "normal" car.
snipped-for-privacy@XReXXACXou.usenet.us.com wrote in part:
There is a bi-directional converter between the 330v system and the 12v system. So I guess drawing power while the engine is off will ultimately drain both batteries. ???
Sorry, I had that backwards. The Ford literature is confusing. It says that if the engine cranks but will not start, the 330v battery may need a "jump" charge. That is done by pressing a button behind an access panel in the driver's side footwell. That starts a charging of the 330v battery from the
12v battery which takes 8 minutes.What's confusing in the literature is that it says that the engine will not crank if the 12v battery is dead. Elsewhere it says that all engine starting is done from the 330v battery driving the electric motor which turns the engine to start it. (Ford's hybrid is apparently unique in that regard from what I have seen.)
Thanks for the comments.
-- Jim Chinnis Warrenton, Virginia, USA
Which Ford literature is that? I don't see that in the owner's guide. I usually buy the Helms shop manual for my cars, but I've delayed on the Escape. I think there were multiple >$100 editions available.
If the 12v battery were dead, and I don't know how dead is defined, the computers and ignition wouldn't work, but there is no 12v starter motor on the Escape, as fas as I know. There is one on the Civic Hybrid, but it's only used when the IMA battery is low.
snipped-for-privacy@XReXXACXou.usenet.us.com wrote in part:
The Owner's Guide, p234-236 in my copy. Look under "Jump Starting the High Voltage Battery." This is in the section titled, "Roadside Emergencies."
Right.
-- Jim Chinnis Warrenton, Virginia, USA
Wow. How did I miss that yesterday, searching the pdf for "battery"? Maybe I searched for "charging". Oh, well. I actually remember reading it in the printed copy, noiw that I've refreshed my memory.
"If you attempt to start your vehicle and the engine cranks but does not "start, the high voltage battery may need to be jump started."
That certainly suggests that there is a conventional 12v starter in there. I thought not.
Normally, I suggest searching the pdf for specific items, but I guess I failed this test ;-(
What was I thinking? If the 330V battery is too low to spin the engine, you can charge it from the
12v battery. There is no 12v starter in the Escape Hybrid.MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.