You are confusing two different concepts there. Electric assist and EV mode are not the same thing. You might not be in EV mode if you accelerate too hard, but you are still getting electric assist from the electric motor.

 

I have been using Forscan for years. Always had connection issues. The best way I have found to use it is to get the hardwired USB cable listed on the Forscan site.
I also bought a 20-ft USB extension cable. This lets me use the desktop PC I keep in the garage.

For the OP, I also recommend buying a ScanGage. It will give you 4 realtime gages of your choice. Mine right now shows instant MPG, SOC, Battery voltage, and water temp.
It will also scan for codes, which is handy when that wrench light comes on while you are driving. Read the code, use your phone to find out what the code means, then clear the code with the ScanGage.

My 2008 has a battery that is well past the Use By date. Max SOC is 54%. If it sits overnight it can drop to 20%. If I don't drive it for 2 days it will drop below 10%. On the 3rd day it might not start. If I go on vacation I have to get a family member to drive it every other day for me..

 

Scangauge is really old school from the days when android phones/tablets weren't plentiful. A $20 BT OBDII w/ torque on an old phone or android radio beats it any day. The cheapest scangauge is like $170.

I don't see the needle in assist either tho.

 

I wish I had some sort of code so I know where to look. I get into EV just fine, just very slow acceleration to get to 15-20 mph. My issue is I'm not getting proper assist, it'll charge instead of going to assist when gunning it. If my readings are correct, my battery seems to be healthy. I wonder if other factors are in play here. I get a front clicking sound as I turn left and sometimes as I turn right. Indicative of a bad CV joint or axle. I haven't noticed any tears or grease though and I just had my mechanic change out my wheel bearings 2 months ago and he hasn't noticed anything amiss. I wonder if that would have any effect as there might be an issue transferring power to the wheels.

 

I'm sorry to say but a bad CV joint or axle would not cause the hybrid system to change its behavior and stop the traction motor assist. Your car is 16 years old and it sounds like you will need a new battery soon, and at least one CV joint. I'm guessing there is nothing you can do to your car that will help the existing battery. You can keep running the car until it begins to not start, but I think your battery is defunct. EV mode is relatively *low* power and therefore low current draw. Assist to highway speeds takes a lot more current and more horsepower and that's where your car is balking. It will run in low-power EV mode, but when you ask it for more the battery cannot deliver the current to supply serious amounts of power through the traction motor. So it tries to recharge. In that sense it's like a regular old 12V battery that has reached the end of its life: it'll run the car's electrical system while the alternator is charging it. One morning you get in and try to start the car and the battery cannot supply enough current to engage the starter motor solenoid and run the starter motor. Click, click, click. Time for a new battery.

You'll notice that we don't have many '05 owners who post updates about their cars any longer. The batteries reach end of life and the system tries to keep going as long as it can, but eventually they all gradually degrade and stop working. It's a good time to start investigating either a new (used) battery or selling the car. I think you're working under the common misconception that "rechargeable battery" means "it lasts forever." They don't. Sorry for the Debbie Downer response.

 

I have another post I think it was cached but also: CV joint noise happens whether they're leaking or not. If they're the original joints, at 16 years old (and we don't know how many miles) it's a good bet that at least one of them (most likely outer driver's side but you have to check them both, as the suspension compresses in a turn sometimes it can be the opposite side that takes the most) is worn out. They wear internally, the boot does not have to be torn or leaking. Your mechanic would not necessarily notice anything two months ago. Once they wear to a certain point, they start to click, and after a while they go bang and shatter. Usually at the end they give a little more warning and the clicking gets louder and "notchier" but sometimes not. I've lost a couple of halfshafts this way on various cars over the years. You don't want them to shatter - the halfshaft tears itself loose and bangs around like a bowling ball in a washing machine, damaging everything it hits.

Your car may not ever throw a code, or at least not for a while still. If the battery voltage is above 300 - even if the SoC is barely above 0% - that is enough to start the ICE and the system will attempt to keep the car running and charge the battery using the ICE+motor generator and regnerative braking. It does not tell you: "This battery is worn out" - it just tries to keep moving. You say you are new to Hybrids but you have an old Hybrid and at 16 years old, defunct HV batteries are commonplace. Particularly if you bought the car used after several owners and you do not know the maintenance history and live in a hot climate.

 

The only other thing I can think of is take it to S Keith in Arizona or find a shop that really knows the car and have them try to diagnose the lack of assist. It's either the battery or the traction motor/transaxle itself. Neither is fun. I think if it was the motor you would see codes.

 

His SOC is excessively high though. Car is charging up and not using the battery. Avg of 70s. I wouldn't change the CV until you figure that part out. Dunno what else, update the PCM?

 

Yeah. That bothers me too. I don't know what to make of that at all. He got the high SoC of 80%+ after running Battery Rebalance on FORScan which he reported terminated *early* at 13 minutes. Mine took 23 minutes. It's supposed to charge that battery to a high state of charge and then gradually BRING IT DOWN to normal before terminating. I don't think that happened on his car. For some reason, he seems to be able to get current/voltage into the battery, but not out of it. And even though it ended quick, it didn't show any error messages!

So the system thinks it's 'nominal' but the energy is almost a 1-way street.

Ford dealer? New BCM? I'm totally stumped.

 

I wonder how many updates there are to the PCM. I'm curious comparing my specs and software versions to yours Shady. Attached is the PCM,TCM and BCM information along with my last Forscan analysis. It should be noted that this is a previous government vehicle. I don't think it has seen the dealership as most work is done through their own city yards. Its very possible some updates are needed.