Originally Posted by ShadyEscape

One of the PIDs tells you how far the voltage in the cells is out of balance. Rmode seems to get it down under .5v and then stops.

Originally Posted by zeerok

We purchased a 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD about 6 months ago; it’s our family’s only vehicle and we really like it as an all-around city and fun-in-the-mountains vehicle. I like the way the eCVT drives around town, on the logging roads, and in the snow.

When we bought it, we knew it had the wrench light and needed some TLC. I got a scan tool, found errors for the blend door motor, both battery cooling fans, and DTC P0A27-60 (Battery Power Off Circuit). Thanks to the great info that has been posted on these forums and some youtubes, I successfully replaced the cooling fans and the blend door motor myself. We have come to discover that mechanics in the Seattle area know nothing about the battery cooling system in these Ford Escapes, even mechanics that say they specialize in hybrid vehicles, so owning one of these vehicles seems to require a little DIY know-how to keep them running optimally.

Anyway, I was hoping that getting the battery cooling system in good working order would address the P0A27 error, but it persists. The wrench light comes on after a long-ish drive with stopping-and-going when the hybrid system is doing its thing, then stays on for the remainder of the drive until the vehicle cools down completely. The P0A27 is the only code present now. Other than that, the vehicle seems to drive pretty well, it goes into EV mode and has been getting about 26 MPG in the drizzly 40-degree winter weather here in Seattle, and with a small cargo box mounted on the roof.

I’ve read about the recall and installation of the battery harness related to the P0A27 error. I’m not completely sure if this vehicle has had the recall work done (the dealers won’t return our phone calls), but I think it has because:
a) The error is activating the wrench SERVICE SOON light and not the red triangle STOP SAFELY NOW light; the red triangle is the symptom listed on the recall.
b) When I replaced the battery cooling fans, I hadn’t researched the battery harness thing yet and wasn’t specifically looking for that, but I did take some photos. Based on those photos, I think I can see the thick foam wrapped around one end of the harness connected during the recall work; see photos below.

Now some questions:

1) Has anyone had the P0A27 error come up with the recall fix having been done long ago? If so, does replacing the battery service harness with a new one fix the issue? I found this topic about installing the harness, but in the comments others have pointed out that this person’s battery already had the harness installed, and it’s unclear whether replacing it again fixed the error code.

2) Can anyone confirm that the recall work has been performed on this vehicle based on the P0A27 error triggering the wrench rather than the triangle, and the photos below?

3) Any leads on getting the replacement harness kit 7M6Z-14A303-B? I found one on ebay for $75, but that seems a bit steep.

4) Could this error be impacting the gas mileage or have other consequences besides the annoying wrench light? Our mileage isn’t horrible but isn’t the 30-35 MPG that seems possible with this vehicle (4WD version). This is from a mix of short and long trips, about 2/3 city and 1/3 highway per tank and very little AC/defroster usage. I understand that the cargo box reduces mileage, and we haven’t yet driven it around in the summer with a functioning battery cooling system. Maybe this will improve when the weather warms up. Curious what fuel economy others are getting on on a 2007 FEH 4WD, now that they are getting up there in age.

Thanks in advance!


Ok just spit balling here. Do you have any confirmation with 100% certainty that this package was not tampered with before, or any proof that this battery was not a salvage yard pack?

If someone stuck a 2008 in this 2007, there’s a difference in bcm’s between the years even though they both retain the jump starter. If that happened it would give it this symptom.

with original fan still installed

with fan removed

Originally Posted by dirt657

Ok just spit balling here. Do you have any confirmation with 100% certainty that this package was not tampered with before, or any proof that this battery was not a salvage yard pack?

If someone stuck a 2008 in this 2007, there’s a difference in bcm’s between the years even though they both retain the jump starter. If that happened it would give it this symptom.

Originally Posted by zeerok

The quoting on the previous reply ended up a little weird, but I think I captured your comment here:
Thanks for the info, I see the identifier 7M64 on my battery case which, based on your other post, indicates a 2007 battery which matches my vehicle. I guess I have no way to verify if the battery has been tampered with. When I bought the vehicle at 140K miles, both battery fans were dead and when I replaced them, the existing foam and zip ties were intact, so it seems like no work was ever done on the battery before I bought it, except maybe installation of the recall wiring harness.

Originally Posted by dirt657

pop the cap off and look at the ECU. Take a pic of it.

Originally Posted by zeerok

I was finally able to run the battery re-balancing procedure to successful completion; it required Goldilocks temperature conditions: A sunny day that heated up the battery to the minimum 59F needed to run the procedure, while the ambient temperature in the evening was 50F so that the battery wouldn’t heat up enough to trigger the P0A27 error during the procedure. I ran it in the evening on a day when it sat parked all day.

Not sure if completing the balancing procedure made any discernible difference, although I think I have noticed more regen action on the charge/assist gauge during braking.

The P0A27 error is still a mystery. The High Voltage battery on this 2007 still seems to be in good condition otherwise, despite evidence of the previous owner seriously neglecting the battery cooling system (you wouldn't believe what the the battery filter looked like when I first opened it up, plus both cooling fans were dead). I see some Battery Control Modules on ebay for under $100. Maybe someday when I have the inclination I'll buy one of those and go through the fun of opening up both battery covers without a lift and replacing the BCM.