I'd really like to hear if anyone else living in cold temps has had this problem.

Here's the what: after a week of -20C and lower the gas engine in my 07 FEH became very noisy, a quite loud growl. I took it to a dealer who after a day said, "We don't know what is going on but will ask around, so ask us in a couple of weeks about this matter." Thus, three weeks later I call and ask and am told that the it is caused by ice build up in the exhaust system of the Escape, both hybrid and norm, due to plugging of the exhaust vent by ice. They said it happens more in hybrids because of engine shut down and muffler cooling.

All they offered was that the solution was to put the vehicle in a heated garage for a couple of hours, mine isn't heated, and if I wished they'd heat mine for a couple of hours. However, warm weather arrived and the noise went away.

I asked, "So, that noise is from backpressure then?" Answer, well that and just change of internal shape and flow of exhaust, not a problem, really, they said many times, tho I kept saying, "Backpressure not a problem!?"

Another thought, isn't this a design fault? Shouldn't they fix this icing up muffler problem?

 

I am going to speculate that the excess noise is related to the hybrid battery pack attempting to warm itself thru a series of charges and discharges. This can be seen with a scanguage II unit. I have had personal experience and other posters have reported on similiar experiences.

I assume you have option 41H-engine block heater- in your vehicle with a connection to the hybrid battery heater.

and this noise does not exist after using this "hardware" on your vehicle.

OOPS! I just read your other thread and you do have an engine block heater.

 

Yes, I have the loud exhaust noise and it's much worse when the vehicle has been sitting outside and the temp is below zero F. When trying to accelerate and the rpm goes over 2000 rpm, it's almost as bad as having no muffler and embarrassing when you have passengers.

I thought it was due to the muffler hangers being too rigid in the cold. I doubt the ice in the muffler business. When it's this cold, the engine runs just as much as a non-hybrid vehicle and the exhaust will be get just as warm as a non-hybrid. I have no EV mode in the winter unless I get out on the highway for an hour.

FWIW, I think the exhaust is too loud in warm temps, let alone when it's sub zero.

 

and embarrassing when you have passengers.

Yeah I know. One especially cold eve giving a friend a lift home, "Wow, your little truck is sure noisy!"

Also, I have doubts about the 'ice clogging' too. Still, why would the exhaust become so loud?

 

Meant to add. I've sent a note to Ford Canada, asking about this problem, as well as saying, having the dealer say a 'heated garage' is the solution is not a solution. I will also add that the service dept rep told me that the 'noise problem' affected hybrid and non hybrid Escapes.

 

The issue is most likely the exhaust hangers getting too stiff in the cold. The good news is that this won't hurt anything, but the bad news is that it is not easy to fix. You could try making sure they are not "bound up" under normal conditions, but you may want to wait for a warm day to look under there.

 

I agree and suggested that earlier.

I disagree and think all you need is a softer rubber compound. I bet you could visit a large muffler shop and see if they have softer, yet durable hangers.

 

You may be right. Let us know what you find.

 

RE: rubber hangers. Thanks, and I agree, as the 'ice' in exhaust made no sense to me. It especially made no sense as when our temps recently warmed, as soon as we got close to -10C the engine sounded normal when I drove off and my thought was that at that temp ice in muffler would not have melted.

Still, the whole thing sure gives me great faith in my Ford servide folks ya think!

 

I've not heard this on my Escapes (neither the '05 nor the '09) but I *did* hear the noise on my '06 Prius.

I wondered if it wasn't a hole in the exhaust, clogged exhaust, maybe an ice-chunk caught in a hanger was knocking, or maybe a very very cold fuel pump diaphragm was just being noisy. I never did figure out exactly what caused it.

I drove a block to see if it would stop -- it didn't. I got out and crawled underneath my car to see if I could figure out what was causing it -- found nothing. I got back in and noticed that within another minute or so the sound ended and never came back again.