Yes, probably the HV battery doesn't need much of a charge to have enough power to turn over and start the ICE.

Your best bet may be to either figure out how to locate and then replace the bad cells in your HV battery, or get a used one off eBay. They do come up for sale regularly. And I seem to recall some YouTube videos about completely disassembling the HV battery.

 

Xspirit,

Yes I have seen a number of videos, including the one where Ford themselves took apart a New York Yellow taxi FEH HV battery with 230,000 miles on it. It was in amazing condition. I may actually end up going some version of that route some time along if I can determine there is a need to do so. The problem I have is, I had/have two perfectly good operating batteries that were allowed to go below the cutoff point due to non use for 1 and 2 to 3 years respectively. I have no expectation that they are bad. In fact I have very high expectations they are both good, just severly discarged from no use for a long period. Certainly there must be a way of testing and/or charging these?

I have been wondering lately if there is a way to use the starter generator on the FEH? I.E. the CVT tranny certainaly allows for coupling and uncoupling of the motor while not running as a normal way of operating all the time. Can I tow the vehicle and allow the generator to charge the hv battery and/or turn over the ICE to start it? I don't think it would ever free wheel in drive? Just brain storming with anyone who is willing to think outside the box. Thanks!

 

I don't think you can do anything with the eCVT unless you have a functioning HV system. I'll say again there may be software mismatches that until correction will not permit any operations.

 

lolder, I am not aware of any issues with my Escape where the HV system is not functioning properly. It is just below the allowed cut off point in HY battery charge. So why wouldn't any method to charge it like towing or spinning the wheels on a powered dyno machine, etc. to spin the motor/generator be a viable solution to potentially charge the battery? Or if there was some physical way to turn over the ICE and start it, why wouldn't it immediately start charging the HV battery. I completely understand why Ford has a low limit cut off point to keep you from draining power too low in the HV battery. But I doubt they have a cut out whereby you can't charge it back up with the ICE or motion? The booster charger has access to the HV battery to charge it.

Maybe I am approaching this whole subject to this forum all wrong? So here goes:

Does anyone know any method or precedure for charging the HV battery in a 2005 Ford Hybrid when it has not been started for 90+ days and has dipped below the lower cut-off threshold? And please disregard suggesting bringing it to Ford. I am a diehard Ford fan and have been racing Ford related vehicles since 1986. But trust me, all I am getting from Ford is the "Deer In The Headlights" look. Not really their fault. These hybrids have been so reliable that they just haven't had much experience with issues.

 

Only a functioning HVB and HV system can start the ICE. You can not tow it, spin it, coast it or get it running in any other way. The system has to be up and running. There is no way to charge the HVB in the car except with a functioning HV system and an ICE that is running. Regenerative breaking will not charge it unless the whole system is up and running.
Sorry.

 

lolder, you keep saying this but what constitutes a functioning system? I don't know how that relates to my situation. Are you saying that once the low capacity cut off is reached the system is non functioning? Why? I believe all the controls, computers, and monitors all run off the 12 volt system. So please explain why you think my system is not a functioning system. Just trying to follow your logic. For example when I turn the ignition switch on, the numerous noises under the hood of a hybrid, like brake pressure and power steering pressure are working. So what part do you think would not be functioning?

 

The high voltage system. If it was working it would start the ICE. It may not be a low level shutoff either. It could be a failure to digitally communicate over the digital data networks in the car. Everything in these cars "talks" to one another digitally all the time.

 

You know, this is exactly the same situation one would end up in if you left the FEH for a couple of months without starting it. Assuming there's nothing else wrong, that is.

A friend has a 2010 FEH. He goes abroad traveling every year, for a month or more. The hybrid battery self-discharges over time, and once when he got home the FEH wouldn't start. I don't recall if it had to be towed or was brought back to life at his place, I don't know what they did to it, and I don't know if Ford was involved. But they did resuscitate it

This can't be an unknown circumstance, so there must be people, such as an automobile club, who know how to start a "dead" hybrid.

 

It's not exactly the same thing to sit for a few months versus a few years. Why don't you ask your friend, xspirit, what he did to restore it. The likely culprit was the 12 vdc battery which is no big deal. A HVB that won't work is a big deal. If the OP put a replacement ICE in a vehicle and it wouldn't work with the HVB that came with that vehicle, he needs more help. You'll notice not many have commented about it on this forum. I would have contacted the facility in NJ or one of the used HVB outfits long ago. This problem bears little resemblance to putting a new alternator and 12 vdc battery into a vehicle and turning the key. These cars are first and foremost large, complicated computer systems and only secondary, cars.

 

I believe your ONLY !! alternative is to take it to Ford. See this: http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/sho...-major-repairs
Even then you might never be able to get the replacement ICE and transmission to work in the car you've put it in.
It would be better if you were a computer expert than a skilled mechanic. Even that probably wouldn't help as Ford will not reveal the software or other operating details of their hybrids. I think the NSA would have difficulty doing this. I'm very sorry for your predicament.