Is anyone aware of any type of steps to take IF a hybrid was rear ended -- do you do anything to the battery, disengage it, other precautions????

 

The battery pack has built in safety disconnects and will/should disengage itself if there is a short or other catastrophic damage. If the vehicle is being towed due to obvious pack or other structural damage, I would disable the pack via the service switch on the back, passenger side of the pack.

If there wasn't any pack damage and the vehicle is in drivable condition, you may still need to reset the fuel pump and battery shut-offs per the users manual. I've seen these safety devices trip on certain impacts (like a bad tire blow out for example).

You were rear-ended? Bummer.

 

No -- no accident. Actually I have ordered a MMH and am awaiting delivery the end of January or the first part of February. Just trying to educate myself before it comes. Must be all those years of working with boy scouts -- be prepared! Thanks for the information!

 

The battery pack consists of 250 "D" cell type sealed batteries, not too much different than flashlight batteries.

So there is no "acid" or anything like that to worry about.

In a really bad accident ( hopefully never ) that actually crushed the battery pack, you may have lots of little batteries short out, or sections of say 10 at a time, vs. one big one. Not sure if that is consolation or not for you. I picture it in my mind as a brick of firecrackers, vs. one single stick of dynamite. You don't want to hold either in your hand, but one is scarier than the other.

If the battery retains its shape as a whole, it should be safe, and isolate itself from the rest of the car.

These Hybrids, any hybrid, needs to follow the same crash test standards as any other car on the market. But that is rarely discussed.
-john

 

You can get the PDF version of the owners manual here if you want to read it before you get your printed copy.

https://www.fleet.ford.com/maintenan...ls/default.asp

 

Um, if the pack has obvious damage I wouldn't touch it. I think that is terrible advice. Turn off and remove the key. That is all you should do.

 

As with any accident scenario, your first instinct should be to asses the dangers, then act.

Of course, you will need to use your own judgement on the status of the pack, certainly you can just leave it alone. I, for one, understand the pack better than a non-hybrid owner would and therefore would given I feel there is no immediate danger.

Besides, if you can't open the lift-gate, I'm guessing you won't be able to get to the switch to disable the pack anyway.

These packs are designed with extensive safety precautions. If the pack has a short it will already be disabled via the internal controls, removing the service key (or whatever the orange switch/plug is called) will only add to the safety of the situation.

 

I thought the battery pack was made of some unusually (for an automobile) strong steel. Plus, it was designed to slide and rotate up, in an extremely bad rear end collision. Basically ending up flat against the rear seat backs.

Basically, one is safe, in terms of the battery pack, as long as the rear bumper doesn't end up in the rear seat.

Plus, another safety rule, don't attempt to lick any orange colored connections or wires which might become exposed, no matter how tempting.