Here's a "what if" question regarding main battery failure

[D Janke]

Hello everyone,
I had a friend ask me this question, and frankly I do not know the answer, so I thought I'd throw it out there.
"If" the main hybrid battery were to fail, does that immediately disable the truck?
Or, are you able to run via the gas engine side of things, to at minimum get to a dealer or a safe place?

Any input appreciated, thank you!

Sponsored

 

[HeyBales]

Depends on the failure exactly.

There is a list of DTC's regarding the main battery or the charging system to it - some are get service or limp mode, some are pull over now.

I don't recall any being disable truck and leave you in the middle of the highway for instance.

But depending on what you have running while driving - if no power from the HVB - your 12VB ain't powering things for very long - so better get over quick!

 

[icegradner]

If the hybrid battery pack can no longer supply the required voltage to the electric motors, you aren’t going anywhere fast, that much will be true. The HVB is used to power the motor that turns over the ICE (there is no alternator), so if it decides to shut down, you are dead with no way to start it again. The gas engine would feel very anemic without the electric boost, if the computer will even let you.

Given that Ford’s system is similar to Toyotas, in a mechanical sense, and some of them can drive with a dead HVB, and others cannot. I haven’t read enough about other Ford hybrids to know. Might be worth looking into Escape Hybrids, since they have a much longer history.

Sponsored