Any Non-Energi owners try trickle charging their batteries?

[Sky14FFH]

I was considering getting a solar trickle charger or just connecting the fusion to a battery charger to top off the battery overnight. It seems the fusion learns where I live and uses up the battery before I get home depending on driving patterns. (Think I read this in the owner's manual or info in the menus). Anyway, can a battery charger top it up so you can start with a fully charged battery and get about a mile or so before the engine starts up?

Edited July 20, 2017 by Sky14FFH

[lolder]

Whenever the ICE is run the system tries to do it the most efficiently. The ICE often runs in the morning to warm some things up and do some tests. This causes little load on the ICE and is inefficient. The system runs the HVB SOC down approaching home so they can charge it in the morning and make that first ICE run more efficient. You can't charge the HVB with an external charger in the hybrid.

[Griswald]

A trickle charger wouldn't do any good, as it only charges the starting battery.

[ptjones]

A trickle charger wouldn't do any good, as it only charges the starting battery.

I'm assuming that " Starting Battery" you mean starting the Computers so the HVB can start the ICE if it needs too. :) CMAX forums have members using Solar Power to trickle charge the 12v battery to keep it from going dead. :)

 

Paul

[lolder]

I know. Sky14FFH thought charging the 12 v would get him an extra mile in the morning.

[ptjones]

I know. Sky14FFH thought charging the 12 v would get him an extra mile in the morning.

LOL I don't think so, maybe a month. :)

 

Paul

[Sky14FFH]

I know. Sky14FFH thought charging the 12 v would get him an extra mile in the morning.

I didn't think that, I asked IF it can and has anyone tried it. I'm not asking for speculation just whether there have been attempts. By starting battery he means the one in the trunk. Look behind the left panel.

Can tell you guys are not big DIYS, I'm new to the forum but in previous car forums I've been in that's what they've been for.

 

Could you define your acronyms? What do ICE, HVB and SOC stand for?

CMAX forums have members using Solar Power to trickle charge the 12v battery to keep it from going dead. :)

Why do they need that, have their 12v batteries been going dead?

Edited July 20, 2017 by Sky14FFH

[Sky14FFH]

delete

Edited July 20, 2017 by Sky14FFH

[murphy]

Could you define your acronyms? What do ICE, HVB and SOC stand for?

 

ICE Internal Combustion Engine

HVB High Voltage Battery

SOC State Of Charge of the HVB

[lolder]

Many of us are DIYs but you can't do it on the hybrid car systems for several reasons; it's dangerous and it's all computer controlled and Ford does not reveal the code. The 12 v battery is charged from the HVB by a one-way DC to DC converter. You can not charge the 12 v battery and have that energy go to the HVB which can move the car with one of the big electric motors. In the non-plug in hybrids the only way the HVB can be charged is by the ICE running or regenerative breaking. There are emergency HVB low charge safeguards that automatically disconnect it so it can never discharge completely. The HVB is the only source of energy to start the ICE through a second motor. If the HVB ever completely discharged, you would have to be towed only to a Ford dealer and he would probably have to order a special HVB charger from Ford to do it. We have not heard of this situation occurring so I guess the safeguards are good. The hybrid drive system is unlike past car systems that you could work on yourself. The transmission is all one unit and includes non-shifting reduction and differential gears and water cooled high power electronics that control two large 3 phase high voltage motor/generators. A shop specializing in hybrid transmission overhaul could probably work on it but the transmissions should last past the life of the car and other than some manufacturing defects in 2013-14 FFH's ans C-Max's there have been few failures so there has not been a big aftermarket repair industry growth. Many cars are still under the 8/100,000 hybrid warranty.

[ptjones]

Back in 2013-15 while FORD was trying to figure out 12v dead battery problems owners were using trickle chargers including Solar Powered ones to try from having dead 12v battery problems. ;(

 

Paul

[Sky14FFH]

Many of us are DIYs but you can't do it on the hybrid car systems for several reasons; it's dangerous and it's all computer controlled and Ford does not reveal the code.

You do not need "code" to transfer electricity through metal. Refueling and using gasoline is dangerous. Driving down the road is dangerous especially with all the texters these days. In order to ease communication please consider not using the acronyms to describe everyday things. Instead of ICE please consider using "engine". Instead of HVB please consider using "hybrid battery". Instead of "SOC" please consider using "charge". Acronyms overcomplicate (encode) things that do not need to be encoded.

In the non-plug in hybrids the only way the HVB can be charged is by the ICE running or regenerative breaking.

No kidding. If you have time to type out what every hybrid owner has known since 2001 using the common terms for common things will not take you much more time.

If the HVB ever completely discharged, you would have to be towed only to a Ford dealer and he would probably have to order a special HVB charger from Ford to do it.

That's not likely because you can charge the hybrid battery by idling the engine in park. If the engine shuts off you just depress the accelerator and the engine will continue to run and charge at about 2000rpms.

A shop specializing in hybrid transmission overhaul could probably work on it but the transmissions should last past the life of the car and other than some manufacturing defects

The last time I took it in the dealer said I am due for a transmission fluid change. Is there any risk in trusting the average dealer to do this? I never had a problem with the transmission but I did once take it in for a recall. They said they replaced some bolts on it.

 

As far as DIYS goes, to put it in perspective, many owners of the last Ford I owned (and still own going on 18 yrs few minor problems) modified their air intake, put resistors on the appropriate wires to fool computer into using a slightly better fuel mixture to give it more power, disconnected knock sensors that served little purpose other than limiting the throttle at high rpms, put turbos on their cars (yes I know it would be ridiculous to put an aftermarket turbocharger on a hybrid but I bet 10 years from now someone will do it), used chips to give the engine slightly more power or fuel economy etc... On Current Focus and Fiesta STs they are still doing it. https://youtu.be/ZSaZarK1XS0?t=15s You know little tweaks and hacks.

Edited July 22, 2017 by Sky14FFH

[Sky14FFH]

Back in 2013-15 while FORD was trying to figure out 12v dead battery problems owners were using trickle chargers including Solar Powered ones to try from having dead 12v battery problems. ;(

 

Paul

Strange. What was the problem? Were they able to get the problem solved under warranty? I sure wish I had kept the business card of the Ford Hybrid engineer I met at the green fair. He was interested to know how I was able to get my lead acid battery to last over 10 years. He would have been helpful with these questions.

[lolder]

Point by point:

The acronyms for hybrids have been around since 2001 also and this is an old forum.

The several hundred 3 phase volts in the car are a little different from "transferring electricity through metal" and yes this is all done with "code".

If the HVB is "completely" discharged, as I said, it will not start the ICE to charge the HVB.

In the 2010-12 Owners Guide Maintenance schedule there is no mention of transmission fluid change up to 150,000 miles.

Doing any DIYS modifications such as suggested is a very bad idea. These cars are delicate compromises.

Just trying to be helpful.

[Sky14FFH]

Doesn't the 12v battery start the engine? If not what is it for? Please consider not using the acronyms so that newcomers to the website do not have to find out what they mean. That's if you wish to be helpful.

[aschulz261]

No, the 12V battery does NOT start the engine. The HVB does through 1 of the motor/generators.

 

If you are asking what the 12V battery is there for, it does EVERYTHING a 12V battery does in every other car EXCEPT run the starter motor, including powering the electronics that control the high voltage part of the drivetrain. If the 12V battery goes dead, the car can't start because the electronics won't power up.

 

I don't understand your obsession with avoiding acronyms. If I understand you right, you want the hundreds of users of this forum to change their means of communication to accommodate a newcomer. How about you spend some time learning what these acronyms mean and join US in the conversations.

[Texasota]

I don't understand your obsession with avoiding acronyms. If I understand you right, you want the hundreds of users of this forum to change their means of communication to accommodate a newcomer. How about you spend some time learning what these acronyms mean and join US in the conversations.

 

Excellent point. Here is a thread that explains most of the acronyms commonly used on this forum:

 

http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/topic/6885-acronym-decoder/?p=55927

[ptjones]

Strange. What was the problem? Were they able to get the problem solved under warranty? I sure wish I had kept the business card of the Ford Hybrid engineer I met at the green fair. He was interested to know how I was able to get my lead acid battery to last over 10 years. He would have been helpful with these questions.

I would recommend you go to the 12v Battery threads on this forum to get that info. :) BTW the lowest I have ever seen the HVB state of Charge(SOC) has been 27% on my ScanGauageII and it struggled starting the ICE. If your HVB is 32% SOC or less the ICE automatically starts first when turning on the car. :)

 

Paul

[Cobra348]

... <snip> ... In order to ease communication please consider not using the acronyms to describe everyday things. Instead of ICE please consider using "engine". Instead of HVB please consider using "hybrid battery". Instead of "SOC" please consider using "charge". Acronyms overcomplicate (encode) things that do not need to be encoded.... <snip> ...

Try this thread ... acronyms. T'is easier for one to change some things than to get many to do the same. It's really not too hard - and I came into FFH in'15 from non-hybrid Fiestas with no problems. And do not ever work in the nuclear industry ... you'll be flooded with acronyms.