New owner with a few ???

[Mmiu]

I bought a 2017 se hybrid a week ago from a rental car dealership. 28k miles. Love the car but have a few questions.

 

1. The battery never goes past half full is that normal? I've never seen it go full...it cycles and recharges but never past half full. Worried...

 

2. The coolant is about an inch under the min line the dealership said they topped everything off but I know they didnt because it was like that when I test drove it. Forgot to check after I bought on the lot but did now and its low. There are two reservoirs...why? I try to put coolant in the little one by the battery and it doesn't go into the larger one on the left. This is worrying me.

 

Any links for videos would be greatly appreciated and tips and tricks :)

Thanks

[murphy]

1. That is normal. If the battery was full there would be no place to store the energy from regen.

 

2.There are two separate cooling systems, one for the engine and one for the electronics.

[Mmiu]

Thanks Murphy! Quick question...proabaly same but want to make sure. I can put the same coolant in both right? One doesn't need a different or special type?

 

Thank you

[murphy]

Thanks Murphy! Quick question...proabaly same but want to make sure. I can put the same coolant in both right? One doesn't need a different or special type?

 

Thank you

They both use Motorcraft Orange Antifreeze / Coolant Prediluted

See page 305 in the Owner's Manual (Technical Specifications) in my 2013 manual, page number may be different for later years.

[Cobra348]

Yup. Murphy has it right on all f this. I grabbed a jug of the coolant at AutoZone for using with my prior '15. Have not had to add coolant since that one time.

 

If this is the first hybrid for you, I suggest sitting with the manual and the car running. Cycle every screen, toggle switches and such. Learn where the main functions are and how they work - manual and electronic. Figure out what screens you want as the main display. Go through everything a second time, setting your preferences. Might take an hour or so, but well worth it.

 

Welcome to the club! Anything else just ask away.

[Mmiu]

Thanks for the tip! I plan on doing that. Excited about the car for sure. Weary since it was used and a rental prior but I'll take care of her

[Cobra348]

Ummm, how do you feel about compact spares? Because you do not have one. That's right! For some reason - probably to aid in hitting EPA numbers - you have a can of fix-a-flat under the floor back there.

 

All is not lost, however. This thread describes getting a 16" compact spare from the dealer. Invoice Part # is the Ford part number. I ordered from Ford and TireRack (for the tread) and the cost was about $500 or a bit more (for my prior '15). I swapped it into the current car. You can save by going to a salvage/junk yard and getting the same parts from a 2013+ gas Fusion. Jockey the trunk floor so you can pull it out ... undo the hold-down bolt and remove the plastic tub and gunk. Put them aside and save that bolt. Get the jack, wrench, (hopefully) the plastic assembly thing and the spare into the well and use the hold-down bolt to secure it. Put the Ford stuff somewhere in the garage if you wish to save it.

 

If you get a flat and use the spare, a couple things to know:

1. If you have 17" rims, the spare can be used on any corner and will not mess up things in suspension and/or steering.

2. If you have 18" rims, the spare should only go on the back end. For front flats, move the rear rim to the front and mount the spare on the rear. Not doing that will make steering geometry out of kilter.

 

There is a thread in here somewhere that discusses using the spare on various corners and on cars with the different rim sizes. The above is the essence of that discussion.

Edited September 23, 2018 by Cobra348

[murphy]

A warning if you have an Energi. The spare mentioned above will not work on an Energi. The Energi has bigger brakes and it will not clear the calipers.

[Mmiu]

So the past 2 times I fired up the car after it sat over night it kind of jolts/hiccups if u will. The battery is very low on start up but theres no way this is normal...any thoughts? I live in Florida so temps dont drop under 70 at night so it cant be because it's cold.

 

Thoughts? It's at 28k miles. Still have till 36k under warranty, I plan on getting my oil change at 31k at a ford dealership and having them check everything. How much should that cost? Sorry for all the questions. I havent owned a car in over 4 years. Was in nyc and didnt need one. I'm hoping I didnt buy a lemon :/

[murphy]

Which battery is low, the 12 volt or the HVB?

 

The engine is started by the HVB. A low 12 volt battery can cause errors on the communication bus.

 

The car won't let the HVB get too low, the car will completely shut down before that can happen if it can't run the engine to charge the HVB.

Zero on the HVB icon is not a discharged battery. There is a reserved portion that is not used for driving.

 

Engine running problems are the same as any other car.

Dirty fuel injectors

Fouled spark plugs

Dirty air filter

Contaminated gasoline

 

Are you trying to force the engine to start? When you turn the car on and get the green icon in the lower right corner of the dash display you are ready to go. The computer will start the engine when it needs it. Depending on a lot of variables you can drive up to 1 (2? The 2010-2012 were 1 mile, the 2013 and later may be 2 miles) mile(s) before the engine is needed.

[Mmiu]

The little battery symbol on the screen when I turn it on is low. No low sign or anything...just low and it feels like the car (engine) hiccups or jolts. Could be the engine filter...I need to check it since it almost has 30k on the vehicle and it probably was never changed. Hopefully that's it.

 

It actually did it again when I drove 30 min and parked it at my home, under the hood the jolt/hiccup happened so its something when its idled. I cant figure it out. Not too worried yet but it doesn't seem good.

 

Again just bought it a week ago but the dealership warranty is up, Ford's still good til 36k and I know the battery is under warranty for longer from what I saw in my manual skimming...

 

Any suggestions or help would be appreciated.

 

By hiccup or jolt I mean more of a jolt. Like what an old car would do when shes not doing well...kind of like a studder

[murphy]

The only thing that comes to mind is my old 2002 Crown Victoria that developed "run on" when the ignition was switched off. That was caused by carbon buildup on the spark plugs.

 

The engine starts and stops many times while driving and at stop lights Does it do it then? If not I doubt it is the engine.

 

If it is repeatable have someone waiting where you plan to stop and get an opinion of the sound from outside of the car.

[Cobra348]

As long as the 36K warranty is good, why not consider that in addition to doing what murphy suggested? I was thinking carbon buildup as well ... figuring it was a lot of stop & go combined with low-speed driving. There is a Valvoline treatment ($120) for carbon buildup (must be done by a mechanic) but if you have warranty, use that for service first.

[Mmiu]

I appreciate you both. Thanks a lot. I studied it a bit more today. It seems like a choke, like when I turn it on and the battery is low the main engine kicks on and it kind of is not smooth at all...the transition that is. But then after driving it around a bit to work or wherever when I stop and let it sit for a few seconds before pushing the engine button to off it does the same type of switching and chocking...really strange.

 

Ps. Probably stupid question but what kind of fuel should I use? 87, 89, 91? I'm assuming 87 is good?

 

I'm going to change the engine air filter as well...see if that helps

[Cobra348]

The motor will run initially because it needs to warm up. That'll happen every startup where the car has sat for a while. If the engine runs rough at idle get it looked at ... it should not. As for transition especially electric to hybrid, there might be a small, almost undetectable, lurch as the gas engine kicks in. And I mean small.

 

I see you're in FL. If you're really concerned about the SOC (state of charge) on the HVB, then depending on where you are jump on to I-95, I-10, I-4, Turnpike or something like that. Go at speed (can vary it 55-65 or so) for 2-4 exits, turn around and come back. The car will run hybrid mode which should charge the HVB as it runs.

 

I used to live in Dade county and visit a friend in Port Orange every so often. As much traffic in and near metro areas down there, the HVB gets little chance to really get charged up since it gets used a lot. I know I had a hard time when I was in Port Orange in June.

 

No manual? 87 octane is recommended. For an electronic manual (PDF), go to owner.ford.com ==> Support link ==> download owner manuals. Enter you info and snag a copy.

Edited September 25, 2018 by Cobra348

[lolder]

You can get the engine ( ICE ) to run by stepping down on the accelerator pedal in "P" until the ICE starts and it will charge the high voltage battery ( HVB ) until it is fully charged. The HVB should be at about the same state of charge ( SOC ) in the morning as you left it in the evening. The ICE and the shift between EV and ICE should be absolutely smooth. There should be no vibration. Do not skim through the manual, read every word.

[agbva]

Fuel: my 2018 manual says this: the vehicle is designed to operate on regular unleaded fuel (87 octane). "For best overall vehicle and engine performance, premium fuel with an octane rating of 91 or higher is recommended. The performance gained by using premium fuel is most noticeable in hot weather."

 

You being in Florida, I would try a few tanks of higher octane gas, and you can be sure that this was not the case in the past. I'm a big fan of BG-44K fuel additive and use a can every 10K miles. Buy a few cans online (should cost in the $12-$15 range each, rather than $30 or so locally), put in a can now and fill the tank, and do this for a second fill-up.

[Salcedo317]

Bought my fusion hybrid Dec 4th. I took it in for oil change and inspection on Dec 31st. Ever since then I have noticed that my battery doesn't charge back up to 100% overnight like it used to. Maybe it did it before or maybe it didnt. Is this normal for everyone? Or should I be suspicious that something was done wrong at the dealership? I do remember that when I would start the vehicle it would always be 100% or at least 90%ish until I started driving. The only other thing I can think off is that I have not been driving as much due to the holidays and days off work.

[Waldo]

Bought my fusion hybrid Dec 4th. I took it in for oil change and inspection on Dec 31st. Ever since then I have noticed that my battery doesn't charge back up to 100% overnight like it used to. Maybe it did it before or maybe it didnt. Is this normal for everyone? Or should I be suspicious that something was done wrong at the dealership? I do remember that when I would start the vehicle it would always be 100% or at least 90%ish until I started driving. The only other thing I can think off is that I have not been driving as much due to the holidays and days off work.

 

The battery can't charge overnight by itself. Maybe it has learned your home position and is using up more battery before you get home. Maybe you've changed your driving habits and are driving more efficiently and leaving it at a lower charge.

 

For maximum efficiency, you want to start your day with the battery nearly empty. That way the energy used to run the gas engine to warm it up and complete the emissions cycle can be captured and used later.

[lolder]

This is not a plug-in hybrid is it? Non plug-ins only charge when the ICE is running or by regenerative braking. They hardly ever charge to 100%, usually around 50%.

[Cobra348]

This is not a plug-in hybrid is it? Non plug-ins only charge when the ICE is running or by regenerative braking. They hardly ever charge to 100%, usually around 50%.

<grin> Yes, they do! I can regularly get the HVB to 100% - especially in Winter. My problem is that with the cold, the HVB rarely gets below 50% before the ICE kicks in and spoils things. It's only in low-speed city driving I have a shot at getting a low charge on HVB.

 

TBH, I think it's the driving conditions that allow the HVB to charge up like that. I'd still be somewhat concerned if I could NEVER get the HVB much higher than 50%.

[murphy]

The car tries to maintain 50% so there is room to store energy from regenerative braking. If the battery was at 100%, regenerative braking would not be possible.

[ethermion]

Our FFH is my lovely bride's car, so I am not an expert. But... I have seen many times 100% charge. Start out on a cold day, for example, and put on the heat, the ICE is gonna run to warm up to give you heat. And, a by-product is that it charges the HVB, regardless of the HVB state of charge.

 

I dunno the HVB logic, but I have seen all over the place. I would agree with previous observations that it "likes" about 50%. But, "like" is not a marriage proposal. Best not to neurous about it.

[Waldo]

Also keep in mind that showing "full" on the graphic isn't really 100%. I thought somebody on here once determined that the window you see on the graphic is really just between about 30% and 70%.

[Beachcomber86]

Also keep in mind that showing "full" on the graphic isn't really 100%. I thought somebody on here once determined that the window you see on the graphic is really just between about 30% and 70%.

 

Whatever it is, IT SUCKS!!! There is no difference between the Hybrid and the Energi except for battery size and the plug in option. I have yet to get anywhere close to sticker MPG either in town or on the highway. Braking at 94%+ no more than 1 mph over speed limit, not running AC or heat.