Engine Wear

[Bigkart]

I've always thought that most of the engine wear comes within the first few seconds of starting it. Take taxis, delivery vehicles and police cars. The number of hours/miles they get on engines is phenominal, but they never shut them off! I am wondering if hybrid engine life will be compromised by all the start-ups. Has anyone looked into this? Granted, the FFH is new but the Escape Hybrid has been around for a while.

[Oman]

The engine wear comes from cold starts, after the engine oil has slowly dripped down into the pan and is no longer coating the component surfaces. If you listen when you first start moving, you will hear your ICE startup and run for about 30 seconds (longer if you are asking for more power or it is cold out). This is long enough for the oil to come to pressure and lubricate all the moving parts. After that it takes quite a bit of time for the lubrication to settle off again. Likely there is a maximum ICE off-time programmed into the controller to avoid completely losing lubrication.

 

With many of the other applications you mentioned the problem isn't engine wear, it is electrical system run-down and starter wear they are trying to avoid. The FFH doesn't have a starter as it uses the existing motor (MG1) to start the ICE. The motor is a large permanent magnet brushless motor with no clutch to wear out and the battery system is quite larger and smarter than usual so there is no cost to starting the ICE.

 

Jon

 

 

I've always thought that most of the engine wear comes within the first few seconds of starting it. Take taxis, delivery vehicles and police cars. The number of hours/miles they get on engines is phenominal, but they never shut them off! I am wondering if hybrid engine life will be compromised by all the start-ups. Has anyone looked into this? Granted, the FFH is new but the Escape Hybrid has been around for a while.

[robm15]

I've always thought that most of the engine wear comes within the first few seconds of starting it. Take taxis, delivery vehicles and police cars. The number of hours/miles they get on engines is phenominal, but they never shut them off! I am wondering if hybrid engine life will be compromised by all the start-ups. Has anyone looked into this? Granted, the FFH is new but the Escape Hybrid has been around for a while.

 

 

I read into this when I purchased my first hybrid, and from what I understand this concern is overcome several ways.

 

The factors that contribute to the fact that engine wear is more at start up is not because the engine is starting, but due to the lack of lubrication in the wear surfaces. When a engine is off the oil drains into the oil pan, and it takes second for the oil to reach pressure and flow as it should. In a hybrid engine the oil filter has a back flow value that prevents oil from draining, so that lubrication pressure is restored nearly instantaneously. Also, when a engine is cold, bearings are tighter, friction is higher, and there is more wear. In a hybrid, the engine will not cycle off until a minimum temp is reached.

[Quincy]

I've always thought that most of the engine wear comes within the first few seconds of starting it. Take taxis, delivery vehicles and police cars. The number of hours/miles they get on engines is phenominal, but they never shut them off! I am wondering if hybrid engine life will be compromised by all the start-ups. Has anyone looked into this? Granted, the FFH is new but the Escape Hybrid has been around for a while.

 

 

Engine wear is not an issue.. Here in New York City we got Ford Escape Hybrids working as taxi cabs since 2004. Many have exceeded 200,000 miles with no problems. Ditto in Vancouver where they got plenty of Priuses as taxi cabs (same kind of drivetrain as the Escape Hybrid and Fusion hybrid.)