VonoreTn Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Has anyone gotten enough miles, or due to some other reason had to have their high voltage nickel metal hydride battery pack replaced on their FFH? If so what was the cost? I'm at 56000 miles and getting better mileage than ever. I just got 52 mpg average going to and from a small town 17 miles away, on back roads, with the AC on today. My overall average for 2.5 years is 39 and slowly going up. Based on my previous vehicle and miles per year, I have saved $1500 a year in gas. If the price of gas keeps rising, approaching Europe's, I expect to save even more. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lolder Posted April 21, 2012 Share Posted April 21, 2012 Not much response here. The Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity ( AVTA ) has an end of life report for early Honda and Gen I Prii here: http://avt.inl.gov/pdf/hev/end_of_life_test_1.pdf The Prii had only about 40 % HVB capacity left and the mileage economy was essentially unaffected. I think the one minute acceleration would have suffered but I don't think they tested that. That discharges the HVB. I think deterioration in the HVB is unimportant unless it fails open-circuit. The FFH has a sophisticated cell monitoring system that initiates reconditioning events and we haven't heard of any unsuccessful events that would produce a message center warning. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VonoreTn Posted September 14, 2012 Author Share Posted September 14, 2012 (edited) If I can go another 3 years before I need a new battery, I will have saved $9000 in gas cost, hopefully a new battery will be less than that, if I need it then. I heard that Escape Hybrids in California taxi fleets have gone as much as 300,000 miles on the original NiMh batteries. That's further than the distance to the moon Here is my mpg based on keeping full records of every fill up. http://i911.photobuc...mpgvsmiles1.jpg Edited September 14, 2012 by VonoreTn 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmacbeth Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 Any update on this data from anyone? I am at 101000 miles on my 2010 FFH love the car... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff_h Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 Any update on this data from anyone? I am at 101000 miles on my 2010 FFH love the car... I just saw my old 2010 FFH two days ago (now owned by friend), is 300 miles away from 170k miles and running great. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hermans Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 Reference the taxi fleet mentioned in post #3. According to the Ford Factory rep I spoke with this was in San Francisco and over 400 taxis were tested and the average mileage was 400k and Ford only had to replace a few batteries due to accidents. None due to failure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savngas Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 120k on my 2010...no issues BTW I see a surprising number of low mile Energi Hybrids on dealer sites. Wonder how they are doing? Harry 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VonoreTn Posted May 12, 2014 Author Share Posted May 12, 2014 I'm at 91,000 miles now, I have saved $7100 on gas compared to the Explorer I was driving for 10 years before that. Since it averaged about 20 mpg, and the FFH is averaging about 40 mpg, whatever I have spent total on gas on the FFH is what I have saved, simple math. I still have my original 12 volt battery, although I keep an eye on it with a 100 amp load meter. It drops to 10.8 volts at 100 amps, which from my experience is acceptable. I added distilled water to it once. The only issues I have had with the FFH is twice now I get a low tire pressure warning when the tires are all at 35 psi. I guess the batteries in the sensors, inside the tires, are only expected to last 100K miles, so that's not a deal changer. But when I took it in for that issue the first time, it cost me ~$150 to fix one sensor. Like $60 to hook up their computer to see which tire and reset the system, $60 labor, and $30 for a new sensor, since you can't just replace the battery. So this time, I might just decide to live with tire light on, same as I have done for 50 years before. That system was actually useful one time when it told me I had picked up a nail just before heading out on a long trip. I fixed the hole myself, with a plug from the outside. That always works as long as the hole is not near the tire edge, and the hole is fairly straight going in. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VonoreTn Posted April 7, 2016 Author Share Posted April 7, 2016 Reference the taxi fleet mentioned in post #3. According to the Ford Factory rep I spoke with this was in San Francisco and over 400 taxis were tested and the average mileage was 400k and Ford only had to replace a few batteries due to accidents. None due to failure. Any update on that information? If the HV battery lasts that long, that's longer than most engines go without expensive repairs. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordCurious Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 I am looking at purchasing either a used FFH or a used MKZh. Battery life is a concern for me as I have not heard a ton of info on Ford hybrid battery life. My budget allows for either a 2012 or a 2013 model with 35-60k miles depending on model and features. The comfort factor of the MKZh has me leaning towards the Lincoln, but I am concerned with repair costs in the future being higher on the Lincoln than the Ford. I also would love some insight into 2012 vs. 2013. Anyone out there had to replace a battery on either generation of hybrid? Thanks for the input! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lolder Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 Hybrid battery failure has been almost non-existant and should not be a factor. The Lincoln is the same car as the Ford with more soundproofing. There should be no difference in the maintenance. Get a pre 2013 as I mentioned in the other thread. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordCurious Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 So are suspension and brake parts interchangeable between FFH and MKZh vehicles? I have read posts and reviews claiming that the Lincoln has a smoother ride. Anyone know first hand? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElectricFan69 Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 I am looking at purchasing either a used FFH or a used MKZh. Battery life is a concern for me as I have not heard a ton of info on Ford hybrid battery life. My budget allows for either a 2012 or a 2013 model with 35-60k miles depending on model and features. The comfort factor of the MKZh has me leaning towards the Lincoln, but I am concerned with repair costs in the future being higher on the Lincoln than the Ford. I also would love some insight into 2012 vs. 2013. Anyone out there had to replace a battery on either generation of hybrid? Thanks for the input! With any used car, the condition of the vehicle is #1 concern. Your dilemma is typical - the more complex the vehicle, and the more 'stuff' it has, the more likely that some of it will break. If cheap-to-keep is a priority, simpler is better, particularly in cars with complex sensor nets located in easy-to-damage places. As to the generational change - any number of sources will show that the first year of a new model will be the more troublesome - trading off the new technology for more grief. The trade-off is a significant improvement in fuel economy, looks, and better technology. In any case, make sure all the recalls (and the '13+ units have had more than a few) have been completed. A CPO (certified pre-owned) may allay fears by supplying warranty coverage - of course, at a price. Ideally, no crashes, current generation, lightly used, and cheap - but unlikely to be had in a single vehicle. You'll need to evaluate individual cars for the combination of attributes and how close to ideal they get. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VonoreTn Posted April 25, 2016 Author Share Posted April 25, 2016 After almost 7 years and 125,000 miles with a 2010 FFH, I have spent $77 on non-maintenance repairs, (I replaced an 02 sensor that the engine light and code reader indicated was bad). This is the most reliable, low maintenance car I have ever owned, plus the highest mpg car I have ever owned. Average MPG based on all gas fill-ups is 39.7. Usually we get over 40 mpg, but we have been on some long heavy trips, going for hundreds of miles up hill and into the wind. I have saved $9400 in gas versus the previous Explorer I had, which I loved also. The FFH brake pads are like new since most stops are done in regen mode, and the engine air-cleaner never needs a new filter, it is a lifetime design. I am not worried about the high voltage battery, they last like 400,000 miles based on the same batteries in Excape Taxi fleets. That's further than here to the moon. The car still performs as good as the day I bought it. I think this type of hybrid, or 100% electric will be the way of the future. Our FFH gets better mileage on the highway than our second car a 2015 C-Max (~ 40 versus ~37 mpg). But the C-Max does better around town (~45 versus ~42 mpg). We like them both, and we will probably never get a plain old ICE car again (we are old ;-). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff_h Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 After almost 7 years and 125,000 miles with a 2010 FFH, I have spent $77 on non-maintenance repairs, (I replaced an 02 sensor that the engine light and code reader indicated was bad). This is the most reliable, low maintenance car I have ever owned, plus the highest mpg car I have ever owned. Average MPG based on all gas fill-ups is 39.7. Same here - our 2010 FFH now has 227k and all is well, have not noticed any changes in the way the HVB functions and the MPG is right about the same as yours. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRC123 Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 Our 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid has 226,500 miles on it. We have been through 2 sets of tires, 2 batteries (under the hood) and a throttle body (first started as just the wrench light coming on with no performance issues, then finally after a year of that finally got the limp mode...scary). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lolder Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 It seems the throttle body carboning up is the most common cause of the "limp" mode. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VonoreTn Posted August 3, 2016 Author Share Posted August 3, 2016 Our 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid has 226,500 miles on it. We have been through 2 sets of tires, 2 batteries (under the hood) and a throttle body (first started as just the wrench light coming on with no performance issues, then finally after a year of that finally got the limp mode...scary). I had the limp thing going on and an engine code, which was TB sticking. I fixed it myself for free by cleaning the inside of the throttle body. See: http://www.fordfusionforum.com/topic/14043-throttle-body-stuck-shut-2010-ffh/. I would recommend it be down every 90K miles. Not that hard to do. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lolder Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 I see the throttle body part for sale for about $90 without the throttle position sensor. It looks like about a 1/2 hour job to simply replace it. I think you spent a lot of time cleaning it. Does the sensor come off easily? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VonoreTn Posted August 4, 2016 Author Share Posted August 4, 2016 I see the throttle body part for sale for about $90 without the throttle position sensor. It looks like about a 1/2 hour job to simply replace it. I think you spent a lot of time cleaning it. Does the sensor come off easily? You don't have to remove the TPS, you just disconnect one electrical connection. You also don't have to open up the area that houses the gears and circuit board like I did, as mine looked like it was new after 6 years. All you need to do is use some carb cleaner that dissolves carbon, and clean the layer of black off the inside of the TB. The most difficult part for me was to figure out exactly what part of that electrical connector to push/pull before it easily came apart. You would have to do that anyway if you bought a new TB. My excuse is that I'm a retired mechanical engineer, not an electrical engineer 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRC123 Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 We tried cleaned ours, but it still experienced the limp mode. Replaced it and we are good now. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VonoreTn Posted August 4, 2016 Author Share Posted August 4, 2016 We tried cleaned ours, but it still experienced the limp mode. Replaced it and we are good now. Did you zero out the codes after cleaning? You can do that with a code reader or by temporarily disconnecting the 12 volt battery. Glad you got it fixed regardless. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komondor Posted August 5, 2016 Share Posted August 5, 2016 For the battery this place here can provide a quote on checking the whole battery pack and replacing bad cells vs the whole pack http://www.thehybridshop.com/contact/locations/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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