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Trading my ford explorer for a Buddy's FEH over the next couple weeks.

I'm planning on 50psi in the tires.
Trying D-DGE, N-DGE, double tap and anything else i find via search thread.

I've read to put your scangauge speed setting at 1%. What about fuel adj? I've read +7%??

Is there a Prius like SHM equivalent? What do you do when traveling around 30-50mph just DWL?

Thanks Debbie for the FEH clinic at HF08 hopefully I can remember what you showed me.

The department i work for has asked me to test the abilities of the FEH versus the Explorer/Tahoe's we have now. My job requires limited offroading I see this as the only weakness of the FEH. Just a hunch no experience to back that up.

But the massive amount of idling that is necessary/wildly abused with my job will pay for any weaknesses that the FEH has.

Please give my any pointers you've got on the FEH.

Thanks
Ryan

Go to escape-central.com. Look up the PA fun run, and then tell me if the Escape has limited off-road capabilities ;). The best piece of advice I can give you: do NOT under any circumstances dip the engine bay in mud/sediment/silt. It's a very quick way to kill an alternator. Beyond that, even the 2x4s during our run were able to get up and down some of the better stuff that old coal roads were able to offer. The ride height on the Escape is somewhere around 8 inches? It's been awhile, so I may be off. It was great in the rain and snow as well. We took our escapes down grades at 45 degrees (rutted dirt, with mixed in large rocks) with no issues. I made it up that grade, but needed momentum to get to the top. I still have a HI8 tape that I can pull the video of the trip off (I was one of two camera dudes on the trip).

This thread (http://www.escape-central.com/1forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15776) details the carnage after words (all blown alternators). This thread (http://www.escape-central.com/1forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15774) still has some of the videos and pictures. Mine were hosted at my previous company, so they're no longer available.

Go to escape-central.com. Look up the PA fun run, and then tell me if the Escape has limited off-road capabilities ;). The best piece of advice I can give you: do NOT under any circumstances dip the engine bay in mud/sediment/silt. It's a very quick way to kill an alternator. Beyond that, even the 2x4s during our run were able to get up and down some of the better stuff that old coal roads were able to offer. The ride height on the Escape is somewhere around 8 inches? It's been awhile, so I may be off. It was great in the rain and snow as well. We took our escapes down grades at 45 degrees (rutted dirt, with mixed in large rocks) with no issues. I made it up that grade, but needed momentum to get to the top. I still have a HI8 tape that I can pull the video of the trip off (I was one of two camera dudes on the trip).

This thread (http://www.escape-central.com/1forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15776) details the carnage after words (all blown alternators).

Hi Ophbalance

The FEH does not have an alternator, it has a HV DC to LV DC converter which is located high in the engine compartment. Also, the FEH has the highest ground clearance of all the gas Escapes which is 8.6". The gas AWD is 8'1" so the FEH FWD and AWD is .5" higher on the minimum ground clearance. The FWD gas Escapes come closest at 8.5". These are the '09 clearances.

Also, I'm picking up my new '09 FWD FEHL today at 4pm! Reviews and '05 FEH comparisons coming soon.

GaryG

Awesome news from both of you guys! :D

Great, but I'm still not sure I'd recommend driving it through the mud ;). However, the Escape is pretty darn capable off road. Though, I'm not sure how the low rolling resistance tires would be off the pavement?

Just poke around on the HW. I've got a SG in my wife's MMH but I'd need a 10-20 mile HW run to find SHM since it's generally so SOC dependent. What I do know is doing similar SHM like behavior yields real good numbers. Just bring it up to 60 mph then test RPMs to find one that gives you a steady state of 55 mph. Hold RPM dead steady and you should pop 45 on the highway.

I'm not allowed in the MMH again till Friday when I volenteer to fill it at the station. I could choose a nice station in Brenhem (70 miles away) and test out the highway driving.

One odd thing is that the FEH doesn't appear to have fuel cut. Can't figure out how Ford missed that, but deceleration in gear above 45 mph still register as closed-loop. Ford may do a closed-loop fuel cut, but if they did, it would be the first car I've ever heard of that did.

11011011

Just poke around on the HW. I've got a SG in my wife's MMH but I'd need a 10-20 mile HW run to find SHM since it's generally so SOC dependent. What I do know is doing similar SHM like behavior yields real good numbers. Just bring it up to 60 mph then test RPMs to find one that gives you a steady state of 55 mph. Hold RPM dead steady and you should pop 45 on the highway.

I'm not allowed in the MMH again till Friday when I volenteer to fill it at the station. I could choose a nice station in Brenhem (70 miles away) and test out the highway driving.

One odd thing is that the FEH doesn't appear to have fuel cut. Can't figure out how Ford missed that, but deceleration in gear above 45 mph still register as closed-loop. Ford may do a closed-loop fuel cut, but if they did, it would be the first car I've ever heard of that did.

11011011

Hey Dan

Just drove my new '09 home with a starting OD of 4.5 miles and now have about 15 miles on it. This is a completely different animal than the '08 I drove and my '05. If you shift to "L" the engine idles up and if your in EV, the engine will start. No LGA anymore it looks like, but you would love how fast (almost instantly) it goes EV at 40mph when you let off the gas in "D". EV speed is easy to maintain in the upper 30's and there should be no problem holding 40mph after I air up the tires. This thing has to have the new VVC because the HV battery hold a much longer charge in EV even at high speeds. The power of the new 2.5L allows much better control of the RPM's with much better torque at low RPM's. Hill climbing will be much better at low RPM's now. I was averaging in the low 50mpg range while testing EV modes above 40mph. Also, I was having problems with it jumping out of EV for no reason sometimes.

Very impressed on my first test drive and I can see the '09 is going to be the one FEH to beat in MPG until plug-in's. More latter with pictures during the daylight.

GaryG

Oh boy! I can't wait to hear more and see the pictures!!! :D