EASY Hybrid Battery Charge 2009 Ford Escape - No need to remove battery!

Recharge dead hybrid battery!
1-2 hour job to charge a depleted 2009 FEH Hybrid battery WITHOUT removing the battery from the car. Also installing the charger into the battery unit so you can easily charge up a depleted hybrid battery in the future using just an extension cord into your wall outlet.
Stuff you’ll need:
Mean Well HLG-120H-C350A 430V 350mA 150.5W Single Output Switching LED Power Supply with PFC
www.amazon.com/HLG-120H-C350A...
·T30 Torx bit with center hole (for removing the T30 battery cover bolts that have center pins)
www.amazon.com/Railer-Tamper-...
·T30 Torx bit (for removing the two short side bolts of the battery cover near the wheel wells)
· 1/4” box wrench or needle nose vise grip pliers or-? (to hold the bit for removing the short side bolts
, alternatively, you can use a L-shaped hex/allen wrench that fits in a T30 and cut the short end of the L
since the space is tight)
This low profile ratchet would work well:
www.amazon.com/KAIFNT-K451-01...
·10mm socket or box wrench for removing the two battery cover bolts that face the rear seat
·Wire cutters, strippers
·Soldering iron w/solder and heatshrink tubing and heat gun (or other method of connecting wires)
·3-prong male plug end for a standard household outlet and screwdrivers to install
www.amazon.com/Legrand-PS515P...
·Extension cord
·3/4” clamp-on non-metallic service connector
www.amazon.com/Halex-20512-Co...
·Electrical voltmeter/tester
·Some short screws and a drill/driver

[@michaeldelarosa6890]

Wow my 20 year old daughter completed the recharge to her brother's 2009 FEH following your video. I watched your video after the fact and wanted to thank you for sharing your experience and solution. So to those who came across this same video and think they can't do it, you can since my 20 year old non mechanic daughter did it herself. Thanks again.

[@mattgatlin1918]

That’s great, I’m glad it helped! I wish KZbin had been around when I was 20 - lol !

[@theoneibe]

Your Right 😂

[@CopperAboriginies]

​@@mattgatlin1918what is the Name and Address to purchase that charger. I'm having the same issue with my 2010 Hybrid escape, I looked at a plug right at the back seat and wondered if that was where to charge this vehicle. Then I came across your video and watched it, when you showed that same prong and it wasn't connected to anything and the plugs was zip tied on the side! I said WTF was those engineers thinking when that was disconnected and why was it discontinued? Then after you went through the steps of removal it started to make sense why they did that. I'll keep my opinion to myself on those thoughts 🤣🤣🤣. Now if you would not mind, I'd like to know where I can get that charging device and install it as well. I have an idea but I'd rather talk in person or by phone with someone who has a better understanding of Electrical devices then my self, after looking at that charger something else came to mind, it is the positive and negative wires that aren't being used to charge the system but can be used to charge the system the way it was meant to be used, just my thoughts running after you showed those two wires connected to the Charger you then connected a 3 prong to connect to a wall plug or outside battery charger. Did you use AC or DC or can we use both if necessary depending where we're at and the circumstances...

[@mattgatlin1918]

That charger and all the other stuff I used is listed in the description under the video- I put links to all the stuff there.

[@genegarza6152]

This is a timely video for me. I will be recharging my 2009 Excape hybrid this week. It has been a couple years since I last charged it so I needed KZbin to refresh my memory. I was stunned by how easy your method was. Can't wait to configure this permanent solution. The only additions I think I will add is a covered RV inlet male plug, plus maybe an easy access point to check the current voltage manually. Last thing, if I remember correctly that charger gets pretty hot, I will monitor the temp the first time I charge. Thanks again for saving me a bunch of time.

[@mattgatlin1918]

Good luck with the job! I didn’t have the issue of the charger getting hot, but that might be because I didn’t need to have it charging very long. When you don’t remove the hybrid battery and disrupt its circuitry, you don’t have to leave it on the charger that long. By having the charger plugged in when you go to start the car, it will register enough voltage for the car to start, even though the battery may not be actually up to that voltage- if that makes sense. Once it’s started, you can just let the engine complete the battery charging. Anyway, hope it goes well for you!

[@chautauquasteam9609]

Great video, after 15 minutes trying to get the bolt on the side I took the cutting wheel and removed it all together. Also just removed the one side where the charger goes and bent the other one up like a hinge. Worked great, thank-you!

[@mattgatlin1918]

Gotta love it! The cutting wheel is quite possibly the greatest tool ever invented 🤣

[@weber0153]

Going to do this over the weekend. Great video, thanks for being a great community member!!

[@mattgatlin1918]

Good luck with it! Lemme know how it goes 🔧

[@tamas9402]

Worked great, thanks. Took about 8 hours to go from 142v to 347v, cleared the codes and it fired right up. 2011 awd FEH

[@mattgatlin1918]

Nice work! That’s the best feeling when you turn the key and it fires up like nothing was ever wrong with it 🤩

[@DAVIDPASSE-xi1gr]

Thanks so much. Great video with clear easy instructions. Worked like a charm. And you were right, the two small side screws were a bugger!!!

[@mattgatlin1918]

Glad it worked for you! My favorite part was throwing those side screws away 😂

[@tellis17]

This is awesome I’m gonna have to do this to my wife’s escape just got back from a 5day vacation first time the car sat that long without use and this morning we found out her battery is low Im pretty sure this is the fix and thanks for all the links 🤙🏻

[@mattgatlin1918]

From everything I’ve read online, the battery should be able to go for at least a month of non-use before it gets too discharged to start. Then again, if you’ve got a 2009 like me, it could be that the battery is showing its age.

[@erictaylor1076]

Man this was a life saver. I appreciate the video so much. I just got my battery open, and the little screws on the side will go in the trash. I checked my battery with volt meter 292v. I left the key on for like 5 hours and the car won’t start. I will order the power supply shortly but it will take a few days to get to me. I have a 2009 with 310k on the odometer. I’ve had this car for 7 years. We are not ready to part with it yet.

[@mattgatlin1918]

Congrats! Getting the side screws off is the hardest part of the job 😜. Amazing that you’ve got so many miles on it and it’s still going strong. I bought mine used and it was previously a lifeguard vehicle in L.A., so it’s only got 40k on it now, 11k is what I put on it in 14 months. Looking forward to getting many more miles out of it!

[@mikeingro6388]

Nice video,going to attempt this on my daughter’s Escape. Ty

[@mattgatlin1918]

I was actually able to start my FEH after only about 5-10 minutes of being on the charger but I still had the charger plugged in and the orange safety plug installed when I went to start it. I think the voltage coming from the charger was enough to make the car computer enable the starter.

[@urntwrthyZ]

Superb video, Matt., and thanks for the acknowledgement. S.Keith and a great thread on the Electric-Vehicle forum was the source for a lot of my info. FEH owners: This is THE WAY to do this, ignore the other videos that have you remove your HVTB/ prop it up and/or remove the relay, BCM, etc. on the passenger side of the HVTB. It sucked that Ford removed the '05 to '08 charger and circuitry, but leaving those cables with the gray and black connectors partially made up for it. In an abundance of caution, I installed diodes on my charging cables when I built my charger. I also replaced those PIA side screws with regular bolts.

[@mattgatlin1918]

Thank YOU for the time-saving comment on a couple of the other videos I'd seen! I almost made the mistake of taking out the whole battery and futzing around with the high-voltage circuitry on the passenger side. I'm glad I didn't. I only made this video to get your advice/method out there and hopefully save some people a lot of time, headache and potential danger. Seriously, if I hadn't read your comment/method, I might not have even attempted it. Thanks again! Matt

[@urntwrthyZ]

I just rebuilt my HVTB with all new sticks from MaxPower. That was a project. Again, great job with this. You will save a lot of people a lot of time and a lot of frustration. @@mattgatlin1918

[@mattgatlin1918]

That sounds like a huge project! My 2009 only has 40K original miles on it so I’m hoping I won’t need to rebuild the entire battery for a while.

[@Lee-sv3so]

​@@mattgatlin1918what charger did you use and where can I get one, thanks

[@mattgatlin1918]

@@Lee-sv3so There’s a link in the description below the video if you expand the “more”- This is it: www.amazon.com/HLG-120H-C350A-150-5W-Single-Output-Switching/dp/B073ZCRJ5P

[@robertcornelisse8664]

Thank you for this video tutorial.. Harbor freight sells a little icon ratchet set with torx bit and miniature ratchet. I used it when i was replacing my inlet manifold gasket, too loosen one bolt that was hard to reach. Its a super awesome set to own and i can tell it would work great for these torx where you had to use the wrench with tape.

[@mattgatlin1918]

Good to know, and thanks for the tip. The right tool is always a great time saver! I checked out the Harbor Freight website and saw one like you described for just under 3 bucks.

[@robertcornelisse8664]

Yes they got a few different ones.. i got the set that is $39.99

[@MikeSenese]

Thank you for making this video. I've got a 2008 FEH and had to tow it to a garage for an HV battery recharge a couple times in the past few years. I've figured there must be a DIY solution, so I'm glad to see this coming to light. I need to determine how to work around the still-existing charging circuitry in the 2008 battery (unlike your 2009 where it has been removed). But overall this gives me great insight into the process.

[@mattgatlin1918]

I put off digging into this process for a while but once I finally rolled up my sleeves and went for it, I was surprised at how easy and quickly everything went. Good luck with your 2008!

[@dswanso4]

I don’t think you need to do this with a 2008. FEH before 2009 have a button behind a small panel on the driver’s side of the dashboard. If the traction battery gets low, you just pop that panel off and press the button. I think it is an 8 min cycle, and sometimes you have to do it more than once. Search on KZbin, there are a few videos.

[@MikeSenese]

​@@dswanso4 Thanks, and correct - generally that is the case, with 2008 having an advantage by having that recharge button. I've used my recharge button four times in the past, and twice it worked, but twice it didn't, because the HV battery was so depleted that the 12V battery was unable to get it to its engine-starting threshold. (I also suspect that the recharge button function is not that healthy for the 12V battery either.) Those two times it didn't start I still had to tow it to a garage for a professional recharge, which is why I am planning to build my own charging device now. Overall seems like a more reliable approach.

[@soyt441]

Pull off the little cover on the left side of the dash board after you open the door. 01-08 has the recharge button which send the power from the 12v under the hood to the drive battery in back. When the green light turns on, start the car. Hope that helps.

[@geraldlawrence2759]

@@MikeSenese You do not need to modify anything. If you put a battery charger on your 12v battery under the hood, and then press the button on the side of the dash, you've basically done the same thing as your modification. You may have to press the button a couple of times, but within 20 minutes or so, your car will start. The issue you mentioned is that your 12v battery may be weak, or not have enough juice to bring the battery pack over the 300v minimum. Using a front charger will pass through your 12v battery to your hybrid pack. More than enough voltage to get your charge above threshhold. I have had to do this with my 2008. Works every time.

[@Malacus9000]

You're the only person I've found that mentions those charge ports. I was happy to find a set in my 2010 in the same place you mentioned. My HV died in the cold snap this year and i was dreading tearing apart the battery again. Your solution had her running in less than an hour! Leaving the charger inside the battery is genius because what else am I gonna use it for?

[@mattgatlin1918]

Thanks for the comment. Glad it worked for you. I thought the same thing- “what else am I gonna use it for?” -LOL Once I saw that empty space I figured why not just leave it in there? I also think that once it’s wired into the system like that, you don’t actually need to fully charge the hybrid battery, the voltage coming off the charger is enough to “trick” the engine to start, and then the gas engine is a much faster hybrid battery charger (more amps).

[@mrmcclung]

Everything went perfectly (Thank You) I'm getting forescan to double check hv batt... Started with around 260, went up, then down, then was slowly going up.. 2hrs later 280, 4hrs later 200... Doesn't seem to want to go above 200.. heard there's a regen thing in the forescan app.. will try that.. (Everything else with opening & wiring went perfectly, again Thank You) this was an inheritance that sat for about 6mos

[@mattgatlin1918]

Cool- good luck. Did you try starting it while the charger was charging it? Also one of the other commenters on here suggested running the Forscan HV battery reconditioning multiple times. He said he got the best results after 3 cycles I believe.

[@treybell2323]

Thank you so much for this! Do you have a Dunks? Because I will get you a gift card for saving me from removing the battery. I’d already been following a different path for using the charger & how to proceed before you had this posted and only found this today at the point of removal. It was very clear and I laughed and agree about those ridiculous allen screws on the side And I’m for real about the gift card, this was a great walk thru

[@mattgatlin1918]

That’s exactly how I felt when I saw the comment from @urntwrthyZ on another video and he talked about how to do it this way. It was his idea and he deserves the credit- I’m just paying it forward- Happy New Year!

[@urntwrthyZ]

As I indicated in my original post on this video, my info came from a thread entitled "HV Battery Jump" by S.Keith on the Electric-Vehicle forum. I posted the comments you saw on several videos doing it the "other" way. You would be disappointed by how many were removed. I guess it was more important to get views than let people know there was a far superior way to do it, this way. @@mattgatlin1918

[@aligalam106]

Great video. I am wondering if you could also charge the HV battery using a big orange plug from the junkyard that has some wire left to connect to the charger. I got one from the junkyard but haven't tried it yet. Your method is simple enough, but maybe it could be done without even removing the cover. Any thoughts?

[@mattgatlin1918]

🤔 Interesting, and I thought about that seeing the large orange high voltage plugs - I’ve seen one in the engine compartment and another by the hybrid battery. I don’t really know anything about these plugs, but my gut feeling is that they’re carrying a lot of amperage given the size/gauge of the terminals, so I’d be wary of them. Maybe someone with more knowledge could jump in on this.

[@beowulfkaine]

Thanks this really helped me and brought my car that’s been sitting for 3 years back to life. A few things you missed. There are actually (4) bolts total on the sides, the two you showed that were recessed and 2 that are not. These are easy to access but difficult to take off. I needed a breakaway bar to crack them loose. It took me 10 minutes for the right side and 8HOURS for the left side. Then it was like 20 min to finish everything else. The pentameter doesn’t seem to work on this charger it’s delivers a straight 440v I would imagine that might damage the battery. You also did t mention how long to leave the charger on for? All night? A few hours? Do you adjust the comrade somehow? Either way I did a lot of guessing and left it in for a few hours and was able to get it started. 🎉

[@mattgatlin1918]

Glad this got you up and running again! My 2009 FEH only had the two recessed torx screws on the sides (1 on each side). Also battery chargers need to output more voltage than the battery’s normal operating voltage in order to work. For reference, a battery charger for a 12 battery outputs a little more than 14v and can go up to 16v (1.3x the battery’s normal operating voltage) without issue. As for the charging time, that all depends on how depleted your battery is. I’ve read that some people need up to 8 hours to get up to operational level. For me, I only had it on the charger for about 5 minutes and when I tried starting it while it was still connected to the charger, it started up. I think the output voltage of the charger was enough to fool the system into starting by showing more than 300v in the circuit even though the battery voltage was still below 300. After it started, I let the car’s charging system do the rest since it has much higher amperage than the paltry 350mA of the MeanWell charger.

[@Voots7]

Very cool.

[@williamfermo796]

Thanks for this. This just happened to me today. Does your hybrid escape have issues with aircpn when it is in electric mode? When on gas and going over 40 mph air con works but other than that it doesn't. This is an issue I've had to deal with for the longest time with no solution.

[@mattgatlin1918]

I’ve had issues with my air conditioning not blowing cold enough especially when it’s very hot outside. I read somewhere that the AC works to cool the hybrid battery, but I don’t see anything other than a pair of fans in the hybrid battery casing. I did have problems with the hybrid battery getting too hot on hot days even to the point of disabling the car. I haven’t had this problem since reconditioning the hybrid battery with ForScan, but I also haven’t driven it in the extreme heat that much yet.

[@CesarAPartida]

Good alternative but not recommended it as the ballast inside overheats when using it( True that you will not have to leave the AC cord plug in all day) but for experience is better to extend the inside + and - terminals to outside so the ballast can be seating outside and only be used when need it. I did extend the cables outside and left a AC Female outlet and for the ballast (+ & -) an AC male plug so the polarity will match

[@mattgatlin1918]

Anything electrical should generate heat to some degree. If a component is “overheating” it is likely faulty. You can certainly keep the charger outside of the housing if you’re worried about it being faulty, but I would advise against using an AC connector on a DC circuit because of the risk involved with misuse by a person who doesn’t know about the custom setup. If you do add a connector for an externally connected charger, use a DC connector and label the positive and negative sides along with the voltage.

[@wayneb2069]

Just curious, why not just install the oem charger and connect all the plugs? Then add the button where it should go? And finally, install a votage display to monitor it in real time?

[@mattgatlin1918]

I suppose you could install a converter/inverter like the ones installed in the 2005-2008 FEH, but I see no indication that the wiring for the inverter charging circuit exists in the 2009 outside of the HV battery casing, so you’d probably be doing some additional wiring to install a button and connect it to the 12v battery to make it work like a 2005-2008 FEH. 🤔 IDK if you can get a new OEM converter/ inverter- I’ve only ever seen used ones.

[@Soul666Snatcher]

Hello I have a 2007 and you said the charger and was built into the models before 2009 any chance you know how to put those to use? Your mod has a 120v plug in attached to it so do I need to get 120v to the charger in my 2007? Thanks

[@mattgatlin1918]

I’m not sure, but I think there’s a switch or button near the driver’s side under dash. I believe it uses electricity from the lead acid battery to boost the hybrid battery enough to start the car. Maybe someone with a pre-2009 can verify the details.

[@dewholdingsllc1050]

Hmmm interesting to hear that the 12v starter battery is not connected to the hybrid battery. They are in my daughter’s 2008. As hybrid batteries age they will lose capacity and balance. Does the battery charger you installed as an accessory have the ability to balance the different cells in the hybrid battery rack? If not you may want to look into one that does rebalancing.

[@mattgatlin1918]

I think the connection was discontinued with the 2009 model year. As far as balancing the hybrid cells, I use Forscan on a PC laptop to reset the hybrid battery control module and to do a cell rebalancing.

[@urntwrthyZ]

Correct. The charging system was in place 2005 through 2008. Ford removed it from the 2009-2012 models claiming it wasn't necessary. @@mattgatlin1918

[@higherregion]

purchase one of these cars from auction with only 70k miles, going to try this today,.

[@higherregion]

It works, thank you for the video, there are other methods on youtube, but this is way way easier. Like you said the hardest part was taking out the t30 torx bolt. I only removed the one the right side (passenger) and propped the cover up.

[@mattgatlin1918]

Awesome! I’m glad it worked for you. If you haven’t already tried it, I would definitely recommend using Forscan to check and rebalance the battery system.

[@JD-ml7cg]

Can this be a way to use a battery equalizer to balance the battery?

[@mattgatlin1918]

I’m not sure. I used Forscan to recondition the HV battery.

[@fixxerautomotive4917]

A customer of mine brought me your video and wants me to do it on his Escape. Is there some checks to do on the battery first to make sure it is a good candidate for this mod? Is it possible that a damaged battery could lead to the same issue and if so, could installing this charger on a damaged battery lead to a car fire? Just want to make sure that i have a full grasp on the condition of the vehicle first. This would be my first time messing with a hybrid electrical system.

[@mattgatlin1918]

I would run Forscan on the car and rebalance the hybrid battery (HVB). There are forums about Forscan and how to use it to run diagnostics on a hybrid battery system, so I would recommend looking at some of those forums first. I don’t see anything inherently dangerous about having the led driver/“charger” integrated into the low amperage part of the system, but I’m not an expert. I would think that any sort of work around any sort of battery will always carry some degree of risk, and doing this procedure on someone else’s car would be a liability I personally wouldn’t be willing to risk.

[@fixxerautomotive4917]

@@mattgatlin1918 Thanks alot for the response!

[@tellis17]

Also I have a questions for you, Are you familiar with forscan & if so did you do anything with that on the escape before or after charging the battery? I’m familiar with that software for my F150 but reading there is useful stuff for the hybrid when it comes to HV battery issues

[@mattgatlin1918]

I’m not familiar with forscan. The only diagnostic tool I have is a cheapo Bluetooth OBD scan module that I can read with a really limited free app.

[@tellis17]

@@mattgatlin1918 well if your a weekend warrior your type and have a ford you should definitely check it out, can’t say for the escape as I haven’t played around with it on my wife’s car. For my F150 it’s crazy the amount of stuff you can do (everything besides powertrain enhancements as like in a tuner/programmer) but it’s a software that allows you to customize and make changes to almost any Ford vehicle & Doesn’t void warranty

[@mattgatlin1918]

​​⁠ Cool. I just checked it out and bought a Forscan adapter for my laptop. I’ll definitely give it a go. Thanks for the tip!

[@tellis17]

@@mattgatlin1918 ayyye ! No problem man, you can get a free trial subscription or for like $10 have a whole year. Just watch a couple videos , do a couple searches on your vehicle many ppl have already made google docs showing exactly what to change to get what you want. But Most importantly first thing you do before you Make a change to any module is save your factory one so if you ever wanna go back or change something you don’t have to go down that rabbit hole… ask me how I know 😅

[@mattgatlin1918]

Hey @tellis17 - I just ran Forscan on my FEH and it’s pretty cool. I ran all the diagnostics on the hybrid battery control module (BCM), did a module reset and rebalanced all the cells. As an added bonus I also disabled my tire sensor warning (TPMS) since it’s been nonstop chiming at me for no reason for the past two years. Thanks again for the tip!

[@JunLeido]

Hello Matt. Is there a way we can make this Escape HEV a PlugIn? Thanks

[@mattgatlin1918]

I doubt it. For starters, you’d have to replace the entire battery with a much larger battery in order to get the electric-only range that a PHEV gets.

[@charlesmurphree]

Do you mean that instead of making it have a 120v /110 wall outlet, you would install the adaptor that you see at the charging stations ? . I wondered this to but figured the standard plug would be more efficient and effective

[@JunLeido]

Yes that was my initial idea... so it can be charhed as well when parked

[@rickb5735]

I just cant believe this was uploaded roughly 6 months ago and you had a 2009 with only 40k miles on it...

[@mattgatlin1918]

It was a Los Angeles County Lifeguard vehicle before I bought it in December of 2021. It had 23k on it. I think it was probably only driven for short distances on the beach, mainly during the summer.

[@tootootv4722]

Genius

[@mikerawn3960]

Where to get that charger? Thanks!!

[@mattgatlin1918]

There’s a link in the description for all the stuff I used. I got the charger from Amazon www.amazon.com/HLG-120H-C350A-150-5W-Single-Output-Switching/dp/B073ZCRJ5P

[@radanovics]

Great video. Another example of Ford doing their customers a disservice. Why not keep the charging button on the side of the dash like like the previous models? I can work on my own cars but the orange wires scare me as they are very dangerous and high voltage.

[@mattgatlin1918]

Thanks. I was also cautious about the orange high voltage wires, which is why I really liked this method over the others I’d seen that were working with the circuitry on the passenger side of the battery ⚡️🫣

[@michaelcheek1076]

Where is the list of needed stuff

[@mattgatlin1918]

Click on “more” in the description just below the video. Click on “more” again until it shows you the entire description which includes the stuff I used.

[@timw1636]

Anyone know if there's a fuse or relay to these wires? I was charging the battery but something happened and its not showing voltage on them anymore..

[@mattgatlin1918]

Fuses #8, 15, 25 & 26 in the engine compartment fuse panel all relate to the “traction battery”. You can find a diagram at: www.startmycar.com/us/ford/escape-hybrid/info/fusebox/2009 Did you have the orange safety switch installed when you checked the voltage?

[@timw1636]

@@mattgatlin1918 thanks for info. Yeah the traction batt is still powered and working but there's no voltage at the legacy service wires anymore..

[@RalphSki2]

@timw1636 did you ever figure out the no voltage on these wires? I just had the same issue happen.

[@timw1636]

@@RalphSki2 no solution but from a battery disassemble video the wires seem to run to a simple pcb board within. Maybe a burnt trace?

[@corollaprime04]

You are a live saver! 😊 🛟

[@mattgatlin1918]

Thanks! Glad it worked out for you!