[montermahan]

I'm usually not a violent man, but I would like about 20 minutes with the Dumb SOB that engineered battery install. I first tried the cowl removal procedure and wipers didn't want to come off. Then the air box removal procedure and after an hour of fighting and cussing, I finically got it battery in and out and only broke one of those push in grommet things off air box..
Now this BMS BS? a person would think they could engineer electronics so you undo 2 posts, hook up 2 posts and be done. No, Not Ford. I think by flashing bright lights 5 times and hitting brake pedal 3 times, it done what its sposed to, I saw the battery light flash 3 times. Time will tell.
I have 2 of these Escapes , I have been a Ford person for 50 years and worked in Ford Assembly plants all over the country. If I knew what was required to simply change a battery, I might of got a Kia, Toyota or Subaru. . (But I will still buy Fords.) I'm Thru ranting now

 

[Gryffindor101]

I'm usually not a violent man, but I would like about 20 minutes with the Dumb SOB that engineered battery install. I first tried the cowl removal procedure and wipers didn't want to come off. Then the air box removal procedure and after an hour of fighting and cussing, I finically got it battery in and out and only broke one of those push in grommet things off air box..
Now this BMS BS? a person would think they could engineer electronics so you undo 2 posts, hook up 2 posts and be done. No, Not Ford. I think by flashing bright lights 5 times and hitting brake pedal 3 times, it done what its sposed to, I saw the battery light flash 3 times. Time will tell.
I have 2 of these Escapes , I have been a Ford person for 50 years and worked in Ford Assembly plants all over the country. If I knew what was required to simply change a battery, I might of got a Kia, Toyota or Subaru. . (But I will still buy Fords.) I'm Thru ranting now

I suppose you could have gotten a wiper puller. That might have helped.

 

[ralph7up]

You did not reset your BMS using that procedure. Many threads on this board have addressed all your points in detail.

 

[Gryffindor101]

I'm usually not a violent man, but I would like about 20 minutes with the Dumb SOB that engineered battery install. I first tried the cowl removal procedure and wipers didn't want to come off. Then the air box removal procedure and after an hour of fighting and cussing, I finically got it battery in and out and only broke one of those push in grommet things off air box..
Now this BMS BS? a person would think they could engineer electronics so you undo 2 posts, hook up 2 posts and be done. No, Not Ford. I think by flashing bright lights 5 times and hitting brake pedal 3 times, it done what its sposed to, I saw the battery light flash 3 times. Time will tell.
I have 2 of these Escapes , I have been a Ford person for 50 years and worked in Ford Assembly plants all over the country. If I knew what was required to simply change a battery, I might of got a Kia, Toyota or Subaru. . (But I will still buy Fords.) I'm Thru ranting now

You should probably use Forscan and a OBDII dongle to reset the BMS. At least you can see if it was actually reset. Have a look at the following thread on how to do this.

DIY Battery Monitor System Reset

Apology in advance if this has been addressed before, but I'd not noticed any posts telling us how we could reset the Battery Monitor System when we do a DIY battery replacement (lacking a dealer diagnostics tool). Playing with my old rev 2.1.21 beta version of FORScan this morning I tripped on...

www.fordescape.org

 

[murcod]

I suppose you could have gotten a wiper puller. That might have helped.

A recent post in another thread suggested one isn't necessary- that doesn't help people much. Each time I've removed them on mine a puller has definitely been required. (Noting I'd never remove them to change the battery- do the air filter box instead.)

 

[montermahan]

A recent post in another thread suggested one isn't necessary- that doesn't help people much. Each time I've removed them on mine a puller has definitely been required. (Noting I'd never remove them to change the battery- do the air filter box instead.)

Thank's. I could have made a puller, but I saw utube video's on both ways to change battery, since the wiper was tight, I opted for the air cleaner method. A PITA, but doable. THE BMS is the aggravation thing. I hate to have to purchase a bunch of extra equipment to just change the battery.

 

[Gryffindor101]

Thank's. I could have made a puller, but I saw utube video's on both ways to change battery, since the wiper was tight, I opted for the air cleaner method. A PITA, but doable. THE BMS is the aggravation thing. I hate to have to purchase a bunch of extra equipment to just change the battery.

Forscan is free and you can get the dongle for around $20-$30

 

[smartguy69]

Thank's. I could have made a puller, but I saw utube video's on both ways to change battery, since the wiper was tight, I opted for the air cleaner method. A PITA, but doable. THE BMS is the aggravation thing. I hate to have to purchase a bunch of extra equipment to just change the battery.

It's not that easy on a 2008 Focus either which my daughter asked me to change for her.

The OBD tool will come in useful if you ever have another fault with the car and save you going somehwere for a diagnostic check. Be careful which one you buy though. You probably have more available in the USA but if you go for an ELM327 I wouldn't buy any other than the OHP brand. It may not be available in your country. Someone else may recommend something else but that's my choice of the ELM. The OBDLink EX is a better tool recommended by Forscan. Double the cost but it probably pays for itself f you had a single problem in the future and diagnosed it yourself.

 

[murcod]

THE BMS is the aggravation thing. I hate to have to purchase a bunch of extra equipment to just change the battery.

If the charge/ battery light flashed three times I'd say you successfully reset the BMS. It can be done that way- other people have posted successfully doing it.

So I wouldn't bother buying the extra gear to use ForScan just for that purpose.

 

[jpohlman]

Actually you don't need a puller for the wiper arm.
Loosen the nut until you've got maybe 2 turns left and then lift the arm.
That releases the tension lock and then you just take the nut off the rest of the way arm the arm comes right off.

For me it's an annual exercise to clean out the cabin air intake screens, it's also required to change the plugs,

 

[Tall Timbers]

I'm usually not a violent man, but I would like about 20 minutes with the Dumb SOB that engineered battery install.

I didn't think to check the battery location before I ordered my Escape as it was never an issue. That's something I'll check everytime now, and it's unlikely I'll buy a vehicle where the battery isn't easily accessible. Of course, I'll get a vehicle where the battery is easily accessible and it'll be something else that I can't get to that needs attention from time to time...

 

[murcod]

Actually you don't need a puller for the wiper arm.
Loosen the nut until you've got maybe 2 turns left and then lift the arm.

That will not work on mine- a puller is required. (I've had to remove the wipers at least four times to change the front suspension struts.) Using any levering force (via the arm) to loosen them would also be a bad idea as the arms are attached directly to stepper motors.

 

[murcod]

and it'll be something else that I can't get to that needs attention from time to time...

Like a timing belt? Damn they're expensive to replace! It was the first thing I checked the 2.0l EcoBoost didn't have.

 

[jpohlman]

That will not work on mine- a puller is required. (I've had to remove the wipers at least four times to change the front suspension struts.) Using any levering force (via the arm) to loosen them would also be a bad idea as the arms are attached directly to stepper motors.

You're wrong my friend,
No more force is being used than it takes to raise the arm completely of the windshield when you clean it.
So you're not using any levering force at all.
I used to use a 2 jaw puller until until a neighbor that worked on the Escape line at Ford Louisville showed me how to do it.
You put it back on with the hood raised and the arm fully lifted, place the base on the wiper motor, tighten down the nut and lower the arm (at the plant they go on before the hood).

 

[murcod]

You're wrong my friend,
No more force is being used than it takes to raise the arm completely of the windshield when you clean it.

I'm not. I've tried lifting them off the screen each time and gently wiggly them to pop them off the wiper motor spindle. They're always jammed on the spindle tightly - even the puller needs to exert a bit of force to pop them off. It's great your wipers come off so easily. Just don't go leading others up the garden path and suggest their wipers can also be removed without using a puller. (PS: A puller is the tool Ford say to use in the factory WSM.)

 

[cavalierrs]

I'm usually not a violent man, but I would like about 20 minutes with the Dumb SOB that engineered battery install. I first tried the cowl removal procedure and wipers didn't want to come off. Then the air box removal procedure and after an hour of fighting and cussing, I finically got it battery in and out and only broke one of those push in grommet things off air box..
Now this BMS BS? a person would think they could engineer electronics so you undo 2 posts, hook up 2 posts and be done. No, Not Ford. I think by flashing bright lights 5 times and hitting brake pedal 3 times, it done what its sposed to, I saw the battery light flash 3 times. Time will tell.
I have 2 of these Escapes , I have been a Ford person for 50 years and worked in Ford Assembly plants all over the country. If I knew what was required to simply change a battery, I might of got a Kia, Toyota or Subaru. . (But I will still buy Fords.) I'm Thru ranting now

My neighbor spent all of a Saturday dealing with the battery replacement. I bought a new Escape and he was happy to see that the battery was in a better location than it used to be.

 

[Hitokiri]

I personally think Ford did this on purpose so people would get so frustrated they rather have the dealer handle it then themselves.

 

[WhiteGhost]

Took me 20 min to remove wipers , Cowel and battery and install new one I don't understand why this is difficult. A puller is definitely not needed a little wiggle back and forth they come right out.

 

[wiz043]

Took me 20 min to remove wipers , Cowel and battery and install new one I don't understand why this is difficult. A puller is definitely not needed a little wiggle back and forth they come right out.

I think if you are handy and have the right tools etc. and are confident it is quite possible but many are not.
I am now elderly and do not have the hand skills or strength to carry it out so will have to leave it to a Ford dealer when the time comes.

Why Ford put the battery under the cowl is beyond me, they could have put it in the trunk if it would not fit anywhere else as other vehicle manufacturers have done.

 

[smartguy69]

There is a chance that the Escape manufactured in the USA may have a different wiper motor to those manufactured in Valencia which is where murcod's car was made. I haven't had the pleasure to try and remove my wiper arms but don't mind having a look.