Servicing Hybrid Transmissions
Fig 1. Gen 1 Drain and Fill Plugs is a dual scroll compressor. One scroll
on Transaxle
The Honda hybrid
is belt driven; the other is driven by a
Other serviceable items include high-voltage A/C motor, so the com-
the coolant and A/C systems. There are A/C compressor pressor will continue working with the
actually two separate coolant systems.
One is used to cool the engine and
is a dual scroll
gas engine off.
When performing any A/C service,
the other cools the inverter and motor
compressor. One
use only Sanden SP-10 or SE-10Y oil.
drive. Both require changing the cool- Any other oil can damage the compres-
ant at 100,000 miles the first time, and
scroll is belt driven;
sor. This could require replacing the
every 50,000 miles after that. entire A/C system.
Always use OEM coolants. The the other is driven NOTE: Honda hybrid engines
Gen 1 vehicles require Toyota’s LLC
or SLLC coolant; the Gen II vehicles
by a high-voltage
require changing the engine oil every
7500 miles and the oil filter every
require SLLC coolant.
A/C motor, so the
15,000 miles. The specified oil viscos-
The A/C system doesn’t have a ity is 0W-20 only. Never substitute any
specific interval for service, but it’s
compressor will
other oil.
critical for maintaining the temperature
of the high-voltage battery pack. A continue working Escape/Mariner
small fan is located in the rear of the
body. It draws cool air from the interior
with the gas
The hybrid system used for the
Escape and Mariner includes some of
and directs it into the battery pack.
engine off.
the most sophisticated components.
NOTE: When the A/C system is set Ford requires surrounding each vehicle
to MAX A/C on the Gen I vehicle, the with a 10-foot perimeter marked with
gas engine will run continuously. The during acceleration. orange safety cones, and the high-
A/C system on the Gen II can operate Fig. 2 Internal View of Honda’s voltage battery isolation switch should
with the gas engine running or not. CVT mounted IMA be turned off.
Gen II vehicles include a unique During braking, the IMA produces Fig. 3 The Escape & Mariner High
A/C compressor. This compressor isn’t electrical power to recharge the high- Voltage Battery Isolator
belt driven by the engine. It uses its voltage battery pack. The IMA is also There are several important items
own, high-voltage A/C motor. This type used to auto start the gas engine when to be aware of when working on a
of compressor requires a special lubri- starting from a stop. On some models, hybrid Escape or Mariner. The engine
cant (type ND11) that’s non-conductive. when the gas engine isn’t needed for coolant is specific to the state the
If you use the wrong type of lubricant, power, such as coasting, the hybrid vehicle was originally sold in.
such as the lubricant from the earlier, system will deactivate all or some of The transaxle and DC-to-DC con-
Gen I (type ND8) system, it’ll set a the cylinders. verter have a separate cooling system
code and the vehicle won’t move. Basic service includes chang- with its own electric pump. These sys-
Since the A/C system is so impor- ing the automatic transmission fluid tems require special coolant:
tant to maintaining the high voltage at 30,000-mile intervals. Use Honda • California and Oregon cars
battery pack, it would make sense to CVT-Z1 fluid only. On models with a use Motorcraft Gold VC-7-B
advise your customers that A/C inspec- manual transmission, the fluid should coolant.
tion and refrigerant service would be be changed every 90,000 miles, and • Canadian vehicles use
worth adding to their regular mainte- only with Honda specified fluid (p/n VC-7-C.
nance schedule. 08798-9016). • All other applications use
CAUTION: Federal law requires CAUTION: On the Civic with the Motorcraft Gold VC-7-A.
anyone working on an A/C refrigeration CVT transmission, the yellow, trans- Never mix coolants.
system must be certified. Refrigerant mission fluid dipstick is very close to Fig. 4 Regular Coolant Service is
certification is available from ASE, the large, orange, high-voltage IMA Important
MACS and IMACA. wires. NOTE: DC-to-DC converter is
The coolant on Honda hybrids is Ford’s name for a controller that reduc-
Honda only used to cool the gas engine. The es the high voltage, system DC signal
Move over Toyota: Let’s look at factory recommends replacing the cool- to a 12-volt signal for operating vehicle
Honda hybrids. These vehicles use an ant at 120,000 miles and then every accessories. Think of it as a voltage
electric motor attached to the flywheel. 50,000 miles afterward. Use Honda limiter or voltage regulator.
The gas engine is still connected to Type 2 coolant. The engine uses 5w-20 oil and a
either a manual or CVT transmission. Other items, like the inverter, bat- cartridge-type filter (FL-2017A). Both
Their IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) tery controls, high voltage battery pack, should be changed every 10,000 miles.
design uses the gas engine and the etc. use ducting and fans to direct The CVT transaxle includes the
electric motor supplements it. The IMA cooled air to them. electric motor. The CVT-mounted elec-
adds useable power to the gas engine The Honda hybrid A/C compressor tric motor is strong enough to drive the
16 GEARS January/February 2010
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