The Ford Escape Hybrid is equipped with a standard automotive battery under the hood and a high voltage battery pack underneath the floor in the rear cargo area. While replacement of the under hood battery can be performed by just about anyone, replacement of the high voltage battery pack should only be attempted by a certified repair technician in a controlled environment. The high voltage battery pack contains enough electrical energy to kill you in milliseconds should you attempt to replace the battery without proper precautions, training and specialized equipment.
Raise the hood, put on your safety glasses and locate the automotive battery.
Disconnect the negative battery cable, using the battery terminal wrench to loosen the cable end from the battery terminal. Pull the negative cable off and away from the battery.
Disconnect the positive battery cable in the same manner you employed in Step 2 on the negative cable.
Use the socket set to unbolt the battery hold-down hardware. You will need the extension to reach the bolt inside the battery tray. Move the hold-down hardware off to the side and carefully lift the battery up and out of the Escape.
Insert the new battery in the same position and orientation the old one had prior to removal.
Reinstall the hold-down hardware in reverse of how it was removed.
Reconnect the positive battery cable and then the negative cable in reverse of how they were removed.
