Charging System - General Information: Diagnosis Ford Econoline E150

Inspection and Verification

Note. All voltage measurements are referenced to the negative (-) battery post unless otherwise specified.

Note. When the battery has been disconnected and reconnected, some abnormal drive symptoms may occur while the powertrain control module (PCM) relearns its fuel trim. The vehicle may need to be driven to relearn the strategy.

Scheme 4

1. Verify the customer concern.
2. Visually inspect for obvious signs of mechanical or electrical damage. VISUAL INSPECTION CHART
3. Check the operation of the charging system warning indicator in the instrument cluster. Normal operation is as follows: With the key OFF, the charging system warning indicator should be off. With the key ON and the engine off, the charging system warning indicator should be on. With the engine running, the charging system warning indicator should be off.
4. Verify the battery condition. Refer to «BATTERY, MOUNTING AND CABLES»(ref-210181) . NORMAL CHARGING SYSTEM VOLTAGES AND CHARGING SYSTEM WARNING INDICATOR OPERATION CHARGING SYSTEM VOLTAGES AND WARNING INDICATOR OPERATION Key Position A Circuit 35 (OG/LB) S Circuit 4 (WH/BK) (gasoline engines only) I Circuit 904 (LG/RD) Generator B+ Circuit 38 (BK/OG) Battery Engine to Battery Ground Charging System Warning Indicator Operation OFF 12 volts 0 volts 0 volts 12 volts 12 volts 0 volts Off ON engine off 12 volts 0 volts 1-3 volts 12 volts 12 volts 0 volts Illuminated ON-engine running 13-15 volts 6-8 volts 8-9 volts 13-15 volts 13-15 volts 0 volts Off
5. If an obvious cause for an observed or reported concern is found, correct the cause (if possible) before proceeding to the next step.
6. If the cause is not visually evident, verify the symptom and GO to «SYMPTOM CHART»(ref-210179-S13690657482005121400000) .

Scheme 5

PINPOINT TEST A: THE BATTERY IS DISCHARGED OR BATTERY VOLTAGE IS LOW

Note. 6.0L diesel generator is shown; all others are similar.

Scheme 6

PINPOINT TEST B: THE CHARGING SYSTEM WARNING INDICATOR IS ON WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING (THE CHARGING SYSTEM VOLTAGE DOES NOT INCREASE)

Note. 6.0L diesel generator is shown; all others are similar.

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Scheme 10

PINPOINT TEST F: THE CHARGING SYSTEM WARNING INDICATOR FLICKERS OR IS INTERMITTENT

Note. 6.0L diesel generator is shown, all others are similar.

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Battery - Drain Tests

Note. No production vehicle should have more than a.50 mA (0.050 amp) draw.

Note. Many modules draw 10 mA (0.010 amp) or more continuously.

Note. Use an in-line ammeter between the battery positive or negative post and its respective cable.

Note. Typically, a drain of approximately 1 amp can be attributed to an engine compartment lamp, glove compartment lamp, or interior lamp staying on continually. Other component failures or wiring shorts may be located by selectively pulling fuses to pinpoint the location of the current drain. When the current drain is found, the meter reading will fall to an acceptable level. If the drain is still not located after checking all the fuses, it may be due to the generator.

Note. To accurately test the drain on a battery, an in-line digital ammeter must be used. Use of a test lamp or voltmeter is not an accurate method due to the number of electronic modules.

Check for current drains on the battery in excess of 50 milliamps (0.050 amp) with all the electrical accessories off and the vehicle at rest. Current drains can be tested with the following procedure

1. Make sure the junction box/fuse panels are accessible without turning on the interior or underhood lights.
2. Drive the vehicle at least 5 minutes at over 48 km/h (30 mph) to turn on and operate the vehicle systems.
3. Allow the vehicle to sit with the key OFF for at least 40 minutes to allow the modules to time out/power down.
4. Connect a fused jumper wire between the negative battery cable and the negative battery post to prevent modules from resetting and to catch capacitive drains.
5. Disconnect the negative battery cable from the post without breaking the connection of the jumper wire.
6. Connect the tester between the negative battery cable and the post. The meter must be capable of reading milliamps and should have a 10 amp capability.
7. Remove the jumper wire.
8. If the draw is found to be excessive, pull the fuses from the battery junction box/central junction box one at a time and note the current drop. Do not reinstall the fuses until you are finished testing.
9. Check the wiring schematic in the wiring diagram for any circuits that run from the battery without passing through the battery/central junction box. Disconnect these circuits if the draw is still excessive.

Battery - Electronic Drains Which Shut Off When the Battery Cable is Disconnected

1. Repeat the steps of the battery drain testing.
2. Make sure all the doors are closed and all accessories are off. Without starting the engine, turn the key to the ON position for a moment and then OFF. Wait for the illuminated entry lamps to turn off (if equipped).
3. Connect the ammeter and read the amperage draw.

The current reading (current drain) should be less than 50 mA (0.05 amp). If the current drain exceeds 50 mA (0.05 amp), and if this drain did not show in previous tests, the drain is most likely caused by an inoperative electronic component. As in previous tests, remove the fuses from the battery/central junction box one at a time to locate the problem circuit.

Generator On-Vehicle Tests - No-Load Test

1. Switch the tester to the voltmeter function.
2. Connect the voltmeter positive lead to the generator B+ terminal and the negative lead to ground.
3. Turn all electrical accessories off.
4. With the engine running at approximately 2,000 RPM, check the generator output voltage. The voltage should be between 13.0 and 15.0 volts. If not, GO to «SYMPTOM CHART»(ref-210179-S13690657482005121400000) or refer to the «PINPOINT TEST»(ref-210179-S30838506772005121400000) .

Note. While carrying out any pinpoint test, disregard any DTCs set while following any specific pinpoint test. After the completion of any test, be sure to clear all codes in the PCM.

Note. All voltage measurements are referenced to the negative (-) battery post unless otherwise specified.

Note. When the battery has been disconnected and reconnected, some abnormal drive symptoms may occur while the powertrain control module (PCM) relearns its fuel trim. The vehicle may need to be driven to relearn the strategy.

Scheme 14

Scheme 15

Generator On-Vehicle Test - Load Test

1. Switch the tester to the ammeter function.
2. Connect the positive and negative leads of the tester to the corresponding battery terminals.
3. Connect the current probe to the generator B+ output lead, circuit 1119 (RD) (single or upper generator, diesel), or circuit 2037 (RD) (lower generator, diesel).
4. With the engine running at 2,000 RPM, adjust the tester load bank to determine the output of the generator. The generator output should be at least 87 amps. Refer to the «SYMPTOM CHART»(ref-210179-S13690657482005121400000) for diagnostic procedures.
5. With the engine running, turn the A/C on (if equipped), the blower motor on high, and the headlamps on high beam.
6. Increase the engine speed to approximately 2,000 RPM. The voltage should increase a minimum of 0.5 volt above the base voltage. Backprobe the I circuit at the generator connector (connector plugged in) and measure the I circuit voltage. If the voltage is less than 2 volts, install a new generator. Refer to «HEATING & VENTILATION»(ref-210170) . If the voltage does not increase as specified, carry out the «GENERATOR ON-VEHICLE TESTS - NO-LOAD TEST»(ref-210179-S32165466452005121400000) . If the voltage increases as specified, the charging system is operating normally. Proceed to the following battery tests.

Generator On-Vehicle Test - No-Load Test

1. Switch the tester to the voltmeter function.
2. Connect the voltmeter positive lead to the generator B+ terminal and the negative lead to ground.
3. Turn all electrical accessories off.
4. With the engine running at 2,000 RPM, check the generator output voltage. The voltage should be between 13.0 and 15.5 volts. If not, GO to «SYMPTOM CHART»(ref-210179-S13690657482005121400000) or refer to the «PINPOINT TEST»(ref-210179-S13497101942005121400000) for diagnostic procedures.