Awhile ago I went to start my 06 F350 after it sat for a couple of weeks, and the starter sounded kind of weak. My battery voltage was low, about 11 volts, and the FICM alarmed on my Edge CS. It was below 45 volts. My batteries were about 5 years old so I replaced them. My FICM main voltage was still low on start up and would slowly climb to 48 volts. Yesterday I graphed my FICM voltage on my analyzer and it varies somewhat. I know I should get my FICM fixed eventually but wasn't going to do it quite yet. What do you think?

 

Hell it looks like it never dropped below 47 volts doesn't seem that bad. Sounds like you just need to keep the batts up.

 

^^^^ What David said... ^^^^

Nothing wrong with that picture. Sounds like your new batts have helped. I'd just keep an eye and listen for the alarm. If you stay > 45 - you're good.

 

Yes, I know it it staying above the 45V, just curious why it is varying? I would expect it to stay consistent but maybe that is normal.

 

Mine does as well. Mine varies from 45 - 48 when cold, then 47 - 48 when hot. Goes a little lower than I would like, but it's OK for now.

I think that's pretty normal - especially yours...

 

Mine use to vary too from 45-48 then overnight went down to 40! I pulled it out & got it upgraded/repaired. Didnt want to chance an injector or two.

 

You're seeing lower voltage on a cold engine because of the inductive heating of the injectors. The FICM is holding voltage on the injector close coil longer than normal to heat it up. That extra load is stressing the FICM. Mine does it, only mine is worse and I need to get it fixed. Once warmed a bit I have a solid 47-49V. But I'm seeing down around 40V on a cold soaked engine.

 

That's new info for me. Thanks Bill. I thought it only did that before starting during the glow plug cycle.

 

Interesting thing. When the WTS light is on, and also during cranking, I have a solid 47-49V. As soon as the cold engine kicks over, it drops to 40 or 42V. The volts vary depending on temperature. As the engine temp increases, the volts increase until they are back up to 48V somewhere around the ECT 130 area.

This started when I got the latest flash with inductive injector heating. Before that I had the old buzz flash, and with that I had 48V at all times. So I have concluded that it is the inductive heating that is pulling the voltage down.

BTW, I installed brand new batteries last weekend, and the FICM behavior did not change at all.

 

Mine does the opposite.

Mine starts at 40v KoEo. Ten seconds or so later, it is right at 48v, then I start the motor. The FICM stays 47.5-48.5v the rest of the day.

Year old bats, Volt reading is 11.8-12 upon koeo. Once it starts, the volts, after a short period, jump to 14v.

 

Do you know what strategy you have?

 

Actually, I don't. As per the Oasis, it was last flashed back in Sept. 15 2005

"Tech Comments: INSPECTED AND REPLACED EP SENSOR, SENSOR CONNECTOR AND REPROGRAMMED MODULES PER RECALL 05E15. CODE 05E15G."

Unless Ford re flashed it before they sold it to me in 09.

 

Mine is working more like Bill is describing and I had it flashed to the latest flash (whatever that is for an 04) last spring to fix a cold running issue.

 

I think that's the difference between yours and mine. We've both got a FICM problem, but it shows up in different ways.

Now that I've had both the buzz and inductive heating setups, it is easy to hear the difference. My old buzz flash definitely buzzed at key ON. Sounded a lot like the vacuum pump motor. The new inductive flash sounds like individual clicks at key ON at a much lower rate per second.

 

This would have to be with the engine in WTS/not running, of course?