2010 E350SD Charging issue
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Cross-Country
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 51
Likes: 11
From: Atlantic Canada
2010 E350SD Charging issue
I've got a 2010 E350 Super Duty XLT 15 passenger with only 45,000 mile or so and a new battery was installed in July of 2019. Today I had the Charge System icon light up when I started it. It's not the red idiot light, but the green dot matrix image in the odometer/tripmeter display area. I followed the procedure in my shop manual and determined that there are no DTC codes. Battery voltage is at 12.5 volts parked, 13.3 when running, 13.3 when running with high beam and both A/C blowers on high.
I hooked up a decent charger that shows my battery at 75%, and have left it on overnight and will check it in the morning.
What voltage does anyone else get? I've had vehicles with 14 volts at idle, and not sure if this van is just normally at 13.3 or if that is considered low.
I hooked up a decent charger that shows my battery at 75%, and have left it on overnight and will check it in the morning.
What voltage does anyone else get? I've had vehicles with 14 volts at idle, and not sure if this van is just normally at 13.3 or if that is considered low.
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 10,536
Likes: 2,664
From: Near Salt Lake City
13.8 to 14.3 is the spec but as your battery gets charged it needs less and reads less so 13.3 is normal or okay
It has been holding a charge and starting in the mornings right?
Throw a DVOM on it in the AM and read it while you have an assistant start it
You should see 14 volts for just a few seconds until it starts dropping down
It has been holding a charge and starting in the mornings right?
Throw a DVOM on it in the AM and read it while you have an assistant start it
You should see 14 volts for just a few seconds until it starts dropping down
Thread Starter
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Cross-Country
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 51
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From: Atlantic Canada
Checked startup voltage and running under load. At idle I get 13.4. At 2,500rpm I get 13.4. At 2,500 rpm, high beam, both blowers I get 13.4. The battery reads 12.7 when off, but drops to 12.5 by morning. Nothing plugged in inside the van, like GPS, phone, etc. Also battery 4 years old and out of warranty. I also went through the charging system tests, checking voltage drop between alternator housing and negative terminal, alternator B+ wire and positive terminal. engine ground, chassis ground, etc and all tested properly. The workshop manual specs testing under load at 2,500 rpm but in the real world I rarely drive over 2,100 rpm.
I'm leaning towards it being a bad, or almost bad, battery given that there are no DTC codes being generated, making me believe that the charging system is okay.
I'm leaning towards it being a bad, or almost bad, battery given that there are no DTC codes being generated, making me believe that the charging system is okay.
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Cross-Country
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 51
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From: Atlantic Canada
Well, this has gotten more confusing. I went through the workshop manual again, and reread the part about determining DTC codes using the instrument cluster. I missed that this will report codes in the Instrument cluster, not all DTC. So loaded up FORScan software and sure enough I have a P0620 code. I followed all the flowchart steps, and ended up at "Replace PCM". Ouch.
I find it hard to believe that a PCM just went bad sitting there in my driveway for a month, but that is what it is starting to look like. Has anyone else ever had a PCM fail that prevented the charging system, from working?
I find it hard to believe that a PCM just went bad sitting there in my driveway for a month, but that is what it is starting to look like. Has anyone else ever had a PCM fail that prevented the charging system, from working?
FTE Legend
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 31,930
Likes: 1,499
From: Ottawa, Ontario
Yeah I went through this and it was the alternator. It took a trip to Ford to finally get it back on the road but only because the replacement alternator I got the day the probllem started was also bad. Apparently that is a common problem these days.
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 10,536
Likes: 2,664
From: Near Salt Lake City
Time to read between the lines is what they used to tell us
That is after putting 3 3200 dollar ABS HCU's in a Super Coupe back in the day
Pinpoint test step diagnisis kept having us replace the HCU
The first one okay maybe we got a bad one
The second one wholly sheet maybe we got a rash of these bad
3rd time the engineer got involved. Said we need a new HCU
I said that will be 4.
That is when we regrouped
I later (3 months later) solved the problem it had 6 ohms on a ground wire where 2 was the max
Now days processors go **** up on a regular basis so yours sure may need one
I would sure get a second opinion and check every ground you can
That is after putting 3 3200 dollar ABS HCU's in a Super Coupe back in the day
Pinpoint test step diagnisis kept having us replace the HCU
The first one okay maybe we got a bad one
The second one wholly sheet maybe we got a rash of these bad
3rd time the engineer got involved. Said we need a new HCU
I said that will be 4.
That is when we regrouped
I later (3 months later) solved the problem it had 6 ohms on a ground wire where 2 was the max
Now days processors go **** up on a regular basis so yours sure may need one
I would sure get a second opinion and check every ground you can
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Cross-Country
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 51
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From: Atlantic Canada
Thanks Manic.
I'm going to recheck the 3 pins on the connector attached to the alternator to make sure they see proper voltage, and that the GENCOM feed to trigger the alternator is working. Failing that, I found a local place that can repair the PCM, but they need it for a few weeks.
I'm going to recheck the 3 pins on the connector attached to the alternator to make sure they see proper voltage, and that the GENCOM feed to trigger the alternator is working. Failing that, I found a local place that can repair the PCM, but they need it for a few weeks.
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