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Stop "check charging system" beeping?

rick wick

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dealer tells me the alternator and battery are fine but the warning light keeps coming on and i can't live with the constant 'beeping' every 15 seconds. help
 



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Umm try another dealer cause a check charging system shouldn't go off unless it does have a issue.
 






welcome
 












Thanks for your help...but

it is a '05 explorer. dealer did voltage check twice over three month period and both times the alternator and battery checked perfect. 'some sensor problem' was the excuse. car starts and runs fine. it has a new battery.

i understand the voltage output issue but since the dealer checked it twice and everything is working then i just want to 'KILL THE DAMN BEEPING NOISE'.

i can live with the blinking dash warning. i called the dealer again...no suggestion. called ford customer service...twice...'see your dealer'. i want to put out a fuse that controls the noise but i can't figure out which one it is. yes i know it might also kill the glove compartment light, etc. (the best i came up with is fuse # 17).

really aggravating.
 












X2
 






it is a '05 explorer. dealer did voltage check twice over three month period and both times the alternator and battery checked perfect. 'some sensor problem' was the excuse. car starts and runs fine. it has a new battery.

i understand the voltage output issue but since the dealer checked it twice and everything is working then i just want to 'KILL THE DAMN BEEPING NOISE'.

i can live with the blinking dash warning. i called the dealer again...no suggestion. called ford customer service...twice...'see your dealer'. i want to put out a fuse that controls the noise but i can't figure out which one it is. yes i know it might also kill the glove compartment light, etc. (the best i came up with is fuse # 17).

really aggravating.

Ok.. was the battery light on as well.. did you ever correct the problem or find out what is was?
 






2005 XLT Check Charging System

Ok.. my battery light came on.. alt was dead not charging.. I replaced the alt. all voltages are good. but the message center keeps saying "check charging system" the two small wires in the connector are reading 12+ volts each and the red is reading 14+ and i am getting 14volts at the battery now as well.. but light stays on in side truck???
 






If voltage on battery terminals (when engine started, with all headlights and heater fullspeed on) between 13.5 and 15V, you really have battery charge on. In this case you can try to change voltage regulator.

Also you can look my reply to phouse's message
 






Update.. 2005 Explorer V8 XLT Battery light on and The "CHECK CHARGING SYSTEM" on the message center was on after using a refurb from Auto Zone
....
AutoZone alt. was returned,, I was getting a full charge, but i don't think it was talking back to the truck to turn the the battery light off in the truck even though everything else was working, meaning 14volts and charging.. got a full refund..
took that money to the Ford dealer and got one from them..
Part # F8OZ-10V346-CARM This one had a 3 terminal connection I believe the AZ one only had a 2 terminal connection, even though the cable from the truck had only two wires the green and orange one.. The middle connection was not being used i guess.. any way all is well..

Got 14 Volts on the B+
Got 14 Volts on the Batt terminals
The "CHECK CHARGING SYSTEM" on the message center is off
The Battery Light is off as well..
 






"Check Charging System" Constant beeping and battery light

Hello,
I am going crazy with this constant beeping every 15 seconds in my vehicle. I cannot even tell you how long I have been dealing with it, but it is constant now. It goes off every 15 seconds. My alternator has been replaced. My battery has been replaced, Autozone says everything is charging fine. I am at my witts end. Please help.

After reading your last statement I am confused about what fixed your problem. My email address is saenz.janie@gmail.com please get back with me if you can.
 






Yesterday put in a replacement alternator, because of a noisy bearing. The replacement had all of it specs showing it passed testing outputting 152 amps at 6000rpm and 105 amps at 2000rpm. I put it in and my scanguage showed 14.2 volts at idle, yet my battery light was one. Check all of my connections and could not figure out what was wrong. Napa ended up giving me another replacement alternator, I put that one in and the battery light went off. I don't know why the other alternator gave a battery light. I suppose the regulator was not doing something right, even thought 14 volts were showing.

Don't put it pass the replacement being faulty.
 






quit using crap parts and that might sort out the problem, alot of these cheap alternators leave low voltage lights on in a variety of vehicles, go get a motorcraft and see what happens
 






OK - I know it's been like 5 years since anyone has posted on here about this - and so I Googled this 'message center' problem everyone is talking about - just to find that there are literally 1000's of posts from others over the past 10+ years of those that have/had this same issue - and best I can tell after reading 50 different forum sites, is that it's ether the battery, the alternator, the belt(s), corroded connections, or faulty/bad/defective 'replacement gear' for any or all of the above listed...

So, that said and understood - Here's why I'm digging up this corpse of a post after 5 years...

Have a 2004 AWD Ford Explorer V8 Eddie Bauer edition that I picked up online as a 2nd 'beater car' to be used here in Colorado Rockies during the winters - as 4x4/AWD vehicles here locally, they just gouge you on pricing - and this one I found was a one-owner with <75,000 miles - V8 as said - and the price was just 'too good to be true' - but for $124 O/W flight out and $130 bucks in gas back - it's been a great SUV and was a great find -

Now, all that said, when I picked the car up (it was traded into a wholesale lot for a new car 'as-is') and I had all the 'issues' listed before buying - so knew it'd need a new battery and alternator ... (also turned out to need a belt as well) - So, I had it serviced out east, filled it up and drove it straight back to Colorado - Threw some BFG A/T's on it and have never once had any issues with it in the past 11 months - till today...

So I was up in Denver and it was pretty hot today - and while I was sitting in a parking lot waiting on someone and had the A/C blasting (it has dual A/C front/back - but don't think that matters) - but I do use my iPhone as my GPS navigator - so have that plugged into the center cigarette charger plug - and what I like about this charger I bought off Amazon - is that it has 2 ports and a LED Voltage Display - (one side is lower amps for mobiles, other side is higher amps for like a iPad or tablet what have you) - so I'm sitting there waiting on this guy to meet me and all of a sudden a loud BEEEEEEEEP! goes off and I'm like WTF is that??? So I kinda scan the dash and gauges and everything looks normal at first glance - Well, I then look down to my center console - and see my USB charger with a huge red light flashing saying "LOW" - yet the voltage is around 12-13V (usually runs around 14.4-15V max) - never paid much attention to it before TBH -

Anyway - so I unplugged that - just to stop the screeching alarm - and seemed like everything was back to fine - I put the charger back in - and it sounded again - so I didn't need to be told a 3rd time not to try that -

So I then shifted focus to my dash and gauges again - and now I've got the red 'idiot light' battery ico on glowing read - but my "L" / "H" voltage meter is just a tick above center - and to the best of my recollection, that's where it usually is along with all my other gauges (less fuel obviously)

So fast forward several mins - and I was talking to my better half moaning about the heat as the E/B has dual climate controls and inside/outside temps - and it was showing 96*F ... but as I looked at it, it literally started to 'count down' right in front of my own eyes!!! 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 91 - all the way down to "0" and just froze there??? (did that all in like 30 seconds) - so now I'm like starting to get concerned b/c it's like a poltergeist has taken over my vehicle - Radio is still working (that didn't work either when I bought the car but the kid at Car Toys direct connected it to the IGN box) and was a $20 fix - so that's now got me worried -

Anyway - the guy I was waiting on finally shows up and we do what we planned on doing (never shut my car off all that time - like 30 mins) and then started to head back to my home about 50 miles away - Well, the next thing I notice is as I put my turn indicator on (both left and right) they are going a million MPH now tick tick tick! - Much like when you add a U-Haul trailer harness and tow something - it's that speed - Of course I checked all my bulbs and nothing was burned out - so hopped back in and headed home - but as I was getting ready to pull out - that's when I got a whiff of the dreaded 'electronics burn' or 'wires being fried' smell coming in thru my vents - Ahhhhhh S@#%$!!! - I hate gremlins and wiring harnesses...!!!

So I scanned my gauges yet again - and everything is looking normal still (outside of the red battery idiot light) but then looked down to my "Message Center" and sure enough, it reads "Check Charging System" ... Sigh...

I then rang Sears Auto Center as that was the only place in BFE, Maine where I purchased the car that was open on a SAT back a year ago that could do the work so I could get on the road (obviously I didn't/couldn't haul all my tools on a flight) - so I bit the bullet and they dropped a new 'Die-Hard' XL battery in and a NEW alternator as they had no rebuilts in stock, along with a V8 serpentine belt - and $700 later, I was on the road and it drove like a champ for 2,113 miles home - and never had a problem since -

OK, so I head out in the a.m. to Sears to see what their thoughts are - and of course I'm gonna have them check everything that I've bought over with a fine-tooth comb - but be it a battery lead or 'bad' alternator or even a battery, all that will be covered under MFG / Sears warranty (and FWIW, am NOT a fan of them or their services - but fair play to them - they did get me in and out and it's run well for a year - just didn't appreciate being gouged when I was 'stuck' in nowhere land) (Oh, they changed the oil and trans oil too - so suppose that's not too bad) ...

Now for a 'telling hint' - Around 8PM as I was almost home, I hit the headlights on as it was getting dark - and that's when I saw my Volt Gauge/Meter just nosedive - and I do mean nosedive... so I turned them off - and it kinda popped back up towards center (between L&H) but HAD to put them on as it was dark now - and it just tanked my volt meter again - So this tells me I basically drove home on either just the battery - or alternator 'only'... Right? and so if true - I'm praying it's only one of those 2 new items - and they'll just do a warranty swap/repair - But what has me concerned, is the electronics burning smell - for that is NEVER good... Could be a harness - Could be a lead - Could be anything... But the fact that the voltage tanked when I put the headlights on - combined with either a fried cable or harness or dead short somewhere - I just don't wanna get screwed over tomorrow -

So, for those far wiser than me - my main Q and concern is - a dead battery or dead alternator isn't going to give you that burning smell - right? The voltage drop means I've lost charge somewhere and odds are it's a fried cable - Hoping for corrosion or something basic/simple - but are there any 'common' points of failure I should be on the lookout for with this year, make and model?? Seems allot have had the same issue over the past 10+ years ... but the burning has me truly worried as chasing down gremlins and fried harnesses can cost more than what the SUV is worth now lol ... I just don't wanna be taken for a ride tomorrow - so trying to get a quick education - fully aware that no one can diagnosis an 'electronics problem' for me here online - but figured if I gave as much detailed info as I could - someone could give me some tips or pointers or 'what to watch out for' once they get under the hood .. (I just had back surgery - so me doing this is out of the question - sorry) ...

Also apologies for "War and Peace - Part 2" here guys... but the obvious question is - What should I be on the lookout for tomorrow when I go back in for servicing?

Many thanks -

BB
 






My kids keep our 2005 4WD 4.0 Explorer with 160K miles at college a few hours away. They've had an check charging system & battery light flashing and beeping at random times for a couple years as the Explorer was passed down from one kid to another. I didn't do anything about it because the battery never gave any indication of losing charge. When they drove home for Thanksgiving this year they complained that the beeping had become more frequent and annoying so I decided to fix it. Since I had a rebuilt alternator from Autozone and one of their batteries, both under warranty, I went to Autozone to have them tested. Both were bad according to the test. Supposed bad cell in the battery and bad diode in the alternator, though other than the light I had noticed no problems. I had to pay a few bucks for the battery because it was 49 months into a 96 month warranty, but the alternator was free because it had a lifetime warranty. I decided to replace the drive belt as long as I was doing the alternator. I put in the new battery and alternator and all seemed good, until I had driven about 25 miles. The check charging and battery light came back, but this time the entire instrument panel would shut down each time the check charging system flashed. Panel would go black and the gauges would go to zero. After a couple seconds they would come back. I isolated it to it happening when I accelerated. When I got the Explorer home I could see that I had boiled the battery by overcharging it. (I had driven a few miles at 75 mph because the kids had also complained about a vibration above 70.) It appears the PCM couldn't communicate with the replacement rebuilt alternator voltage regulator or the voltage regulator was just bad. I went back to Autozone and had them test the new alternator. It was pretty stable at 14.4V at idle and checked good on their tester. I told them what it did and they agreed to replace it. Instead a getting a rebuilt again, I paid the difference for a new build alternator. I went back home and put that one in. All checks good now. Not sure how long the new battery will last since it was overcharged and boiled, but it's under a 3/2 warranty. Now all I have to do is change that lousy temperature blend door actuator that also quit on their way home. When they told me they heard it make a clicking sound when in the heat position, I knew I had just lost another few hours and $50 for an actuator. (Did one of those on another '05 Explorer. Difficult job because it's hard to get at.) Yes, they want the beeping to stop, no vibration at high speed, and heat too! The next thing you know, they'll ask me to fix the TPMS fault. (I've told them that's what the reset button is for.) Kids nowadays are soft... We were happy to have a car that ran, steered and stopped. Air conditioning? No way. Heat? Maybe. Lucky to have a working AM radio. And, I have to do a front brake job while they're home this weekend too. Maybe I can get the tires rebalanced this weekend to try to cure the front end vibration, even though I just had them balanced 500 miles ago. Too bad I had to waste an entire vacation day on just the alternator, but that's just the way it goes sometimes. At least I sorted out the check charging system issue and fixed it. There are a few morals from this story. First is, spend the extra money if you're buying an aftermarket alternator and get a new one instead of a rebuilt one. (In case you missed it in all my rambling, my issue with flashing & beeping check charging system was caused by two different rebuilt alternators.) Second, insist that your kids participate in car maintenance so they know how to do it themselves. I failed to do that and find myself being the mechanic of choice. I have one kid left at home and hope to teach her some car maintenance - so she can fix mine when I get old.
Happy Thanksgiving.
 






Most of the time the old alternator only needs to get a set of brushes instead of an entire replacement. I've done this many times, and the alternator is as good as new.

As for the kids these days, a neighbor around the corner has 2 sons which are new drivers. One of them recently bought his first car. He won't open the hood to check the oil level. He goes to a gas station to have one of guys who fill up gas check the level for him. In my opinion, this should be part of driving school lessons to teach these kids how to check the oil level instead of being afraid to get their hands dirty. Some home owners don't know how to turn off the water main in an emergency or reset a circuit breaker every time their A/C trips. You don't have to be an engineer or a mechanic to know the basics.
 















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