Check Charging System Warning PLEASE HELP

[Speeny]

Hey Guys,

I have an '05 Ford Explorer. Since I bought it back in 2015, it has had an incessant "beep" when the check charging warning comes on. This warning does not come on once during a drive but flashes on and off, sometimes hundreds of times in a couple of minutes. Every time if flashes, the message center beeps loudly much to the aggravation of everyone in the car. I searched threads for a LONG time to figure out what was causing it. I have had a FORD dealership look at it and they have not idea (if it does not show up when I am there, they say everything is fine). I have tried getting the number read when the warning light stays on, but it does not help me.

I FINALLY read a thread about non-motorcraft alternators sometimes not providing the right voltage. So I went and purchased a refab motorcraft alternator (as that is all I could find). I had it replaced and the noise went away! For 6 months there was no "Check Charging System" message and no beep!

And then it happened again. Now I don't know what is wrong. I have tried so many different things. I read that sometimes the connection to the alternator is weak and you just to push it back in. Tried it, thought it worked and then it came back. I tried looking at the Harmonic Balancer to see if it was slipping, but did not see anything off. I even checked into removing the warning chime so I don't have to hear it anymore, but I would have to remove the dash to do that!

Does ANYONE know the answer to this problem. I am in between jobs and Uber to make ends meet. But the incessant beeping is bad for business. Also this is my only car. PLEASE HELP!

 

[Milky2k]

You will need to break out your multimeter for this but first I will assume the battery is in good condition. Marginal batteries have been known to cause erratic issues in some vehicles that only go away after replacement. A good battery can last anywhere from 3-5 years depending on your usage and weather. Heat kills batteries fast. Check for the date of manufacture on your battery. If you get 5 years out of a battery I'd say you got your money's worth. If you are not sure about the condition of your battery many auto parts places can do a load test on your battery to give you an idea of its health. Let's also assume the warning is correct and the battery is not charging properly. Take your you multimeter and check the voltage at the battery while the truck is running. You should see about 14.4 volts or so. I think normal range is 13.8-14.5 volts for all cars in general. If you are getting a low reading even with a new alternator then you will want to inspect the condition of your battery cables next. Battery cables with high resistance will have the effect of outputting low voltage to the battery. Check for corrosion on the terminals and cable and on the grounds. Check for physical damage to the cables as well, missing chunks, that can lower the gauge, bare wiring etc. There are more in depth ways to check you battery cables and you may need to read up on them outside of here but I wanted to at least give you some direction to go in.

 

[Number4]

For me, it was the connector the sends a signal to the PCM. Buy one, splice it in.

It sends and receives signals telling the alt. to charge and not charge.


What engine do you have?