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2010 Ford Explorer 4.0L Battery light on

  • parkarburhan
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1 month 2 weeks ago #92073 by parkarburhan
2010 Ford Explorer 4.0L Battery light on was created by parkarburhan
I would like your help in pinpointing exact issue for the charging system for my ford explorer 2010 4.0l with new battery,

the battery light comes on every 10 mins and sets off P0620 code.
attached is the PID for all alternator related PIDs.
New PCM, New Battery

Could this be a bad alternator regulator? or the wiring ?
Kindly help in this matter.

below codes retrived from FORScan while Engine running.
Attachments:

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  • Tyler
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1 month 2 weeks ago #92074 by Tyler
Replied by Tyler on topic 2010 Ford Explorer 4.0L Battery light on
From your captures, it looks like GENMON is low all the time. That could be wiring, or an alternator. You'll need to do some pinpoint checks to tell.

Engine running, disconnect the alternator connector. There's three wires. Violet, blue/orange and red. What's the voltage on each? Report back and we can test further.

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1 month 2 weeks ago #92077 by parkarburhan
Replied by parkarburhan on topic 2010 Ford Explorer 4.0L Battery light on
I did this with key on engine off
Red wire - 12.6v (battery voltage) 
Blue/orange - 12.6v ( battery voltag) 
Vio - 9.3v

And when did with key off
Red - 12.6
B/o - 12.6 also
Vio - 0

I think blu3/orange is short 

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1 month 2 weeks ago #92078 by Tyler
Replied by Tyler on topic 2010 Ford Explorer 4.0L Battery light on

I did this with key on engine off
Red wire - 12.6v (battery voltage) 
Blue/orange - 12.6v ( battery voltag) 
Vio - 9.3v

And when did with key off
Red - 12.6
B/o - 12.6 also
Vio - 0

I think blu3/orange is short 

Perfect, thank you! I agree, I think the blue/orange (GENCOM) is shorted to voltage somewhere. 

I'm also concerned about the violet (GENMON) for a different reason. GENMON isn't shorted to voltage, but also isn't getting pulsed to ground by the alternator. We can circle back around to that.

According to the diagram, there's one connector in between the PCM and the alternator. C146.

 

It's right in front of the battery on the drivers side:

 

Disconnect it and recheck voltages at the alternator connector. If blue/orange is now zero, the problem is on the PCM side of C146. If there's still B+, the problem is on the alternator side of C146.

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1 month 2 weeks ago #92079 by parkarburhan
Replied by parkarburhan on topic 2010 Ford Explorer 4.0L Battery light on
I checked on the connector next to battery, the voltage is coming from alternator wiring side of the connector.

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1 month 2 weeks ago #92080 by Tyler
Replied by Tyler on topic 2010 Ford Explorer 4.0L Battery light on

I checked on the connector next to battery, the voltage is coming from alternator wiring side of the connector.

To be clear, you still have voltage on the blue/orange wire at the alternator with the key on and C146 disconnected?

If so, you're looking at a short to power in the engine harness. Now you're down to finding it. Was C146 clean of fluids/corrosion? Same for the alternator connector. Any obvious harness damage?

Reconnect C146, key on, connect your multimeter to the blue/orange and watch the voltage while you gently wiggle the engine harness all the way to C146. When you see the voltage change, you're in the right area. Try to narrow it down to a few inches of harness that produces the most voltage change before cutting anything open.

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1 month 2 weeks ago #92081 by parkarburhan
Replied by parkarburhan on topic 2010 Ford Explorer 4.0L Battery light on
Sorry I think you got me wrong. 
I disconnected the connector next to the battery and then tested on the same connector on both sides. 

The connector on the side of the pcm wires had no power. 

The connector which goes to alternator has voltage on blu/or

While the voltage on Vio comes from pcm is 9.3 v when checked on the connector near battery 

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1 month 2 weeks ago #92082 by Tyler
Replied by Tyler on topic 2010 Ford Explorer 4.0L Battery light on

Sorry I think you got me wrong. 
I disconnected the connector next to the battery and then tested on the same connector on both sides. 

The connector on the side of the pcm wires had no power. 

The connector which goes to alternator has voltage on blu/or
 

I think I'm thinking of that right? Blue/orange should have less than 1.0V on both sides of C146, key on. This connector, pin #10, right?

 

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1 month 2 weeks ago #92083 by parkarburhan
Replied by parkarburhan on topic 2010 Ford Explorer 4.0L Battery light on
I found the issue. It was the blu/orange wire that is taking voltage somewhere between the alternator and the connector next to the battery. I made a direct connection for this wire with new wire from alternator connector to the female side of connector near to battery. Now there is no more light 
The following user(s) said Thank You: Tyler

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