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Check Charging System Message

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OLOABoss said:
Good chance the chaffed wires fried the regulator or shorted a diode in the Alt.

Peter
But if the alternator was toast the battery wouldn't hold a charge. It's maintaining over 13 volts even with continuous driving.
 

OLOABoss

AKA OLOABoss
I have had partial failures where charging was intermittent. I know they probably won't, but I would pull the alt off and take it to a good shop and have them test it out. The problem today is finding a good shop who knows there stuff.

Peter
 
OLOABoss said:
I have had partial failures where charging was intermittent. I know they probably won't, but I would pull the alt off and take it to a good shop and have them test it out. The problem today is finding a good shop who knows there stuff.

Peter
Yea I'm still highly suspicious of the alternator, but we'll see. I talked to the lead tech when I dropped it this morning. He said every time they touched the wire the light came on, so it was pretty obvious there was a short there. Now he's thinking there may be another section of wire they missed. He said it's pretty crowded down there, but that's where they're hunting next. I am having the service advisor locate an alternator so in case that's the issue I have one in time to leave Sunday for RA. Turns out the general manager has one sitting in the shop to be put on his GT so if for some reason they couldn't get one in time I'd have that as a backup.
 
The question I have is what caused the wire to short?
 
5 DOT 0 said:
The question I have is what caused the wire to short?
Not sure. Looks like they've now determined the alternator's bad. The bad news is they're on national backorder until next week. The good news is my buddy's letting me have his and it'll be up and running this afternoon. 8)
 
5 DOT 0 said:
There's one less thing for you to worry about this weekend. Have a good time.
Thanks! Even the weather forecast has improved. Was 30% and 60% chance of rain yesterday for next Mon/Tue and now it's down 30% and 10%. 8) If it doesn't rain it will be the first track event this year where I get through the whole event dry :-\
 
ArizonaGT said:
Any re-occurrences since they replaced your alternator?

I also triggered the "Check Charging System" message on-track this weekend.
:mad: Yea mine's still doing it most track days. I wonder if the new TSB calibration will fix this too. I assume you didn't go into limp mode or anything? I actually feel a little better that it's not just mine. I was worried I was "cooking" my wiring or something, but sounds like it's possibly in the tune like the P0300?
 
cloud9 said:
:mad: Yea mine's still doing it most track days. I wonder if the new TSB calibration will fix this too. I assume you didn't go into limp mode or anything? I actually feel a little better that it's not just mine. I was worried I was "cooking" my wiring or something, but sounds like it's possibly in the tune like the P0300?

That is weird, when mine came on months ago they changed the alternator and the message has not returned again. Since I have the ultragauge I was able to see the volts dropping below 12 on the way to the dealer Monday. It stayed above 12 most of the time but would drop off for a few seconds at a time, high 10's or 11's if I remember correctly. Have you checked the voltage when the message is going off?
 
2012YellowBoss said:
That is weird, when mine came on months ago they changed the alternator and the message has not returned again. Since I have the ultragauge I was able to see the volts dropping below 12 on the way to the dealer Monday. It stayed above 12 most of the time but would drop off for a few seconds at a time, high 10's or 11's if I remember correctly. Have you checked the voltage when the message is going off?
I've checked it and it's typically 13.x or 14.x so there's no loss of volatage in my case.
 
cloud9 said:
I've checked it and it's typically 13.x or 14.x so there's no loss of volatage in my case.

Could be two separate problems we are having but when you check is it just sitting in the driveway at idle? After mine went off I was taking it in for service, about a twenty minute drive. During that time I saw it drop twice below 12 when I first stopped at red lights, it would rebound after a few seconds. If you have a real time gauge I would try just going for an easy drive and see if this might be the case. I am guessing but I suspect the message will go off anytime it drops below 12, even if that is for only a second.
 
2012YellowBoss said:
Could be two separate problems we are having but when you check is it just sitting in the driveway at idle? After mine went off I was taking it in for service, about a twenty minute drive. During that time I saw it drop twice below 12 when I first stopped at red lights, it would rebound after a few seconds. If you have a real time gauge I would try just going for an easy drive and see if this might be the case. I am guessing but I suspect the message will go off anytime it drops below 12, even if that is for only a second.
I've checked it in the paddock and while driving on the street. I haven't been able to watch it that closely on the track :eek: What you say makes some sense though and hopefully that's what is happening. It doesn't throw a code or require you to clear it as it's gone on the next restart.
 

ArizonaBOSS

Because racecar.
Moderator
8,730
2,734
Arizona, USA
cloud9 said:
:mad: Yea mine's still doing it most track days. I wonder if the new TSB calibration will fix this too. I assume you didn't go into limp mode or anything? I actually feel a little better that it's not just mine. I was worried I was "cooking" my wiring or something, but sounds like it's possibly in the tune like the P0300?

I had a P304 limp mode once on Saturday, and a stored P300 Saturday and Sunday that didn't trigger a limp mode. The CEL has "gone away" since yesterday morning, I'll have to see if it's still stored in the historical faults log.

However the "Check Charging System" message only occurred on Sunday, and seemed to come up on its own. Maybe my alternator or wiring is getting cooked by the exhaust like you guys have noted.

I'd better take the car in this week and get it checked out so she's healthy for Chuckwallerrrr
 

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