2023 Charging System Fault

[deagle2008]

About two months ago, my '23 started showing a "Charging System Service Now" error on the dash. It appears very randomly, but when it does come on during a drive, it keeps going on and off. However, during some drives, it doesn’t appear at all. The truck already has 25,000 km on it, and the battery is an H8.

I’ve reset the BMS a few times and checked and cleared the codes using FORScan.
PCM MODULE
CODE: U012D - LOST COMMUNICATION WITH GENERATOR 'A' CONTROL MODULE
CODE: U042E - INVALID DATA RECEIVED FROM GENERATOR 'A' CONTROL MODULE
CODE: U0284 - LOST COMMUNICATION WITH ACTIVE GRILLE IR SHUTTER MODULE 'A'
CODE: U0285 - LOST COMMUNICATION WITH ACTIVE GRILLE AIR SHUTTER MODULE 'B'


I’m not going to touch it since it’s under warranty, but I’d like to know if anyone else has encountered this issue and what the fix was.



thanks,

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[Davexxxx]

I did this last April and it, nor any other of the gremlins, have come back.

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/threads/no-more-battery-problems.24011/

 

[deagle2008]

I did this last April and it, nor any other of the gremlins, have come back.

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/threads/no-more-battery-problems.24011/

I read your post but i haven't had the chance to do the procedure you did. where you able to see if there were any codes?

 

[Davexxxx]

I read your post but i haven't had the chance to do the procedure you did. where you able to see if there were any codes?

I don't have any tooling to see codes. I just know that doing it exactly as I described, worked and no problems have returned, in 9 months.

 

[deagle2008]

I don't have any tooling to see codes. I just know that doing it exactly as I described, worked and no problems have returned, in 9 months.

I think it might have worked. I fully charged the battery directly through the terminals. Used forscan to reset bms. Took 3 tries but it reset. So far it hasn't showed any errors but needs more time.

 

[Davexxxx]

I think it might have worked. I fully charged the battery directly through the terminals. Used forscan to reset bms. Took 3 tries but it reset. So far it hasn't showed any errors but needs more time.

Hope it works out for you.

 

[Dooley89]

I have a 2022 that had this same issue a year ago. I took it in under warranty and they replaced the alternator first. Within the first 10 miles after getting it back, it started again. A few days later it was diagnosed as a module failure in the upper grill actuator, replaced and fixed the issue. Fast forward to this week & I'm having the same exact issue. My codes and symptoms are the same as yours except I'm not having the invalid data code. I've reset the bms several times with a fully charged battery and it still comes back. I'm out of my bumper to bumper warranty so my next thought is to replace both actuators and see what happens. Watching the forscan data live has shown me that the communication fails with the shutters several seconds before the GEN A code pops up triggering the charge fault. I'm sure it's out there, but your thread is the first I've seen that mirrors the issues I'm having.

 

[deagle2008]

I have a 2022 that had this same issue a year ago. I took it in under warranty and they replaced the alternator first. Within the first 10 miles after getting it back, it started again. A few days later it was diagnosed as a module failure in the upper grill actuator, replaced and fixed the issue. Fast forward to this week & I'm having the same exact issue. My codes and symptoms are the same as yours except I'm not having the invalid data code. I've reset the bms several times with a fully charged battery and it still comes back. I'm out of my bumper to bumper warranty so my next thought is to replace both actuators and see what happens. Watching the forscan data live has shown me that the communication fails with the shutters several seconds before the GEN A code pops up triggering the charge fault. I'm sure it's out there, but your thread is the first I've seen that mirrors the issues I'm having.

Interesting observation—I’ve been monitoring the actuators, and they seem to function normally. One thing I’ve noticed is that after I wash the truck, the codes don’t appear for a few days. However, once it gets salty and dirty, the system goes haywire. During a 40-minute drive, I had about 10–15 codes pop up.

 

[Gone_Insane]

Dooley89, my 2022 started doing this same thing as well a couple weeks ago. I also got my alternator replaced and the issue still occurred. Tried running down endless possibilities for a fix and still have not manged to get the codes/errors to go away. Did you ever find out what the main cause was to the reoccurring issue?

 

[deagle2008]

Dooley89, my 2022 started doing this same thing as well a couple weeks ago. I also got my alternator replaced and the issue still occurred. Tried running down endless possibilities for a fix and still have not manged to get the codes/errors to go away. Did you ever find out what the main cause was to the reoccurring issue?

After i fully charged the battery directly and bms reset the error went away for a while but it has come back. It's not as frequent as before but it's there ffs. No fix yet

 

[Davexxxx]

It is weird how the results are so varied.

For me, it have been a so far, complete and permanent fix.

Others mention a few weeks to a few months. Still others seem skeptical that it could do any good.

There was a TSB about it and resetting the BMS was part of a fix.

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/thr...arging-system-service-soon.28947/#post-606832

 

[Gone_Insane]

Long winded post incoming.

My girlfriend made this account while what was left of my hair was being pulled out. I am a ford service tech and worked on this truck (her fathers) in my spare time. The truck in question is a 22 with the 2.7L engine. That TSB posted earlier does not "apply" to this truck, although it was still worth a shot.

The truck first presented with multiple communication and battery voltage codes, and seeing as many of these trucks as I have I started with the battery replacement and BMS reset, a pretty common thing on these trucks. This did not fix the issue.

There is currently an SSM (special service message, basically almost a TSB) for this issue, showing the 2.7L trucks may exhibit multiple communication failures on the LIN module due to the alternator wire being chafed by the driver side motor mount. I pulled the alternator and inspected the harness (single wire on these trucks) for breaks and chafing but didn't find anything there, I did find the wire kinked near the alternator connector and intermittent connection when doing a continuity test and turning the connector, which led to me replacing the pigtail, this of course led to no fix.

Next i began following the pinpoint test for the loss of communication with alternator code. This test has you make sure the battery is in good shape, and if so, check the pulse with an oscilloscope on the alternator wire. It scoped good so the pinpoint test tells you to replace the alternator, which of course, did not work either.

The wire controlling the alternator (white w/green) runs from the alternator over to the passenger frame rail, and then splits, one side goes to a connector near the PCM and the other branch goes to the grille shutters and active air dam. If any of those components ground out, the same fault lights can occur as it grounds out the whole circuit. This is why some reports of this issue end with a grille actuator or air dam actuator.

Knowing that the grille shutters and air dam would just show communication codes / a message on the dash since they were disconnected, and not the charging system service now light(which goes on and off basically whenever at this point) I decided to run a wire directly from the alternator to the connector nearest the PCM. This eliminated 90% of the harness and left me knowing that if the light flashed again, it was somewhere between the connector near the PCM and the PCM/ its connector, not somewhere behind the grille or something. To my surprise, it once again came on and went away.

This is where things get difficult for the at home guys, and even some dealer techs.

I removed the PCM connector (closest to passenger seat) and tested continuity from the alternator wire all the way to PCM connector and shook/wiggled the harness, I had no loss of continuity whatsoever.

I removed the connector lock (basically the face) and performed both a pin drag and pin fit test on the terminal that connects to the PCM, number 49 in this instance.

The pin drag test is where you move the terminal back and forth in and out of the connector to see if its loose enough to be pushed out when latching the connector, this test passed when checked against the pin next to it.

The pin fit test is, difficult. It's all in the hands and about how tight the terminal is. During this test I found that the terminal next to the one in question had slightly tighter tolerance with the test pin, while the one in question was a bit looser. I bent the terminal a bit, in soft and slow increments until i was able to replicate the tolerance of the pin next to it, and when done reinstalled the connector lock and made sure everything seated well on the PCM (if you make a terminal to tight, you risk it bending the PCM pin and causing big damage) I got rid of my jumper wire and reconnected the original alternator wire as it was no longer in question.

A quick code clearing and a nice long test drive with various different driving styles reveals the issue no longer present at this time. The pin being slightly loose was causing an intermittent connection which kicks off all the communication codes and rather annoying beeps.

I hope this helps someone out!

 

[deagle2008]

Long winded post incoming.

My girlfriend made this account while what was left of my hair was being pulled out. I am a ford service tech and worked on this truck (her fathers) in my spare time. The truck in question is a 22 with the 2.7L engine. That TSB posted earlier does not "apply" to this truck, although it was still worth a shot.

The truck first presented with multiple communication and battery voltage codes, and seeing as many of these trucks as I have I started with the battery replacement and BMS reset, a pretty common thing on these trucks. This did not fix the issue.

There is currently an SSM (special service message, basically almost a TSB) for this issue, showing the 2.7L trucks may exhibit multiple communication failures on the LIN module due to the alternator wire being chafed by the driver side motor mount. I pulled the alternator and inspected the harness (single wire on these trucks) for breaks and chafing but didn't find anything there, I did find the wire kinked near the alternator connector and intermittent connection when doing a continuity test and turning the connector, which led to me replacing the pigtail, this of course led to no fix.

Next i began following the pinpoint test for the loss of communication with alternator code. This test has you make sure the battery is in good shape, and if so, check the pulse with an oscilloscope on the alternator wire. It scoped good so the pinpoint test tells you to replace the alternator, which of course, did not work either.

The wire controlling the alternator (white w/green) runs from the alternator over to the passenger frame rail, and then splits, one side goes to a connector near the PCM and the other branch goes to the grille shutters and active air dam. If any of those components ground out, the same fault lights can occur as it grounds out the whole circuit. This is why some reports of this issue end with a grille actuator or air dam actuator.

Knowing that the grille shutters and air dam would just show communication codes / a message on the dash since they were disconnected, and not the charging system service now light(which goes on and off basically whenever at this point) I decided to run a wire directly from the alternator to the connector nearest the PCM. This eliminated 90% of the harness and left me knowing that if the light flashed again, it was somewhere between the connector near the PCM and the PCM/ its connector, not somewhere behind the grille or something. To my surprise, it once again came on and went away.

This is where things get difficult for the at home guys, and even some dealer techs.

I removed the PCM connector (closest to passenger seat) and tested continuity from the alternator wire all the way to PCM connector and shook/wiggled the harness, I had no loss of continuity whatsoever.

I removed the connector lock (basically the face) and performed both a pin drag and pin fit test on the terminal that connects to the PCM, number 49 in this instance.

The pin drag test is where you move the terminal back and forth in and out of the connector to see if its loose enough to be pushed out when latching the connector, this test passed when checked against the pin next to it.

The pin fit test is, difficult. It's all in the hands and about how tight the terminal is. During this test I found that the terminal next to the one in question had slightly tighter tolerance with the test pin, while the one in question was a bit looser. I bent the terminal a bit, in soft and slow increments until i was able to replicate the tolerance of the pin next to it, and when done reinstalled the connector lock and made sure everything seated well on the PCM (if you make a terminal to tight, you risk it bending the PCM pin and causing big damage) I got rid of my jumper wire and reconnected the original alternator wire as it was no longer in question.

A quick code clearing and a nice long test drive with various different driving styles reveals the issue no longer present at this time. The pin being slightly loose was causing an intermittent connection which kicks off all the communication codes and rather annoying beeps.

I hope this helps someone out!

Which of these connectors is the culprit?

 

[Gone_Insane]

It will be the connector to the far left.

 

[HammaMan]

Long winded post incoming.

My girlfriend made this account while what was left of my hair was being pulled out. I am a ford service tech and worked on this truck (her fathers) in my spare time. The truck in question is a 22 with the 2.7L engine. That TSB posted earlier does not "apply" to this truck, although it was still worth a shot.

The truck first presented with multiple communication and battery voltage codes, and seeing as many of these trucks as I have I started with the battery replacement and BMS reset, a pretty common thing on these trucks. This did not fix the issue.

There is currently an SSM (special service message, basically almost a TSB) for this issue, showing the 2.7L trucks may exhibit multiple communication failures on the LIN module due to the alternator wire being chafed by the driver side motor mount. I pulled the alternator and inspected the harness (single wire on these trucks) for breaks and chafing but didn't find anything there, I did find the wire kinked near the alternator connector and intermittent connection when doing a continuity test and turning the connector, which led to me replacing the pigtail, this of course led to no fix.

Next i began following the pinpoint test for the loss of communication with alternator code. This test has you make sure the battery is in good shape, and if so, check the pulse with an oscilloscope on the alternator wire. It scoped good so the pinpoint test tells you to replace the alternator, which of course, did not work either.

The wire controlling the alternator (white w/green) runs from the alternator over to the passenger frame rail, and then splits, one side goes to a connector near the PCM and the other branch goes to the grille shutters and active air dam. If any of those components ground out, the same fault lights can occur as it grounds out the whole circuit. This is why some reports of this issue end with a grille actuator or air dam actuator.

Knowing that the grille shutters and air dam would just show communication codes / a message on the dash since they were disconnected, and not the charging system service now light(which goes on and off basically whenever at this point) I decided to run a wire directly from the alternator to the connector nearest the PCM. This eliminated 90% of the harness and left me knowing that if the light flashed again, it was somewhere between the connector near the PCM and the PCM/ its connector, not somewhere behind the grille or something. To my surprise, it once again came on and went away.

This is where things get difficult for the at home guys, and even some dealer techs.

I removed the PCM connector (closest to passenger seat) and tested continuity from the alternator wire all the way to PCM connector and shook/wiggled the harness, I had no loss of continuity whatsoever.

I removed the connector lock (basically the face) and performed both a pin drag and pin fit test on the terminal that connects to the PCM, number 49 in this instance.

The pin drag test is where you move the terminal back and forth in and out of the connector to see if its loose enough to be pushed out when latching the connector, this test passed when checked against the pin next to it.

The pin fit test is, difficult. It's all in the hands and about how tight the terminal is. During this test I found that the terminal next to the one in question had slightly tighter tolerance with the test pin, while the one in question was a bit looser. I bent the terminal a bit, in soft and slow increments until i was able to replicate the tolerance of the pin next to it, and when done reinstalled the connector lock and made sure everything seated well on the PCM (if you make a terminal to tight, you risk it bending the PCM pin and causing big damage) I got rid of my jumper wire and reconnected the original alternator wire as it was no longer in question.

A quick code clearing and a nice long test drive with various different driving styles reveals the issue no longer present at this time. The pin being slightly loose was causing an intermittent connection which kicks off all the communication codes and rather annoying beeps.

I hope this helps someone out!

Had something similar show up on a coil pack one time where only w/ the engine hot would it occasionally misfire/fail to fire. Issue was poor pin retention force and only showed up when everything was warm and loose. Having spare pins to check such things makes it much easier to diagnose, especially if you know to look for it!

Excess gas killed the cat before the issue was resolved though.

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