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Voltage /pcm


womble68
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hi i'm after some help I've previously posted about problems with engine malfunction and all sorts of stuff happing on my 2008 1.6 tdci titanium put new battery on and decided to change glow plugs because I had them anyway still no difference sometimes would be fine and then other times malfunction again, been to several garages and one said so many fault codes they wouldn't know where to start anyway just been running the car with a test meter on the battery and was charging normally at about 14.4 volts then the display beeps and said engine malfunction checked the meter and the volts had jumped up to 16.9 volts switched car off straight away left it for a few minutes then restarted everything fine voltage normal again then again the beep and engine malfunction and then volts had jumped back to 16.9 ish , rang the garage and spoke to the mechanic that first looked at it and he said that that hadn't happened when they had it hooked up but then again the car didn't show a malfunction for them either but he said that explains a lot and said that the voltage jumping would cause all sorts of problems with the pcm , apperantly there is a for technical bulletin regarding the wiring loom and corrosion which would cause this exact problem , I asked if it could be the altenator but he said very unlikey ...... so question is a: where is pcm located so I can check the wiring and trace it back to see if there is any problems with it b: does the power from altenator not go directly to the battery first? c: if ford know about this problem would / should the correct the fault ? cheers for any help given driving me nuts so hopefully can get it sorted

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I take it you have fitted a silver calcium battery and not a lead acid battery. The Ford Smart Charge System will put through up to 18 volts on a low battery and a lead acid battery will not be able to cope with that. That would cause all sorts of issues.

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emmm i'll go check I just went to the local battery outlet gave the reg no. and they gave me the battery for my model although this problem was happening before I swapped the battery , I thought a new battery may help as it was the original ford one on the car and I've done 120,000 so had good use from it

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if its not silver calcium your better taking it back and getting a replacement. the dealer shouldnt sell you it if its not truely compatible with your car, anything other than an SC battery is not compatible.

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just had dealer on phone it said it is a calcium battery he said silver is just a term ford use but he said deffo a calcium batt... also just been down and checked voltage from altenator with plug taken off back and was running at 11.7 volts plug back in and goes up to 16 volts + and engine light comes on on dash with plug out engine light goes out but batt warning light comes on I presume this is because not enough voltage to charge batt

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the smart charge system is designed to operate on silver calcium batteries, just because its calcium doesn't mean its correct. That's like saying I have a solid 24 carrat gold (plated) watch, but because its got gold in the name, its clearly gold!

The smart charge system doesn't play nicely with other style of batteries. I would take the battery back and request that he swaps it for a silver calcium as these are the only batteries fully supported by the Ford Smart Charge system. Ford should have a 12v battery, with the engine off, the reading should be close to 12, with the engine running it should be at around 14v and if you have all the electrics on, it will drop to about 12 again, but turn them off it should live at 14.

The battery isnt getting on with the smart charge system, the car is pumping more juice into the battery than its capable of taking so its causing a spike in voltage resulting in the errors You might as well just short the positive and negative as thats the effect your having pretty much.

What sort of dealer is this guy??

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16v means the smart charge is faulty by the sounds of it and putting out too much voltage which is either the smart charge or the battery

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silver calcium isnt just a term used by ford.

for all their advantages, calcium batteries suffer increased corrosion on their grids...to combat this

the grid is produced with an element of silver...hence the silver calcium name....as used by Bosch and varta batteries too...

you can also use tin in the grid to give the same outcome, as used by most other calcium batteries and despite the claims made by ford etc, are perfectly acceptable to use as the specs are identical...

think there is another process which involves rolled lead, but either way, any calcium battery is acceptable on smart charge systems....there is a thought that non silver may lead to a marginally reduced service life, but its never been proved

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Silver Calcium alloy batteries are batteries water-acid
electrolyte, but with grids made ​​from calcium-silver alloy, instead of
traditional lead-antimony grids. They stand out for its resistance to
corrosion and the destructive effects of high temperatures. The result
of this improvement is manifested in increased battery life and
maintaining a starting power over time

Silver calcium batteries generally require more charging voltage (14.4
to 14.8 V) and may not be functional in older vehicles because their
power generating systems (alternators) give lower voltages than those of
modern vehicles. This also may occur with static chargers, because some
fail to charge these batteries

In a Technical service Bulletin from Ford (who have been using
Calcium Silver since 1997 as OE), they have stated that due to the Smart
Changing System (SCS) fitted to its vehicles ONLY Calcium Silver
batteries can be used.



Fitting anything other than Calcium Silver could result in a severely
shortened service life, increased warranty claims and could even cause
explosions.



The following Ford models must ONLY be fitted with Calcium Silver batteries as stipulated by Ford Motor Company Ltd.



Model..... From

Mondeo.. June '98

Cougar.. June '98

Puma.... January '99

Transit. January '99

Escort.. January '99

Fiesta.. January '99

Ka....... January '99

Foc...... January '99

Fusion.. September '02

all fords thereafter

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Calcium calcium batteries have calcium alloy on both positive and
negative grids. Silver batteries also have an amount of silver in the
alloy. Added benefits above Calcium Hybrid batteries are improved CCA
ratings, further reduction of electrolyte loss, higher resistance to
internal corrosion and provides longer service life even in high heat
conditions as well as faster high voltage starts. so theres a difference between double calcium and silver calcium

calcium hybrids

In a drive to market batteries that require no topping up during their
lifetime and an extended shelf life, battery manufacturers have moved to
lead calcium batteries to meet these needs. Calcium Hybrid batteries
have calcium alloy only on the negative grids where as calcium calcium
batteries have calcium alloy on both positive and negative grids. The
reason calcium batteries require no topping up is because calcium alloy
grid batteries gas at a higher voltage than conventional lead acid
batteries and reduce the need to top up by 90% and shelf life by an
increase of 63%.

from valeo the actual alternator makers own technical service bulletin

Smart charging alternators on Fords
On many new Ford models the alternator fitted has a ‘smart charge system’ that regulates the output of the alternator
to ensure the battery is being charged efficiently and only when needed, reducing emissions and improving
performance.
The alternator is controlled by the PCM (power control module) which monitors certain parameters such as the engine
temperature, battery temperature and electrical demand. If the alternator does not receive a signal from the PCM, the
battery light is illuminated on the vehicle. This can sometimes be misdiagnosed as an alternator failure.
There are some checks that can be made to see if the alternator is at fault or, if there is an issue with the PCM or its
wiring.
The first thing to check is if the battery is the correct type. Smart charge systems
are designed to be used only
with
a silver calcium battery not the lead acid type due to the voltages used which may damage a lead acid battery
and give incorrect readings.
If you disconnect the 3 pin PCM plug from the alternator and it is charging again, this will show the alternator is
being controlled by the PCM. This will check if the alternator is still functioning. The 3 pin plug will need to be
reconnected immediately after the test to avoid any damage to the vehicle.
This test is a temporary check only
and is not a resolution to the fault. Disconnection and reconnection of the 3 pin plug should be done when
the engine is switched off.
If the battery is of the correct type and the alternator is found to be charging, the next part to check is the continuity of
the wiring loom from the alternator to the PCM. Due to the location of the alternator in relation to the PCM, the wiring
can become chafed or the insulation melts from being too close to a heat source. This is
a
common
reason
when the
battery light is illuminated and a new loom will be needed.
This is listed for the Ford Connect, part no.1421293,

but can be modified for other models

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I would start by getting the appropriate battery in, and if the voltage is still 16v, then the car needs to be looked at for the smart charge as mentioned by Arthur.

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