obi-won
New Member
Good afternoon everyone. This is my first post and thought I would just share a recent experience. I had a very hard time finding any information for my Expedition when I started getting the Check Charging System warning light on my dash. Here is a brief history and the final fix for this problem.
On Election day my Expy started giving me an intermittent check charging system warning light and sound. It never stayed on but would flash on about every few minutes. Then the engine stalled out on me while still in my neighborhood. I was able to restart it and get it home where I started my research into the issues I was seeing. I couldn't find anything definitive, mostly people who had the same problem but no resolutions to this problem. I was able to drive it to Advance and Autozone (both less than a mile away from my house).
Autozone said the battery was "ok" but too week to check the alternator. Advance said the battery needed charging but the alternator was good. Neither store could find any OBD codes either.
So, recharged the battery, tried driving to work and it stalled out before I left the hood. I looked over all the wires, the battery, anything I could think of but found no issues. Checked the internet again and still couldn't find a good answer. Decided to (cringe) have it towed to the local Ford dealer thinking they were the experts and should be able to figure it out.
Well, they first told me it was the battery. So I got the battery replaced. Didn't fix the issue. Then they told me it was the wiring harness. So they fixed that and flashed the computer. Didn't fix it. I didn't even get it off of the lot this time.
They held it for a week without touching it. Then, after several calls, they decided to drive it. They drove it for 12 miles while hooked up to a computer and got no codes. So they declared it "fixed" and told me to come get it. Sure enough the light came on, again.
Took it back to Ford since I am now into them for over $600 and I tell them to find the problem. Finally, they call me and tell me that the problem is my instrument cluster. Really? My instrument cluster is causing the engine to stall and the warning light to cut on? How much I ask. $880 for the parts. I crapped a brick and so nope.
Drove the vehicle immediately to Autozone and had them recheck the alternator. Bad voltage regulator. Took it to Advance, good battery and good alternator. Took it to O'rielly's. Bad voltage regulator, good battery.
Replaced the alternator. It has been almost 1,000 miles now and not one single issue. Not sure why Ford couldn't figure out this out for the $600 I paid them but hey....it is what it is.
I will say this, I do think the stalling problem was caused by the wire harness. After reading the service bulletin for this vehicle, the symptoms it was having matched the SB and the recommended fix was replacing the harness. So I think I had two things go bad at the same time, the voltage regular and the wire harness.
Sorry for being so long winded. There is more I could have shared but my fingers are getting tired from typing. Hope this helps somebody else.
On Election day my Expy started giving me an intermittent check charging system warning light and sound. It never stayed on but would flash on about every few minutes. Then the engine stalled out on me while still in my neighborhood. I was able to restart it and get it home where I started my research into the issues I was seeing. I couldn't find anything definitive, mostly people who had the same problem but no resolutions to this problem. I was able to drive it to Advance and Autozone (both less than a mile away from my house).
Autozone said the battery was "ok" but too week to check the alternator. Advance said the battery needed charging but the alternator was good. Neither store could find any OBD codes either.
So, recharged the battery, tried driving to work and it stalled out before I left the hood. I looked over all the wires, the battery, anything I could think of but found no issues. Checked the internet again and still couldn't find a good answer. Decided to (cringe) have it towed to the local Ford dealer thinking they were the experts and should be able to figure it out.
Well, they first told me it was the battery. So I got the battery replaced. Didn't fix the issue. Then they told me it was the wiring harness. So they fixed that and flashed the computer. Didn't fix it. I didn't even get it off of the lot this time.
They held it for a week without touching it. Then, after several calls, they decided to drive it. They drove it for 12 miles while hooked up to a computer and got no codes. So they declared it "fixed" and told me to come get it. Sure enough the light came on, again.
Took it back to Ford since I am now into them for over $600 and I tell them to find the problem. Finally, they call me and tell me that the problem is my instrument cluster. Really? My instrument cluster is causing the engine to stall and the warning light to cut on? How much I ask. $880 for the parts. I crapped a brick and so nope.
Drove the vehicle immediately to Autozone and had them recheck the alternator. Bad voltage regulator. Took it to Advance, good battery and good alternator. Took it to O'rielly's. Bad voltage regulator, good battery.
Replaced the alternator. It has been almost 1,000 miles now and not one single issue. Not sure why Ford couldn't figure out this out for the $600 I paid them but hey....it is what it is.
I will say this, I do think the stalling problem was caused by the wire harness. After reading the service bulletin for this vehicle, the symptoms it was having matched the SB and the recommended fix was replacing the harness. So I think I had two things go bad at the same time, the voltage regular and the wire harness.
Sorry for being so long winded. There is more I could have shared but my fingers are getting tired from typing. Hope this helps somebody else.
