Windstar :: 2002 Ford - Meter Shows That Battery Giving Out Enough Volts But Check Engine Light On
Aug 16, 2015
2002 Ford Windstar: Whenever I disconnect the battery and then reconnect it, I get this hum that sounds like the CD player preparing to play a CD. There is no CD in the player. It last for about 30 seconds and then stops. Afterwards, my check engine light comes on and stay on until I have the mechanic reset the alarm. The battery is new. My meter shows that the battery is giving out enough volts. It annoys me to have the check engine light on all of the time. I'd rather it be off so it can report if something else goes wrong with the engine.
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The brief information:
1. Stuck/non moving in traffic on the freeway for roughly 1 1/2. During that time the AC was running, but once I noticed my "battery light" on the dash turn on, I turned everything off.
2. Since then while on my way home from work the voltage meter only showed barely 12 volts at full throttle.
3. I charged my battteries, and started it up today to go into work. While going to work the voltage meter showed 14 at its high point, but shortly there after it dropped back down to 12. At which time the battery light came back on.
New battery or alternator?
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So I had a serious runability problem back in 2012 with code P0302 (misfire in cylinder 2) and the car was barely running. I changed the spark plugs, which didn't fix the issues. Then changed the coil, which fixed it. URL...But I was a little lazy back in September 2012, the old spark plug wires looked like they were still in great shape, so I left the old wires on. I think they were the original factory wires, they had the numbers of each cylinder printed on the side. Very nice wires!
Fast-forward to the present. Car starts running poorly with a blinking check-engine light. Not good! I check the code and it is P0306, misfire in cylinder 6. So my first thought was: OK, probably time to change the spark plug wires!I changed the spark plug wires. I purchased AutoLite Professional Series wires at Advance Auto Parts, part 97047. URL...Sure enough, the number 6 wire looked like it had a little corrosion inside the end that connects to the spark plug wire. It looked like I was on the right track! Changed the spark plug wires, and ran it. It still sounded like it might be missing on one cylinder. Just a quiet ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch at idle. I took it for a test drive. It ran OK at low RPM's, but had no power. When I tested some hard acceleration, sure enough the check engine light came back on. Tested the code and it was P0306 again. Conclusion: not fixed yet.
OK, maybe the spark plug wire was the problem, just the plug got fouled because the wire was bad. I purchased a replacement spark plug for that cylinder only. AutoLite Double Platinum as recommended elsewhere in this forum. Removed the old plug. I'm no expert, but the old plug looked fine to me. Installed the new plug. Tested it again. Still sounded like missing at idle ch-ch-ch-ch-ch. Test drive, OK with low RPM, no power. Tried hard acceleration, got the blinking CEL again. Conclusion: still not fixed - darn it!
Now remember, I just changed the coil back in September 2012. I had replaced it with a coil from AutoZone. The first coil had lasted ten years. So it couldn't be the coil again this soon, right? But... just to be sure, I went ahead and changed the coil again. I called AutoZone and happily it was still under warranty. The previous coil I had purchased came with a 24-month warranty, and I was on month 23 !!! Sweet!AutoZone also told me if I did a warranty replacement of the coil, the new one would come with a lifetime warranty instead.The part number of the coil at AutoZone was part C1312, Duralast Ignition Coil.
Before installing the new coil, I put a little Dielectric grease around the top inside of each connector on the new coil (7 total, six spark plug wires plus the electrical connector). I think this was recommended in my Haynes or Chilton manuals.I am a tall skinny guy with long skinny arms. So I was able to replace the coil without removing the cowl. Last time I had to remove the cowl (to do the intake manifold isolator bolt repair) the cowl had cracked, also some of the clips holding it down broke. So I didn't want to remove the cowl unless necessary. It turns out with my long skinny arms I can lay up over the motor and reach back around both sides of the intake manifold to reach the coil. It is a reach, but it was possible for me to do the job that way.
I removed the three bolts holding the old coil in place. Then I was able to slide the new coil back in there, around the driver's side of the intake manifold. I transferred over the spark plug wires one by one from old to new (as recommended by another poster) so I wouldn't get confused which was which. It worked well to transfer the rear three first. That hold the new coil near the correct location, and gave me more slack to move the old coil further out of the way.Next step was to remove the wire connector from the rear of the coil pack. It didn't want to release. I looked at the old part (from 2012!!!) and there was a little plastic nub back there to lock the connector in place. It looked like there was room to work in a small screwdriver back there to release the lock. So I wiggled a short flat-head screwdriver in back there (with a wide head) and it released. Then I was able to easily remove the connector.
Then I had more slack to move the old coil further out of the way, toward the drivers side and front of the vehicle. And then transferred the last three spark plug wires to the new coil.Then to secure the new coil in place, I carefully installed one bolt by hand, leaving it loose to allow for final adjustments of position. Installed the second and third bolts loosely. Tightened the three bolts finger tight using a short (3") extension and 7mm socket (1/4" drive). Then snugged them very gently using my small 1/4" rachet. The small 1/4" rachet was a perfect fit using the 3" inch extension and the small 7mm socket. Remember you just want the bolts snug, do not over-tighten them.
When I went back to AutoZone to process the warranty return, they had to do some fancy work with their computer to get me the lifetime warranty on the new coil. By default it would just assume the rest of the original coil warranty from 2012 - which was just about to expire. So they made it right for me - but only because I specifically asked about it. By default, the guy had already rung it up their "normal" way, which would not have extended the warranty for me.Another thing that was strange was back in September 2012 when I replaced the original coil, it had worked well for ten years or so! Also, the bottom of it was clearly cracked, so it was easy to see that it had deteriorated and needed to be replaced.
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So I went to Target with my wife yesterday and after about 30 mins of shopping, left the store and tried to start the Ex and will not start. The engine tuned over slowly like the battery did not have enough juice to start the truck. So I had it jumped and it started right up. So I went to autozone and the battery and alternator tested and both and in good working order.
Today it happened again. After stopping at a fast food joint to grab a quick bite, same thing it did not start. But before I started the truck the voltmeter showed about 12.6 volts. When I tried to start it, the engine turned really slow and did not start. By that time the volt meter showed about only 6.5 volts. So trying to start it just drained the battery. I had it jumped and it started right up. Went back to Autozone and had the battery and alternator tested and both are fine.
Once the truck is running, the volt meter shows ~13.5 - 14 v volts. No other electrical issues while driving. What's happening? What should I check for? The battery is about 3 years old. I will charge the battery over night and see what happens tomorrow.
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Truck had a check engine light that came on. Plugged in scanner while I was still running it, said egr volts were weak, i just cleaned it yesterday.. and earlier today reset the check engine light once but then drove about 30 miles with no reoccurrence of light. Now i pulled over, shut off truck unplugged egr and reconnected. Went back to start my truck and nothing at all. Its like I am trying to start it in park.....been here for about 3 hrs now I've checked fuses nothing is blown. I am just sitting here freezing trying to fig out anything i can on line....... Its a 2006 f350 6.0 ty
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I have had my egg for just under two weeks and have had my first issue. Was driving home tonight and noticed and error message on the dash. Mentioned something about shutting down some electronics... it then said it was going to shut of the AC. Kind of strange so I looked down at my Volt meter and it was only registering 10.5 volts. As soon as i got home i got on vwvortex and searched. Found a lot of dead batteries and slow drains but not much info on low voltage out of the alt. I took the truck into the dealer and they said it was the cable issue between the alt and the battery.
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My truck shows check engine when i drive it cold but after i reset the battery, start and warm it up for few minutes i don't get the error codes
1. It says evaporative emission control system malfunction for the p0440
2. EECS incorrect purge flow for p0441
3. EECS Vent Control Circuit malfunction for p0446
I have 3 error codes and I don't know where to start?
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I have a 2001 Ford Windstar Sports SE with 155K miles. I did a tune-up eight months ago. With the tune up I had to replace the fuel pump because it was defective. Later, I found that there were misfires occurring since I was getting slow acceleration. I had the spark plugs on the guilty cylinders replaced again and the spark plug wires.
Periodically, I have had to return to the shop to have the vehicle checked. I sometimes get a blinking check engine light while trying to accelerate, which now occurs only while it is raining or I am exiting the car wash. The shop is at a loss as to what it is (spark plugs and wires are fine, no lose connections noticed). I am wondering if I should take it to someone else. Of course, taking it somewhere else will cost me $100 to check on someone's else work.
The shop replaced the ignition coil. Distributor cap is fine. They keep saying that the engine is running fine while in the shop and do not get any codes. I had them drive it while it was raining and they discovered that cylinder 4 is misfiring. They worked on the cylinder. The vehicle runs well, until it rains or I wash it.
My questions to the group, "If everything is OK, how come it is misfiring? What are they missing? What is the connection to the moisture?"
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I have a 2002 prius with 143,000 miles. On Friday, I went to start my car and put it in gear and the check engine light came on and the "triangle of death" lit up and car died. I turned it off and waited about 30 seconds and tried starting it again. It started and I drove 1/2mile home. Went into the garage and got the Actron/OBDII code reader. Pulled the code P3125 which when I googled it, it was referring to the inverter. I cleared the code and all was well.
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My 2010 Prius with 72k miles on it. I bought a OBDII scanner and read P0401 Exhaust Gas Recirculation Flow Insufficient Detected. The check engine light comes on for few days, then go away for few weeks and then come back again. It's been doing the exact same thing (Come on for few days and then go away) in last few months. But I do not feel any different in terms of driving.
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I have a 2002 Ford Windstar, mileage 61,234, garage kept and in excellent condition.On 6/30/12, I went to take the car out but the system was completely dead. We put a charge on the battery overnight to no avail. We then replaced with a new battery and it started right up (7/1/12). The car ran well until 7/18/12 (17 days) when the system again was completely dead.
This time I had the car towed to the Ford garage where they kept it for 2 days and could not find a problem. They installed another new battery (charging parts and labor). The car drove well again until 8/15/12 (less than a month) when the stsyem was dead again.
The car was towed back to the Ford garage and kept for another 2 days. They said the electrical system was checked completely and they could find nothing wrong. They put a charge on their battery and told me to drive the car at least twice a week. That's where we stand at this time.
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The 2007 Prius starts and runs fine with no problem. However, the 12v battery check with a multimeter shows 9.9v reading. Does this mean that the 12v Battery is coming to end of life and needs to be replaced.
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My 2001 Buick Lasebre is not starting properly. I have to pump the gas several times before it will start; then when it is started at low speeds or idle it wants to stall. As long as I can some how keep pushing the gas peddle it wont stall. On the other hand when I am driving at higher speeds, anything above 40 or so it runs perfect. The check engine light was on and shows EGR valve stuck open. I have replaced the Mass airflow sensor, fuel filter, and the EGR valve. I had the code cleared and a short while later my check engine light came back on with the exact same reading. I bought this car only a week ago and was not expecting to have to fix a car I just bought and ran fine while test driving it. I have read may different forum that say that it could be anything from my fuel pump to vacuum hoses, to some other sensor.
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I just replaced my batteries today on my 2011 F250 because of a no start situation. I guess it was about due since they were original and that gives me 5 + years of service and it happened in my driveway so I definitely am not complaining. However after I replaced them and started the truck the check eng lite came on....
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Another thread on here about Time for Batteries got me to thinking about mine and whether I should change them based upon time.
They have been in the truck 4 years and 6 months or so. I was reading some older threads recommending changing around the 3 year mark to prevent damage to the FICM.
I don't drive the truck everyday and sometimes it sits for 3 weeks or so. I noticed 2 days ago when I took it to work, I got one of the slowest cranks I've ever gotten. But after it's started and the glow plugs turn off, I get ~ 14.1 - 13.4 or so volts.
FICM voltage never drops below 47 and usually runs between 47.5 and 48.5 volts.
I'm not sure what size alternator is on there. Plus it's a single. I also have the upgraded cables that Mr. Jack recommended for extra battery life. I guess it's time for batteries though?
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My friend got an 04 treg v6 and has that warning up on the cluster. How I can fix this? And does my vagcom cable for a mk4 work on a toureg, or is this canbus?
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I have a 2000 7.3 just replaced the alternator little over 2 months ago old one was wore out...heres my problem the night before last I was coming home and started to lose charge and made it home..shut the truck off and tried to restart and it would just click due to low volts.. the next day tested both batteries and they tested weak so I just cleaned the battery post and the cables..and started up and ran fine all day.. last night on the way home started to lose volts again got all the way down to 8 volts showing then all of a sudden it kicked in went back to normal.. and now today started to do the same thing by losing volts but now its dead but the batteries still test weak with no discharge under a load
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My girlfriend has a 2002 F-150 with the 4.6 V8 and I was going to change the spark plugs for her. She said it started running rough and it threw a code and check engine light. She took it for a scan and they told her the number 5 plug was mis-firing. I'm fairly handy and bought a set of the recommended Motorcraft plugs from Rock Auto, AGSF32PM. It also matched the number in the owners manual so I thought I was pretty safe.
Funny thing, when I took the old ones out, they were AGSF22WM's instead. My thinking is they are a colder plug than the supposedly original equipment, but I don't think they've been changed before. They looked well used but the color was good. The truck has about 135K on it.
Long story short, and to get to the question(s), Would there be any reason the factory would have put a different plug in the engine than what is listed? Am I asking for trouble going with a hotter plug than what's been in there (pinging or timing retardation/loss of power)? Am I just overthinking the whole thing and need to put it back together and drive it?
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I have a 2000 Jetta VR6 and my Immobilizer (car & key) dash light came on, along the check engine, battery, and a few lights when tried to start my car to move it. I've been doing my research and know the problem is the communication between an RFID chip in my remote key and the key cylinder. My current remote key is old so I wonder if I need a new key. Now I do have a spare remote key (hardly used) and valet key which I could have overnighted to me.
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So I went to start the car (2013 C3) and it wouldn't start. The batter was horribly dead (dim screen and would only go into POWER ON mode.) I charged the battery for like a half hour using a plug in charger using the hood terminals. When I tried to turn it on later, The only thing that came on was the check engine light (really dim) so it's not charged up enough yet obviously. The issue is now it won't turn off. That check engine light is still there. No other screens are on and the vehicle doesn't make any other noises (door ajar, etc.)
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Got a new battery today but now the check engine light is on. Went to local auto parts store and was told it's the MAP sensor. I had the battery replaced 3 years prior to this and at that time the check engine light didn't turn on. Is that normal?
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