PicoScope 7 Automotive
Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, the next evolution of our diagnostic scope software is now available.
What Scanner are you using, they are not equal as you know. Bench testing the alternator is great but not ideal as the Purists will argue and with good reason. Are you able to drive alternator output up & down with a scan tool ?no fault codes on the electrical systems anywhere. The alternator is not the cause, we have bench tested this unit and can gain up to 15 v from it.
Your post would have been far more informative if you added current consumption or charge current to the voltages above.I'd like to add that this weekend I have driven the car around 40 miles and I can say that the battery voltage charging at the garage was 13.2 V, the battery was fully charged at 12.6 V. Today using the cars instrumentation display the battery voltage is 11.4 V without the engine running and when running the charging voltage is 12.1 V.
Danny on here quite some time back mentioned about the ignition system interfering with the PCM, something about electrical interference I think. I'd be interested in knowing how I'd test for that to rule out the ignition causing any problems.Iver wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2019 12:15 pmWhat Scanner are you using, they are not equal as you know. Bench testing the alternator is great but not ideal as the Purists will argue and with good reason. Are you able to drive alternator output up & down with a scan tool ?no fault codes on the electrical systems anywhere. The alternator is not the cause, we have bench tested this unit and can gain up to 15 v from it.
VERDICT 7 No it seems the software 18.4 is a load of rubbish.
Smart charge pico.jpg
A couple of points that may need a better look in that capture ( would be nice to see channel Labels). I guess blue is battery voltage, red is current measured somewhere ? and green being the LIN.
Yes you are correct Current measured by way of an amps clamp directly at the rear of the alternator, all vehicle electrics switched on and engine at fast idle.
The current flow there is a constant 120 Amps which is probably not too far from cranking amps on a little petrol engine. That would be alarm bells for me on a vehicle that drives well for 200 miles and the battery goes flat a month later. Of course the cabling between the battery and alternator can survive that current but I would imagine it to be "warm" to say the least. That aside What is Pulling 120 Amps on that car ?
I suppose that is the problem with scopes, its not possible to see what pulls the amps unless like you say the operator uses channel labels, sorry that'll be my fault
The Linbus signal is not quite being pulled down to a clean 0v earth but in the absence of any fault codes you could set that aside for now, the signal can be decoded as you can see in the picture so you should be able tor promote and monitor change quite easily using a scan tool actuation or simply adding and removing heavy loads.
Looks like I'll have to set it up so that I can add/remove loads manually as the scanner software is useless
I it has BMS then there should be a PID that can be monitored.
I've looked through the software and I can't find any pid for the BMS
Your post would have been far more informative if you added current consumption or charge current to the voltages above.I'd like to add that this weekend I have driven the car around 40 miles and I can say that the battery voltage charging at the garage was 13.2 V, the battery was fully charged at 12.6 V. Today using the cars instrumentation display the battery voltage is 11.4 V without the engine running and when running the charging voltage is 12.1 V.
When I measured the 13.2 volts the engine was running at fast idle and the current consumption above was with all electrics operating, this was done at the garage. I knew there was a problem and I did not do anymore testing at the garage. Sunday I was at home when I went out to the car and read the 11.4 V from the instrument display, which when I started the car increased to 12.1 V.
I read this as you are using one measuring device to measure voltage then another (instrument display) Would be good to remain consistent with your measurement tools and when the Display is showing 11.4v what is Pico reading ? An inconsistency there could be your best clue to the root cause of this.
I'll look at the differences tomorrow between the instrument display and the Pico reading and post back
For a battery to drop from 12.6v to 11.4v may warrant an overnight drain test.
I'll arrange to do an overnight drain test and report back
Dont put too much emphasis on the charging voltages unlike conventional systems where we like them at 14v or so. With the Smart Charge the controller will calculate what is needed and when and then in turn make it happen.
What is the Charge Current and Voltage with the LIN wire removed ?
I did remove the LIN connection Saturday and started the engine, a voltage reading of 13.9 V was shown
What is pulling 120 amps? That'll be the heated screens x 2, the lights (all) and running about 1500 rpm.Iver wrote: ↑Tue Jun 25, 2019 5:09 pmTechnician
Must say that there is a lot of unnecessary copy & paste in your post. what ever makes you happy but it does make it tedious and difficult to read. Some may not bother. Less is more sometimes !
Back to the Fiesta and some facts.
What on that little car is pulling 120 Amps Constantly ?
What is the current with all the consumers shut down.
If you move the Amp Clamp, (better still if you have a second clamp) from behind the alternator to the Earth Lead on the battery what do you get there ??
And dont lose sight of the fact that it goes 200 miles and is ok for a month - Driver Error or just parked up for a long time.
Thats why VM's have Transport / Showroom Mode.
You might be chasing your take looking for something that does not exist.
Does that add up to 120 amps ..... ?What is pulling 120 amps? That'll be the heated screens x 2, the lights (all) and running about 1500 rpm.