"Check Gauge" light

[LEMANSZ]

..it came on and the voltage meter went off. It seems to be intermitant. When I am at a standstill it will go off after a short time...5 seconds..and them come on again and the meter will go off once under way. Any solutions, comments?

[dbtgt]

LEMANSZ,
I had a similar intermittent warning light problem the first time I drove the car. The warning light and chime would come on and then go off for various things like "door ajar", "check guage" and "seat belt" even after I stopped to check that everything was good to go. After talking to gtjoey, he felt it was a low voltage situation from the car sitting for some time at the dealer. I hooked up a trickle charger and checked all the fuses and relays I could find and actually found one relay (located in the box found in the "luggage compartment" when you remove the package tray to access the battery) to be loose - I think. Anyway, after checking all connections and charging the battery the problem has dissappeared. I personally think it was the "loose relay" I found, but I can't rule out the battery voltage either. Hope this helps.

[LEMANSZ]

thanks...I had charged it all night and then drove for at least 2 hours this morning, so I can't believe that it is 'low voltage'. I will however check the fuses as you described..interestingf how FORD can't spell 'gauge' correctly!

[biffom]

Are you low on fuel? - the light 'check gauges' came on for me when I was low on fuel this morning. Enzobtr saved my bacon with some good directions, out of the mountains, to the nearest fuel station – thanks Enzobtr!

[LEMANSZ]

no, plenty of fuel...maybe the battery low

[analogdesigner]

I spoke with Lemansz about his voltmeter-check gauge light problem. I feel that the Smart Junction box (the one supplied by Lear) has a bad connection going into it (it monitors the system voltage) or the module is defective. The Smart Junction Box is located underneath the removal panel were the passenger's are normally located. I am looking into this right now. His battery is fine, otherwise the car would not start. This is a either a bad electrical connection or a faulty module. The smart junction box is turning the check gauge light ON, because it thinks that the system voltage is abnormally low.

In an earlier post, I had mentioned that sometimes my oil pressure gauge bounces around irregularly, especially last night while cruising down the freeway. I think that one of the two oil pressure senders is defective. I don't want some shadetree auto mechanic putting dozens of miles on my car while he tries to diagnose the problem. I may ask the dealer to replace both pressure senders.

The Check Gauge light will come ON if any of the gauges are reading abnormally, this includes low fuel level.

Make sure that you guys use your trickle charge if you do not start or drive your car at least every two weeks.

Jay

[gtjoey]

Lemansz, our cars have a series of shedding relays, relays that protect main running components as well as computer brain features . IN ENGLISH YOUR BATTERY IS LOW. Like many of our cars they sat whether a month or a year bye now . I know yours is an 06 ,but since you just took delivery i can bet it was built in oct, nov, dec 05 thats 3 to 5 months. Charge the battery with a real charger direct to battery , i can bet once again its probably 50% charged. Thats why your gauges are fluxing , old school, start car facing a wall, turn on the head lights see if they flicker like an old regulater on a 2 million dollar 1970 cuda, hit the gas if the lights get strong or steady its a home run!!!! :banana Your trickle charger is good but its only charging at 2amps per hour, still use it though when the car is finally charged , when not in use FOR ONE WEEK!!!! To much computer crap just draining away. Anyway enjoy, hope that is it , call me if it works gtjoey not on svt payroll for 24 hour tech service AANNDD LOVING IT! :thumbsup

[LEMANSZ]

Joey, you may be on to something. I put a battery babysiter on her and it took over two hours to get to 80% I read somewhere that these Optima battries are supposed to charge fully in one hour...we'll see, I'll; call you tomorow and see if that did it..thanks...DB

[analogdesigner]

Lemansz, our cars have a series of shedding relays, relays that protect main running components as well as computer brain features . IN ENGLISH YOUR BATTERY IS LOW. Like many of our cars they sat whether a month or a year bye now . I know yours is an 06 ,but since you just took delivery i can bet it was built in oct, nov, dec 05 thats 3 to 5 months. Charge the battery with a real charger direct to battery , i can bet once again its probably 50% charged. Thats why your gauges are fluxing , old school, start car facing a wall, turn on the head lights see if they flicker like an old regulater on a 2 million dollar 1970 cuda, hit the gas if the lights get strong or steady its a home run!!!! :banana Your trickle charger is good but its only charging at 2amps per hour, still use it though when the car is finally charged , when not in use FOR ONE WEEK!!!! To much computer crap just draining away. Anyway enjoy, hope that is it , call me if it works gtjoey not on svt payroll for 24 hour tech service AANNDD LOVING IT! :thumbsup

GTjoey,

If you read his original post, he is experiencing an intermittent problem. The battery could not be low, as there is no evidence of this. Think about it, the car starts fine. Cranking over a cold engine requires up to several hundreds of amps! A weak battery simply couldn't do this. Once the engine is running, the alternator will provide up to 60 amps, most of that is more than adequate to run everything in the car along with charging a low battery. The system (battery) voltage will be roughly 13.5 to 14.5 volts when the engine is running (depending on day vs. night and engine RPM). The voltage regulator's job is to ensure this. If the system voltage in the car dropped towards zero, even momentarily, the car engine would simply quit running! The battery voltage gauge monitors the system voltage via a computerized "Smart Box". The voltage gauge does not monitor the system voltage directly as older cars did. This is why I feel that there is a faulty connection or module. A faulty relay is not too likely in this car since I have spent several hours studying the wiring diagram. There are many relays, however, they usually are not used to control or switch low level signals such as those needed for any one of the gauges. Now, if a relay which powers the entire Smart Junction Box was failing or intermittent, the warning lights on the dash would probably flash like a pinball machine. The Ford manuals do not provide a theory of operation either, making precise troubleshooting very difficult. Due to the complexity of modern day automobiles, auto mechanics simply swap out modules rather than trying to pin point the exact problem. It's much faster and cheaper this way.

Am I missing something here? I do not wish to sound like a know-it-all, however I make my living designing all types of electronics. So, any comments would be appreciated. I hope that Lemansz can inform us of exactly was caused this problem.

Jay

[LEMANSZ]

the simplest thing to do is charge the battery overnight and see what happens tomorrow...I'm at a lost for words...

[analogdesigner]

LEMANSZ,
I had a similar intermittent warning light problem the first time I drove the car. The warning light and chime would come on and then go off for various things like "door ajar", "check guage" and "seat belt" even after I stopped to check that everything was good to go. After talking to gtjoey, he felt it was a low voltage situation from the car sitting for some time at the dealer. I hooked up a trickle charger and checked all the fuses and relays I could find and actually found one relay (located in the box found in the "luggage compartment" when you remove the package tray to access the battery) to be loose - I think. Anyway, after checking all connections and charging the battery the problem has dissappeared. I personally think it was the "loose relay" I found, but I can't rule out the battery voltage either. Hope this helps.

I guess I should of read dbtgt's post more carefully. Now his conclusion is quite logical. His description of the problem suggests an intermittent connection. I had mentioned in my earlier posting about the lights flashing like a pinball machine, and this is what I was referring to. By noticing the loose relay was good troubleshooting. The battery voltage level makes no sense to me, however, for Lemansz sake, lets hope that I am wrong!

I also did a short writeup on battery maintenance:
http://www.fordgtforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=722

Jay

[Neilda]

Interesting... I have a Roushe fitted trickle/maintenance charger and haven't had any problems.

However on my brand new Range Rover Supercharged, it's been 'pinging' me with fault messages (gearbox, transmission etc) - the dealer told me it was a low battery (despite driving it 120 miles a day and despite it starting fine). After a month of ownership and heavy driving, it's now fine - suggesting there may be something to this low battery issue.

[LEMANSZ]

...charged it all night...up to specs....it must be as ending unit or loose wire..eeeehhhhhhhhh!!!

[gtjoey]

If im reading you right,the battery is now fully charged? okay now go through battery replacement procedures to clear all out.I use my obdii to clear out all codes. i think its page 52 or 56 in the manual, im at work and my car is under snow at home. Could be a relay just trying the obvious first. Look at the date on the battery knowing ford they bought all 4000 last year and they have been sitting on the shelf. Remember on fords when you pull the battery it even wrecks the readings for emission testing, unless you follow driving 50 miles on off, stop ,go it wont clear, others turn the key on/off , get this 50 times to clear codes. ANALOGE I LOVE YA,I KNOW WE ARE ALL GOING TO NEED YOU IN 10 YEARS WHEN THE MICE GET TO THOSE WIRES IN 10 YEARS :biggrin good luck lemansz either way hope it works out. :thumbsup gtjoey 1314

[LEMANSZ]

WHAT? YES, the battery is fully charged, whetever it sat on the shelf is no matter. Went to the Optima website and according to them the battery can sit forsix months, no matter it's freaking CHARGED!!! Don't understand your procudure, but going to the booklet now..stand by...

[LEMANSZ]

build date FYI was 12/05...could not find what you referfenced on pages 52-56...nada...I'm at a loss..guess Mr. Ford dealer will be getting a visiit soon unless 'analog' comes thru with the answer...I tend to think he may be right that it's a faulty sending unit...

[gtjoey]

It well might be i just dont think through email your getting the code /concept thing,give me a buzz , you have the number. But for all else who are on the edge if their seat . 1/ battery was low, you stated as fact
2/ computer read low readings WHILE DRIVING/fact battery was low
3/now battery is fully charged / fact your charger says
4/ clean out fault readings from low battery/ fact follow procedures that is stored in computer.
5/ change relay or wire or trace ground if others dont work.
6/ most important if all else fails , due like the british car makers, turn the radio louder and put a piece of tape over the red lite :biggrin :biggrin :biggrin I LOVE YOU . GTJOEY 1314

[LEMANSZ]

oh, I think, I'll do number 6...are you kiding? I just bought a 170k and you want to put a band-aid on it? Pleeeezeee. The re seting of the code thing, I don't get...sorry I don't have your number at work, get it to me and I'll call..DB

[gtjoey]

I just posted you my number private ,call im at lunch, i also called my ford guy, will explain in simple terms when you call, youve got to drive it to loose the codes and or obdii, now sit back turn up the radio and cruise baby, man for the left coast your more jumpy that a new york pretzel dealer :biggrin :thumbsup ciao gtjoey

[gtjoey]

Now , after our great talk , please remember ,once the code is cleared you have a 50/50 shot of it still popping up just till you drive all condition driving,stop and go, parkway ect, it must read all conditions,the longest has been 2 to 3 days , just have patients.p.s. if all is well remember this all started from a low drawn battery . enjoy please post back the results gtjoey calmer that the duke in iwagima baby :thumbsup

[LEMANSZ]

you're freaking crazy...I'' be in touch

[gtjoey]

Maybe but at least your light is out and no one at your local dealer can take your baby out for a joy ride. :thumbsup Enjoy my friend call me tonite with the good news. ive got a good feeling on this one. gtjoey 1314 :thumbsup

[LEMANSZ]

FYI...it ain't out yet...my buddy, a 100 miles away has the devise..we'll see if it does the trick...if it does, beers on me..if not.."you in big trouble lucy..."

[gtjoey]

Beer , thought you'd be mailing me that radio with the weak reception that no one wants :biggrin gtjoey 1314 :thumbsup

[LEMANSZ]

how much is the offer for it?

[analogdesigner]

Lemansz,

Sorry, today I was too darn busy to look into your problem any further. You'll probably note in a different post that I got my new wheels installed today. Between that and going to the dentist, it blew the whole day...

Also, last night I decided to purchase a decent code scanner:
http://www.autoenginuity.com/products-scantoolpc.html

I also purchased the additional software module which permits reading of Ford's in-house factory codes as well as the conventional OBD-II standard. This software also has an "engine dyno" feature that lets you performance test the car. The GT has one of the most advanced engine control/monitoring systems in a present day car.

Jay

[LEMANSZ]

..I'm your bitch in Detroit...did the procedure as outlined in the 2006 manual, page 155 I think..drove it the requiste 10 miles and...BINGO...no more 'check GAGE' (I guess someone can't spell in Detroit) light and the voltmeter is acting correctly!!!!life is good again...

[KJD]

Happy for you both. And remember, what happens in Detroit stays in Detroit!!!

[gtjoey]

Great to hear my friend , thats why this forum is so great, with each others imput, digesting the knowledge , figuring things out, it sure puts alot of these things to rest. Sure we get a little jumpy, aggitated ect, cause we are all learning something new. It was great we hear not just from me but ananlog, and a whole host of others, thats what makes this group come together. One day it might be a relay, next day a wire, but we now have a system for these basic problems. ENJOY MY FRIEND, THE BILL IS IN THE MAIL , AT 75 DOLLARS PER FORD UNION HOUR , TIMES 6 HOURS EQUALS 450 ADD TAX, SHIPPING OF RADIO AND WOOFER , YOU OWE ME 3. 25 CENTS :biggrin ONLY KIDDING , Call me though if you want to get rid of the radio, ENJOY, ENJOY , ENJOY :thumbsup P.S. remember the light can come on again to run out the sequence , just reset and that should be it for life. :thumbsup

[Neilda]

That's great news on the car - and very good advice on 'what happens in Detroit, stays in Detroit!' :lol

I agree with you gtjoey, it's a good group of people - I've been sent, emailed and faxed some great information on the car, which I really appreciate. Hopefully I will be able to give back one day if any of you need anything from the UK.

[gtjoey]

Thanks neilda, one way you can help , we are trying to put a registry together and different facts ect.about our cars , when you get time email private or mail a disc of , pictures , codes, body changes ect. . Im trying to maybe get the first NON PROFIT 'GUIDE TO GT DRIVING AND RESTORING YOUR 05/06 GT ' LIKE CORVETTE, JAG AND THE REST DO. Its a while away but in 30 years when our kids are driving their kids around they will have a reference of what to do, what was original ect. FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE POND , CIAO MY FRIEND :biggrin gtjoey 1314 with no blinking lights annnd loving it.....

[LEMANSZ]

what I need is a long weekend with Kiera Knightly sitting on my...well never mind you get the picture...

[SuperB]

I think the site should have a common problem/solution section.
Something that does not fill up with everyones comments but offers just problem and solution.

I can build that into the registry if the forums are not a good place for it.
Would be nice to get more common stuff from dealers and ford too, if that is possible. I know we all just love taking our cars to the dealer, but if a quick answer is listed somewhere, that would be great.

[KJD]

GREAT Idea!!!! I'm already grateful for this site and the good conversation/information. But if there is a way to break out some of the diagnostics/technical solutions, that would be awesome. My concern is that perhaps this is easier said than done, I dunno, I'm IT-challenged. And DBK is still working for free!!!!!

[SuperB]

Yeah, this site has been good to me to. Nice to hear that others have similar
'GT personality quirks' with their cars so I can feel comfortable when mine does the same thing, like the rattle in the clutch, or the noise on the turn signal bleeper thing.

I hope that things like my radiator and manny's radiator help others pay attention to those 'quirks' before they are walking home too.

[LEMANSZ]

it's baaacccckkkk...the light came on again ...I am now convinced it's either...a.)bad sending unit or 2.)bad voltage regulator..I'm afraid to take it in to the Ford guys for something so realitivy simple for fear they might screw somethign else up more major...!

[analogdesigner]

it's baaacccckkkk...the light came on again ...I am now convinced it's either...a.)bad sending unit or 2.)bad voltage regulator..I'm afraid to take it in to the Ford guys for something so realitivy simple for fear they might screw somethign else up more major...!

OKAY, Lamansz.

Read my earlier posts regarding this:
http://www.fordgtforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6434&postcount=6
http://www.fordgtforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6451&postcount=9
I knew that I was correct in my logic on this one.

Call me if you wish: Jay (949) 412-8889 cell, anytime

[LEMANSZ]

I'm stumped..call me 385-8300

[TEXAS GT]

it's baaacccckkkk...the light came on again ...I am now convinced it's either...a.)bad sending unit or 2.)bad voltage regulator..I'm afraid to take it in to the Ford guys for something so realitivy simple for fear they might screw somethign else up more major...!

It's a mistake to try to diagnose or repair this yourself. The car is under warranty and the car is not as exotic as some think. The electrics on the car are not that different from any other Ford and any competent dealer can diagnose it and fix it. If it turns out to be something unique to the GT and the dealer doesn't feel comfortable tackling it, Ford has a good support network he can call in for advice and help. My experience has been very good with the service department at my Ford dealer, you just have to give them a chance. Don't be shy about telling them not to test drive it or wash it but let them do their job. You paid for that warranty. :wink

[LEMANSZ]

thanks for the advise, I agree, it's going in.

[LEMANSZ]

After visiting Beverly Hills ford, they hooked up the obs2 and cleared 16 'low battery' warnings...we will see if that clears it up... the Ford dealer was great

[Gierkink]

I had the same problem yesterday when my oil pressure gauge starting swinging back and forth like a windshield wiper. Whenever it hit “0” the “check gauge” light illuminated. I shut the car down and restarted it and the problem went away. PLEASE NOTE THIS IS DEFINITELY A DIFFERENT ISSUE THAN THE “LOW VOLTAGE” PROBLEM I’VE ALSO EXPERIENCED. Both times I’ve had the low voltage problem I hadn’t started the car for more than two weeks and the battery just turned over the engine enough to start it. The result was a tach that didn’t work at all. Once I’d run the car for a while and restarted it everything was fine. The check gauge light/oil pressure problem happened to me after I’d driven the car for almost two hours earlier in the day. I agree with analogdesigner’s earlier post which stated that there must be some problem with an oil pressure sensor.

Rob

[LEMANSZ]

I think my issue was as stated...car on the showroom floor too long...becoming dishcarged. My Ford guy cleared out all the codes, we'll see what happends. To avoid discharge and not trusting that useless cig apadpter charger, whcih doedsn't even show if it's plugged in. I opted for the 'battery babysitter' option and and attahed pigtailes directly to the battery terminail and out the 'bonnet' for easy access...works like a charm.

[Gierkink]

Lamansz,

Nice use of the word "bonnet". The sensitivity training seems to be having an impact!

Rob

[LEMANSZ]

I'm trying to hide my Detroit roots, is it working?

[Gierkink]

Yes indeed it's working, however I can always spot those Wings fans from a miles away... I'm from Toronto.

Rob

[LEMANSZ]

update..after 3 days at BH Ford, I THINK they found the culprit..a loose wire in the dashboard...we'll see

[GFORCE]

They did not want to even go though that so they installed new battery.
Thats what the tech told me.Getting it home in ten days!

[analogdesigner]

Lemansz,

This is starting to make some sense, especially if you remember my old post from almost two months ago:


GTjoey,

If you read his original post, he is experiencing an intermittent problem. The battery could not be low, as there is no evidence of this. Think about it, the car starts fine. Cranking over a cold engine requires up to several hundreds of amps! A weak battery simply couldn't do this. Once the engine is running, the alternator will provide up to 60 amps, most of that is more than adequate to run everything in the car along with charging a low battery. The system (battery) voltage will be roughly 13.5 to 14.5 volts when the engine is running (depending on day vs. night and engine RPM). The voltage regulator's job is to ensure this. If the system voltage in the car dropped towards zero, even momentarily, the car engine would simply quit running! The battery voltage gauge monitors the system voltage via a computerized "Smart Box". The voltage gauge does not monitor the system voltage directly as older cars did. This is why I feel that there is a faulty connection or module. A faulty relay is not too likely in this car since I have spent several hours studying the wiring diagram. There are many relays, however, they usually are not used to control or switch low level signals such as those needed for any one of the gauges. Now, if a relay which powers the entire Smart Junction Box was failing or intermittent, the warning lights on the dash would probably flash like a pinball machine. The Ford manuals do not provide a theory of operation either, making precise troubleshooting very difficult. Due to the complexity of modern day automobiles, auto mechanics simply swap out modules rather than trying to pin point the exact problem. It's much faster and cheaper this way.

Am I missing something here? I do not wish to sound like a know-it-all, however I make my living designing all types of electronics. So, any comments would be appreciated. I hope that Lemansz can inform us of exactly was caused this problem.

Jay

[Bill Briley]

Jay,
Thanks for the all the "Home Work". A lot of us would rather try and find these problems rather than chance a Dealer visit. :thumbsup
You are certainly correct in noting Ford offers no theory of opperation.

[analogdesigner]

Jay,
Thanks for the all the "Home Work". A lot of us would rather try and find these problems rather than chance a Dealer visit. :thumbsup
You are certainly correct in noting Ford offers no theory of opperation.
Thanks Bill for the nice comment.

I am actually surprised that the dealer's mechanic was able to locate something as odd as that. Lemansz may have found a real good mechanic! I'll keep my finger's crossed for him as well. Jay

[LEMANSZ]

So far, so good. Beverly Hills Ford treated me great. Rick Dubois is the GT schooled wrench and Neil Okun, the owner is great as well. Give them a call. 310 276-3673