Battery Failing?

[Nethybridge]

Car starts great but some ancillary lighting recently ocassionally don't work [ welcom lighting, door handle lights ]
it forgets some pre-set radio stations and one or two minor module DTCs have popped up.


Is the battery crook ? It's not the alternator.

2019 car build year, 12.1v - 12.3v resting voltage, idle voltage 14.0v-14.2v

[Flame Grilled]

What's the car?
Fault codes?

[RECr]

12.1v isn't great, I would try putting the car on a trickle charger and see if that improves things. Have you been doing a lot of short journeys?

[Panamax]

You need a new battery.

[Panamax]

Two reasons for this,

1. A battery showing 12.1 - 12.3 v is well on the way to knackered. Standard voltage in good condition is 12.6. Anything below 12.4 is weak.

2. A weak battery may be able to crank the car (current) but will suffer voltage drop. The voltage will drop below what the car's sophisticated electronics need to run properly and that will trigger your DTCs.

[Nethybridge]

Flame Grilled said:

What's the car?
Fault codes?

2019 Lincoln Continental [ just a posh Ford ]

VDM C1124:55
PSCM C1110:56
PSCM U0122:00

All DTCs will clear via scan tool but the VDM won't, thus the suspension
is stuck in default Sports mode which means stiff steering and hard ride.

A VDM Self test says unit is working and no faults.
So either the VDM is toast or the battery goes below 9 volts on ignition start up which
trips the DTC.

I have a repacement battery, could I connect the new battery in parallel with the
fitted one [ like a jump start ] without doing damage ?

[Belle427]

That resting voltage suggests your battery is around 60%.
It's probably knackered.
You can try charging it fully and trying first though, ideally you want it tested correctly.