BlackY2KCorvette

in the last cpl weeks,when i start the car...in the DIC a message "charging system fault" would flash , but before i could go to the page with the charging output it would go away....till this morning as i left work to go home. it stayed up long enough to page through to the output and it showed 11.3 for about a half mile then went to 14.1 and then it was steady the rest of the way home. has someone had this issue and what has to be replaced to fix her up. drove the truck tonite so i dont get stranded. i now know what im doing on my weekend if i get some pointers...thanks guys!

s'noJob

I get that message every so often. I read somewhere on this forum that depending on how quickly or slowly you release the key, you'll get that message. I wouldn't worry about it.

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65GGvert

I'd check the connections on the battery and on the red wire from the battery to the starter solenoid for being loose or corroded.

p1bz

My car never did it, then I hooked my fuel pump relay directly to the output terminal of the alternator. The next time I started it I got that message. It has to be a sensing function. Been that way for a couple years now.

C5Wolfe

What year is your Vette? My "99' has done this for 3 years. i think it might be that you have a 140 amp alternator as opposed to the 110 amp that came stock! They made a change in the alternaters in "99' I've been told!

GK

Cool to know!

I've read about the various gremlins the blessed C5 has. I get the message every so often as you.

It's never caused an issue. I replaced the battery with an OEM GM battery 2~ years ago (Sears didn't have any in stock). Even then, the message still rears its head once or twice a month. It's never been a cause for concern.

mydreamc5

I agree! This happens to my 02 Z51 depending if i release the key to quick.

03 A/E Coupe

On a occasion when I hear it "rumble to life" upon start up, I too release the key quickly, and get the "charging system fault" message.

Voltage is in normal range on both DIC and the gauge when checked, so...do your best to not worry about it, and drive on !

Katherinejjm

so useful.hehe.thanks for your share.

Vetteman Jack

Here's all the owner's manual says about the message:

CHARGE SYSTEM FAULT: Press RESET to
acknowledge that you have read the message and to
remove it from the display. The message will reappear
every 10 minutes until this condition changes. You
will hear two chimes when this message is displayed.
If this message comes on while you are driving, you may
have a problem with the electrical charging system. It
could indicate that you have a loose or broken drive belt
or another electrical problem. Have it checked right
away. Driving while this light is on could drain your
battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the message on,
be certain to turn off your accessories, such as the
radio and air conditioner.

If it keeps appearing, you might want to check out the above items or have it looked at by a trusted mechanic. But if you are getting good voltage readings, it could be a key issue as mentioned.

65GGvert

He got 11.3 v for a half mile.

I bet if you monitor the voltage for a while when driving, you'll see the voltage varying up and down occasionally, getting worse until you find the cause. I've never heard of "releasing the key too quickly" so I'll have to take your word for that, but I have seen a few times the error along with fluctuation voltage caused by a loose or corroded connection on the starter solenoid. That is the point that connects the battery red wire to the alternator output and the starter solenoid post. Just keep an eye on it in case you have the same thing happening. The ones I saw, you could take hold of the red wire on the solenoid and rotate the wire (with some force) because it was loose.

weinerschizel

Did you do a sanity check on your alternator?

Youtube, How to Test an Alternator