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When I started my car yesterday, I briefly got the message, "Charge System Fault". It was a hot day, 90+ and I had the a/c on full blast, both cooling fans were running when I turned the key on, the radio/CD player was on and the door were open (interior lights were on). I cleared the message, the digital gage red 13.8 volts. Drove home (about an hour drive). By the time I got home, the gage was reading 14.3 volts and I never got the "charge system fault" message again. Just a glitch or is there something going on?
Happens now ant then to all C5's. Nothing to worry about unless you see it a lot.
Thanks. I wondered about that. I forgot to mention that the battery is 5 years old and it's always plugged into a trickle charger when it's in my garage, even overnight. Once in a while the Security light stays on after starting the car. One more electrical glitch for a C5.
I would not worry about it. However if in the future you have issues and look to replace the alternator DO NOT turn in your core until you have a good working replacement. A lot of them show to be correct for the C5 and they will work to charge the battery but they don't have the PCM interface and will throw that message every time you drive the car.
I would not worry about it. However if in the future you have issues and look to replace the alternator DO NOT turn in your core until you have a good working replacement. A lot of them show to be correct for the C5 and they will work to charge the battery but they don't have the PCM interface and will throw that message every time you drive the car.
Thank you all for posting this information pertaining to the system charging fault. I recently got this message on my C5 and wasnt sure if it was a concern. I havent gotten it since and my battery is only 2 years old. I did go on vacation recently and the car sat for 9 days and when i returned home, it wouldnt start, the battery was dead. Jumped it and it seems fine now. Any thoughts on why this might have occurred? Thanks guys
Thank you! I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and information. I will definitely look into a battery tender. Since i havent gotten the DIC message again, hopefully its not anything major and crossing fingers the alternator doesnt fail any time soon.
Thank you! I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and information. I will definitely look into a battery tender. Since i havent gotten the DIC message again, hopefully its not anything major and crossing fingers the alternator doesnt fail any time soon.
Don't worry, mine does this on occasion too, maybe once a year, and I keep mine on a tender all the time too.
The alternator died on my '99.
Seems like repair parts are not available for these French made ones.
Leave it to GM to put something on that can't be repaired.
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"Charge System Fault"
