FREE REPAIR MANUALS & LABOR GUIDES 1982-2013 Vehicles
Courtesy of Operation CHARM: Car repair manuals for everyone.
Home >> Mercury >> 1998 >> Sable V6-3.0L DOHC VIN S >> Repair and Diagnosis >> Relays and Modules >> Relays and Modules - Brakes and Traction Control >> Electronic Brake Control Module >> Technical Service Bulletins >> ABS System - No Start/No Crank/Battery Discharged >> Service Procedure

Service Procedure

1. Drive vehicle at least 5 minutes and over 48 km/h (30 mph) to turn on and exercise vehicle systems.

2. Make sure the engine compartment and interior fuse panels are accessible without turning on the courtesy lamps or opening and closing doors.

NOTE
USE A DIGITAL MULTIMETER TO CONNECT BETWEEN THE NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE AND POST. DO NOT USE A TEST LIGHT FOR THIS STEP.

3. Clip one end of a digital multimeter (DVOM) to the negative battery post. The meter should be capable of reading mA (minimum 1 mA) and have a 10 amp capacity.





4. Clip the other end of the DVOM to the negative battery cable. Be sure the meter leads or terminals do not touch each other.

5. With DVOM connected, disconnect the negative battery cable from the battery post.

6. Allow the vehicle to sit with the key off and all the doors closed for at least 1 hour to allow the Battery Saver time-out to occur. New Generation Star (NGS) Tester must be disconnected.

7. Read the current drain from the meter.

NOTE
A PERIODIC PULSING OF THE CURRENT READING OF UP TO APPROXIMATELY 80 mA OR 0.080 AMPS IS CAUSED BY THE INTEGRATED CONTROL PANEL (ICP) AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED NORMAL.

NOTE
UNSOLD VEHICLES OR VEHICLES THAT ARE DRIVEN VERY LITTLE NEED TO HAVE THE BATTERY MAINTAINED. RUNNING THE VEHICLE AT IDLE WILL NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE BATTERY STATE OF CHARGE. THE BATTERY MAY NEED TO BE FULLY CHARGED. FOR UNSOLD VEHICLES, IT IS MOST LIKELY THE BATTERY HAS DISCHARGED NORMALLY. IT IS THE DEALER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN THE STATE OF CHARGE.

8. If the current drain reading is within specification, check ABS module connector 01057 for possible water entry/corrosion which may cause an intermittent excessive current drain. Repair 1996 vehicles using TSB 96-8-3. 1997-99 vehicles should be repaired using the following procedure:

a. Blow water and/or corrosion out of connector with compressed air.

b. Apply Silicone Caliper Grease and Dielectric Compound (D7AZ-19A331-A or equivalent meeting Ford specification ESE-M10171-A).

c. Torque the connection to 4.8 +/- .08 Nm (42 +/- 7 lb-in).

d. Remove the G101 ground eyelets and place the battery cable eyelet nearest the sheet metal on the double-ended stud.

e. Place the ABS ground eyelet on the outer part of the stud so that wires coming out of the ABS ground eyelet point between 12 and 3 o'clock (viewed from inside the engine compartment).

9. If the current drain reading is found to be excessive, pull fuses from the interior fuse panel one at a time and note current drop. Do not open any of the doors to access the interior fuse panel as this will cause the GEM to restart the Battery Saver timer. Do not reinstall the fuses until testing is finished.

10. If the drain is still excessive, pull fuses from the engine compartment fuse panel one at a time and note current reading drop. Do not reinstall the fuses until testing is finished.

11. Once the current drain has been isolated to a particular fuse, note the circuits and devices fed by that fuse and trace them for shorts. Use in-line fuses where necessary (usually after splices) to isolate the short location in the circuit.

12. If the source of the concern is from Fuse # 27 in the Instrument Panel (IP) fuse panel feeding the Battery Saver relay, it is possible that the GEM is keeping the Battery Saver activated beyond the 40 minute time-out period, possibly due to a false change-of-state input signal.

13. Hook up an NGS Tester and monitor the GEM input Parameter Identification Displays (PIDs) to see what input is causing the GEM to keep the Battery Saver active. The following PIDs should be monitored:

^ Driver Door Ajar (D_DR_SW)

^ Passenger RF Door Ajar (P_DR_SW)

^ Right Rear Door Ajar (RRDR_SW)

^ Left Rear Door Ajar (LRDR_SW)

^ Wagon Liftgate and Liftgate Glass
(DECKLID)--the decklid PID does not affect
the battery saver for sedans

^ Power Door Lock Switch (DDLCK)

^ Central Door Unlock Switch (CDR_ULK)

^ (Illuminated Entry) Input from D_HNDL (1996 Only)

^ Ignition Key In/Out (IGN_KEY)

^ Ignition RUN/ACC (IGN_GEM)

14. Known possible sources of current drain or false inputs causing GEM to activate Battery Saver:

^ Water in central unlock switch connectors to door wiring (0513, 0610)

^ Water in Connector C502 (in LF door jamb)

^ Water in ABS Connector C1057

^ Poor grounds at G101, G104, G201 connections

^ Bent pins in GEM to IP fuse panel Connector C201

^ Bent pins in GEM Connectors C223, 0236

^ Aftermarket accessory installations

15. A small amount of fluctuating A/C current is typically drawn by the 10P, the GEM, the RAP, the IABM, and the PATS modules.

16. Relays normally do not stick in the ON position. If a relay appears to be "stuck on," make sure it is not being commanded to stay on by the GEM or RAP module. This can be checked by using a multimeter set to measure voltage,

a. Remove the relay and measure between the terminals in the power distribution box or junction box for the relay control coil circuit. A voltage reading other than 0 V indicates the relay is being commanded ON.

b. Relays can also be verified by using the A-B-A substitution method to determine if the fault follows a particular component or remains with the system.
pro multis Credits:Operation CHARM About Operation CHARM