This 2006 Chrysler Sebring came in with several electrical problems but the chief concern was that the alternator was not charging. The customer also stated that the wipers did not work and that the check engine light has been on for a while. Codes P0135, P0141, P0155, P0161 and P0622 were stored. The first four codes were for oxygen sensor heater circuit faults and the code P0622 is for a fault with the generator/alternator field control circuit.
Testing for the code P0622 and the resulting no charge condition begins with connecting a test light across the two terminals at the alternator harness. If you have a scan tool you can actuate the field driver circuit and check for a flashing light at the installed test lamp. Without a scan tool you will need to make sure everything is safe and secure. Then have the engine started while observing the installed test light. It should be illuminated to some degree. Turning on the headlights and air conditioner will cause the light to burn brighter. In this case there was no light so further testing would be needed. There was power on the green wire with the ignition on and the engine off. It varied between one and three volts. There was no ground present on the black wire.
I used a backprobing pin to check the continuity to ground on the black/tan wire. It was about 60 k ohms. For all practical purposes it was an open reading. I normally do not even bother checking for ohms of resistance in a circuit like this because the results can be deceptive. I also need to remind you and myself to always consult a wiring diagram to see how a system operates. I am very accustomed to Chrysler products using an “A” circuit field system where positive voltage at the field is constant and the negative side is controlled by the regulator (inside the PCM in this case). This vehicle uses a “B” circuit field system that has a constant ground circuit applied and the regulator varies the positive side of the field circuit. My initial reading were throwing me off and looking at a wiring diagram straightened me right up.
Back to the repair at hand. I know that I do not have a ground on the black/tan wire at the alternator field connector. I also know that the wire is supposed to terminate at ground position G103 located at the inner left shock tower. Looking with a flash light I could see the G103 connection point but several things would have to be removed in order to have access to the wiring. The air filter housing, the intake boot/hose, the cruise control servo and an emissions solenoid would all have to be moved out of the way.
You can see the emissions solenoid to the left of center and it’s bracket to the right of center in the following image. You will also notice an absence of images related to the actual wiring repair. The reason being is that these wires are in a very awkward position for a 6 ft man to be repairing. Balancing my chest on the driver’s side radiator support while trying to work both arms and hands in an area that is much narrower than the width of my shoulders. Also coordinating my feet in this semi prone position so that I do not slide off of the car. So there was not enough time, room or inclination to take pictures while this repair was active. Since there were about ten wires of various sizes involved at this ground point I decided to separate them into two groups and used 10 gauge terminals and wires to bring it all together. The terminals I used were non insulated. I used heat shrink tubing to insulate the terminals. I also used a silicone sealer where the multiple wires entered to joint. If you do this make sure that your sealer is not corrosive to copper. Generally sensor safe silicone sealers are okay. I actually stripped some wiring in several places then sealed the bare wiring with silicone sealant and tossed to the side for a couple of years. Every three to four months I would peel the silicone off of a section of bare wire and inspect for damage. There was never any sign of the sealer attacking the bare copper wiring. If you do wiring repair I suggest you do the same test with whatever sealer you choose to use.
The G103 ground point re established. Not the position of the splice connections in the background. Before buttoning this one up I made sure that the siliconed side of the connection was pointing down so that if any water was to get near the wiring it would have to flow uphill to penetrate the connection.
I also removed the rust from the attaching bolt in my glass bead cabinet. A wire brush and persistence will work though.
When I opened the tabs that secured the wire insulation the terminal fell off because the wire had completely corroded loose.
The attaching bolt before I cleaned it.
This vehicle had the battery, alternator and alternator harness replaced before arriving at my shop and it did not need any of them. Just a reminder to “Stop Guessing and Start Testing”.