11mustanggt
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- Dec 10, 2019
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Hi all, new to the community as I couldn't find any credible help searching on the web. I'm a complete novice when it comes to any kind of electrical issue and as such am in need of some seasoned S197 experts.
My car is a 2011 Mustang GT Premium with a 5.0, when I purchased the car in 2016 it had a cheap universal battery clamp connector on the positive terminal. Within the first month I had a dealer install the correct replacement harness. Fast forward to 2019 and the car begins shorting out; upon inspection the replacement harness wasn't properly secured when installed and had fallen onto the exhaust, triggering the check charging system message on the dash, as it had burned through the insulation on the wiring. I had the harness replaced and verified it was secured upon installation this time, but the check charging system message still displayed. Alternator and battery are both still good, and the voltmeter inside the car confirms as much as well.
The backlights on the dash as well as the headlights visibly pulse between brighter and duller, although the variance is unnoticeable to somebody who has never driven the car. The blower motor can also be heard pulsating without changing the speed settings. When I took the car in for diagnosis, the mechanic traced the issue to the PCM and claimed that it was unable to regulate the alternator, thus triggering the message.
The prices for a PCM from Ford are around the $1,000 area before programming and installation, while I have been able to find rebuilt PCMs for roughly $600 to include the proper VIN programming. The issue I've been running into is in regards to part numbers.
The PCM part number currently on my car is BR3Z-12A650-AXD, which has been significantly more difficult to find rebuilt than the more commonly referenced BR3A-12A650-AXD. What is the difference? Are these part numbers interchangeable? Are there any guides available that decode the alpha-numeric characters? My priority is fixing it the right way and money isn't an issue, I just don't want to spend the extra money if I don't have to, nor do I want to support the same dealer who's shortcuts created the issue in the first place.
Apologies for the novel, just thought the background information relevant as I'm not 100% confident a new PCM will be a fix to this problem. Thanks in advance!
My car is a 2011 Mustang GT Premium with a 5.0, when I purchased the car in 2016 it had a cheap universal battery clamp connector on the positive terminal. Within the first month I had a dealer install the correct replacement harness. Fast forward to 2019 and the car begins shorting out; upon inspection the replacement harness wasn't properly secured when installed and had fallen onto the exhaust, triggering the check charging system message on the dash, as it had burned through the insulation on the wiring. I had the harness replaced and verified it was secured upon installation this time, but the check charging system message still displayed. Alternator and battery are both still good, and the voltmeter inside the car confirms as much as well.
The backlights on the dash as well as the headlights visibly pulse between brighter and duller, although the variance is unnoticeable to somebody who has never driven the car. The blower motor can also be heard pulsating without changing the speed settings. When I took the car in for diagnosis, the mechanic traced the issue to the PCM and claimed that it was unable to regulate the alternator, thus triggering the message.
The prices for a PCM from Ford are around the $1,000 area before programming and installation, while I have been able to find rebuilt PCMs for roughly $600 to include the proper VIN programming. The issue I've been running into is in regards to part numbers.
The PCM part number currently on my car is BR3Z-12A650-AXD, which has been significantly more difficult to find rebuilt than the more commonly referenced BR3A-12A650-AXD. What is the difference? Are these part numbers interchangeable? Are there any guides available that decode the alpha-numeric characters? My priority is fixing it the right way and money isn't an issue, I just don't want to spend the extra money if I don't have to, nor do I want to support the same dealer who's shortcuts created the issue in the first place.
Apologies for the novel, just thought the background information relevant as I'm not 100% confident a new PCM will be a fix to this problem. Thanks in advance!
