Dodge Caliber. Manual - part 278

4. Using the ARROW key select in or out of vehicle testing and press ENTER to make a selection.

5. If not selected, choose the Cold Cranking Amp (CCA) battery rating. Or select the appropriate battery rating for

your area (see menu). The tester will then run its self programmed test of the battery and display the results.
Refer to the BATTERY TEST RESULTS TABLE.

CAUTION: If REPLACE BATTERY is the result of the test, this may mean a poor connection between the
vehicle’s cables and battery exists. After disconnecting the vehicle’s battery cables from the battery, retest
the battery using the OUT-OF-VEHICLE test before replacing.

6. While viewing the battery test result, press the CODE button and the tester will prompt you for the last 4 digits

of the VIN. Use the UP/DOWN arrow buttons to scroll to the correct character; then press ENTER to select and
move to the next digit. Then press the ENTER button to view the SERVICE CODE. Pressing the CODE button
a second time will return you to the test results.

BATTERY TEST RESULTS

GOOD BATTERY

Return to service

GOOD - RECHARGE

Fully charge battery and return to service

CHARGE & RETEST

Fully charge battery and retest battery

REPLACE BATTERY

Replace the battery and retest complete system

BAD-CELL REPLACE

Replace the battery and retest complete system

NOTE: The SERVICE CODE is required on every warranty claim submitted for battery replacement.

STANDARD PROCEDURE - OPEN-CIRCUIT VOLTAGE TEST

A battery open-circuit voltage (no load) test will show the approximate state-of-charge of a battery.

Before proceeding with this test, completely charge the battery, refer to the appropriate battery charging procedure.

1. Before measuring the open-circuit voltage, the sur-

face charge must be removed from the battery.
Turn on the headlamps for fifteen seconds, then
allow up to five minutes for the battery voltage to
stabilize.

2. Disconnect and isolate both battery cables, nega-

tive cable first.

3. Using a voltmeter connected to the battery posts

(see the instructions provided by the manufacturer
of the voltmeter), measure the open-circuit voltage.

See the Open-Circuit Voltage Table. This voltage reading will indicate the battery state-of-charge, but will not reveal
its cranking capacity. If a battery has an open-circuit voltage reading of 12.4 volts or greater, it may be load tested
to reveal its cranking capacity.

OPEN CIRCUIT VOLTAGE TABLE

Open Circuit Voltage

Charge Percentage

11.7 volts or less

12.0 volts

25%

12.2 volts

50%

12.4 volts

75%

12.6 volts or more

100%

BATTERY SYSTEM

8F - 17

IGNITION-OFF DRAW TEST

The term Ignition-Off Draw (IOD) identifies a normal condition where power is being drained from the battery with
the ignition switch in the Off position. A normal vehicle electrical system will draw from five to thirty-five milliamperes
(0.005 to 0.035 ampere) with the ignition switch in the Off position, and all non-ignition controlled circuits in proper
working order. Up to thirty-five milliamperes are needed to enable the memory functions for the Powertrain Control
Module (PCM), digital clock, electronically tuned radio, and other modules which may vary with the vehicle equip-
ment.

A vehicle that has not been operated for approximately twenty days, may discharge the battery to an inadequate
level. When a vehicle will not be used for twenty days or more (stored), remove the IOD fuse from the Totally
Integrated Power Module (TIPM). This will reduce battery discharging.

Excessive IOD can be caused by:

•

Electrical items left on.

•

Faulty or improperly adjusted switches.

•

Faulty or shorted electronic modules and components.

•

An internally shorted generator.

•

Intermittent shorts in the wiring.

If the IOD is over thirty-five milliamperes, the problem must be found and corrected before replacing a battery. In
most cases, the battery can be charged and returned to service after the excessive IOD condition has been cor-
rected.

1. Verify that all electrical accessories are off. Turn off all lamps, remove the ignition key, and close all doors. If the

vehicle is equipped with an illuminated entry system or an electronically tuned radio, allow the electronic timer
function of these systems to automatically shut off (time out). This may take up to three minutes.

2. Determine that the underhood lamp is operating properly, then disconnect the lamp wire harness connector or

remove the lamp bulb.

3. Disconnect the battery negative cable.

4. Set an electronic digital multi-meter to its highest amperage scale. Connect the multi-meter between the discon-

nected battery negative cable terminal clamp and the battery negative terminal post. Make sure that the doors
remain closed so that the illuminated entry system is not activated. The multi-meter amperage reading may
remain high for up to three minutes, or may not give any reading at all while set in the highest amperage scale,
depending upon the electrical equipment in the vehicle. The multi-meter leads must be securely clamped to the
battery negative cable terminal clamp and the battery negative terminal post. If continuity between the battery
negative terminal post and the negative cable terminal clamp is lost during any part of the IOD test, the elec-
tronic timer function will be activated and all of the tests will have to be repeated.

5. After about three minutes, the high-amperage IOD reading on the multi-meter should become very low or non-

existent, depending upon the electrical equipment in the vehicle. If the amperage reading remains high, remove
and replace each fuse or circuit breaker in the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM), one at a time until the
amperage reading becomes very low, or nonexistent. Refer to the appropriate wiring information for com-
plete TIPM fuse, circuit breaker, and circuit identification. This will isolate each circuit and identify the circuit
that is the source of the high-amperage IOD. If the amperage reading remains high after removing and replacing
each fuse and circuit breaker, disconnect the wire harness from the generator. If the amperage reading now
becomes very low or nonexistent, (Refer to 8 - ELECTRICAL/CHARGING - DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING) for the
proper charging system diagnosis and testing procedures. After the high-amperage IOD has been corrected,
switch the multi-meter to progressively lower amperage scales and, if necessary, repeat the fuse and circuit
breaker remove-and-replace process to identify and correct all sources of excessive IOD. It is now safe to select
the lowest milliampere scale of the multi-meter to check the low-amperage IOD.

CAUTION: Do not open any doors, or turn on any electrical accessories with the lowest milliampere scale
selected, or the multi-meter may be damaged.

6. Observe the multi-meter reading. The low-amperage IOD should not exceed thirty-five milliamperes (0.035

ampere). If the current draw exceeds thirty-five milliamperes, isolate each circuit using the fuse and circuit
breaker remove-and-replace process in Step 5. The multi-meter reading will drop to within the acceptable limit
when the source of the excessive current draw is disconnected. Repair this circuit as required; whether a wiring
short, incorrect switch adjustment, or a component failure is at fault.

8F - 18

BATTERY SYSTEM

REMOVAL

WARNING:
To protect the hands from battery acid, a suitable
pair of heavy duty rubber gloves should be worn
when removing or servicing a battery. Safety
glasses also should be worn.

WARNING: Remove metallic jewelry to avoid injury
by accidental arcing of battery current.

1. Rotate the two retaining clips (3) and remove the

air cleaner fresh air duct (2).

WARNING: The battery negative and positive cable
polarity are different from the gasoline engine
equipped vehicles to the diesel engine equipped
vehicles. Please note the location of the positive
and negative cables prior to service of the battery
or related components.

NOTE: Diesel battery shown, gasoline battery sim-
ilar.

2. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative cable

then the positive cable (3).

3. Loosen bolt (1) and retainer (2) that holds the bat-

tery down to the tray (3).

4. Lift battery out of battery tray and remove from

vehicle.

5. Remove thermal guard (if equipped) from battery.

BATTERY SYSTEM

8F - 19

INSTALLATION

WARNING:
To protect the hands from battery acid, a suitable
pair of heavy duty rubber gloves should be worn
when removing or servicing a battery. Safety
glasses also should be worn.

WARNING: Remove metallic jewelry to avoid injury
by accidental arcing of battery current.

NOTE: When replacing battery, the thermal guard
MUST

transferred

the

new

battery

(if

equipped).

1. Install battery in vehicle making sure that the ther-

mal guard (if equipped) is present and battery is
properly positioned on battery tray (3).

2. Install the battery hold down retainer (2) and bolt

(1) making sure that it is properly positioned on
battery. Torque the hold down bolt to 7 N·m (62 in. lbs.)

NOTE: Diesel battery shown, gasoline battery sim-
ilar.

3. Connect the battery positive cable then the nega-

tive cable (3).

4. Torque the cable clamp nuts to 5 N·m (45 in. lbs.).

5. Install the air cleaner fresh air duct (2) and secure

in place by rotating the two retaining clips (3).

6. Verify proper vehicle operation.

8F - 20

BATTERY SYSTEM

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