514 code, like a bad penny

[DieselBuzz]

My friend has an 2003 that gave a 514 code, battery rationality. He's gone back and had it reflashed but is still getting the code. The dealership says that they have to install a battery heater(really?) to keep this code from coming up. Anyone else doing the same thing or has found another solution? TIA

 

[RMachida]

My friend has an 2003 that gave a 514 code, battery rationality. He's gone back and had it reflashed but is still getting the code. The dealership says that they have to install a battery heater(really?) to keep this code from coming up. Anyone else doing the same thing or has found another solution? TIA

I have a battery heaters installed but I still occasionally get the code when the truck has been outside in very cold weather for a while, started and moved into a warm garage. The dealer said something about the ambient air temperature being much warmer than the battery temperature being the problem. So I have been ignoring it. Last month, the drivers side battery was replaced under warranty because it froze so maybe there was a problem... Truck was outside and not plugged in for several days at -40F. Normally, not a problem and it started up just fine after being plugged in for a couple of hours apparantly on just one battery.

 

[jelag]

I might add that a battery can withstand most cold climates when its fully charged... but it freezes at a higher temperature when it becomes discharged... I don't have a chart here but lets say that a fully charged battery freezes at -50 *F... . if the battery is fully discharged it will freeze at something like + 28*F... . So I can only assume that our friend from AK had a battery that would not take a charge or had such a bad connection that it wasn't charging correctly and became discharged... in either case it froze and gave him grief...



What I have trouble understanding is that in MA or NH, much like it is here in Spokane that you'd battery heaters. . My trucks have seen -15 *F this winter and sit outside... and we have not seen this code... we do plug them in for 2 hours before starting and before winter gets going here we have a prep we do on all our stuff... . part of that is to clean the posts... we also use no-co washers to prevent the gases from coming up the posts and creating corrosion on the connection... .



No-Co is a brand of felt washer impregnated with a chemical to prevent gases from coming up past the post and causing the corrosion you see on battery posts...



Hope this helps...

 

[RMarkey]

I have the 514 code, had for a while, just ignored it. Truck still starts, thats all that matters to me right now.

 

[BNH4221]

I get 0514 about once a month. Seems to be when the truck is cold and it is warm outside or vice versa. Just a quirk of the truck.



Ignore it.





Steve

 

[DieselBuzz]

So you guys have code readers, check it and reset it? Now he only knows his check engine light is on. My friend wants his truck to be as problem free as possible before it goes out of warranty. So he's looking to solve it in case other things pop up.

By the way he lives in Boston and has to park outside but he does not face some of the extreme cold that other folks have mentioned.

I'll tell him about the felt washers too.



Thanks for everyones input.

Art

 

[BNH4221]

So you guys have code readers, check it and reset it?

Art,

No code reader. Turn the ignition key to the "run" position three times in rapid succession. On the odometer, the code # will appear. Check it against the chart of code #'s that you can find on a search of the site. This code is so common, I don't even bother checking anymore. After a day or so it just goes away.

So he's looking to solve it in case other things pop up.

Tell him good luck. In my experience and from all I have read, there really is no cure. Dealers can't seem to do anything but reset the code. Thats what they did to mine, and the code reappeared the next morning. It doesn't necessarily mean anything is "wrong" with the truck. Just some stupid sensor that doesn't work right.



As far as DC goes, they got his money and could care less about it. What a suprise.



Steve

 

[JStemann]

I had it too

Usually got it after I'd plugged it in on a real cold nite. Dealer did the reflash AND replaced one of the battery temp sensors. Haven't had it back since, it's been about 2 months around 3 or 4,000 miles since the work was done.