Peugeot cars are becoming more and more complicated in terms of electronics. Sometimes, the messages that pop up on the dash are so misleading they make you stop the vehicle and avoid risking driving it further.
The “Battery charge fault, stop the vehicle” message usually means that there is something wrong with the BPGA (battery control module), alternator, or the battery itself. This message was originally aimed to inform you about low-voltage problems in the system. But eventually, Peugeot cars end up throwing this message now and then with no clear reason.
Let’s see what you can do to locate and solve the problem without spending a fortune on diagnosis and repair.
What are the reasons for this problem?
When Peugeot programmers were writing the code for your car, they definitely wanted this message to pop up in case of a faulty alternator. But you know what? The alternators in these Peugeot vehicles are almost never bad. And this very common message usually pops up because of some other issues.
Here are the most common reasons for the problem:
1) BPGA – Battery protection module
With all my research skills, I couldn’t find what BPGA stands for but it’s the Battery Protection and Management Unit that is placed right above the 12V battery in your Peugeot vehicle.
This is an electronic control unit that controls the charging process, start-stop feature, percent of battery life, etc.
Unfortunately, in many 2015-2021 Peugeot vehicles, this unit is faulty. It means you will sooner or later see one of two possible messages: “Battery Charge Fault, Stop the Vehicle” or “Electrical Circuit System Fault: Repair Needed”.
In about 90% of cases, this will be exactly the BPGA, not your battery. The symptoms may be different, so there is no way you can be sure this is the battery module. However, dealership diagnostics will work well to locate the problem.
2) Low voltage in your battery
This is especially common for start-stop vehicles that mainly drive in the city traffic. The battery may lose its juice pretty quickly and start malfunctioning. At first, you will notice that the start-stop doesn’t work as intended, after that, some error messages may pop up.
If you ignore these clear signs that the battery is not completely healthy, one day, you will just not be able to start your Peugeot.
Checking the battery is not that easy. When the car is off, it should have 12.5-12.6 volts. When the car is running, the voltage on the terminals should be about 14.7 volts. Also, in the moment of cranking, the battery shouldn’t drop the voltage too much.
If the battery is 4-5 years old, the best option is to replace it. But if it’s fresh, pay attention to the work of the BPGA.
3) Faulty alternator
As I’ve already said, the alternator in these vehicles is almost never faulty. At least, when you see the battery charge fault message, it may only sometimes mean that the alternator needs repair or replacement.
When the engine is running, the voltage on the battery terminals should be close to 14.7 volts. If it’s significantly lower than that, the alternator may be faulty and require diagnostics.
How can you solve the problem?
Fixing this problem may be challenging without professional help. But there are some things you may try doing before you go to the dealer and pay for diagnostics.
Here are the steps to try:
1) Measure the battery voltage
I know some people bought the new battery immediately after they saw this message in their Peugeot cars. But this is not always the case. Before you spend your money, try measuring the voltage.
When the engine is off, connect the multimeter with DC settings to the battery terminals. The voltage should show 12.5-12.6 volts.
After that, keep the multimeter connected and ask someone to crank the engine and start the car. Observe the voltage – it shouldn’t drop significantly at the moment of cranking.
After the engine is started, the voltage should go up to 14.7 volts, on average. If this doesn’t happen, you are most likely dealing with alternator problems (but this still needs verification).
2) Disconnect the battery
The Battery Protection and Management Unit is an electronic control module. It can develop a glitch and freak out. But there is a chance to get it back to normal by cutting all power for some time. This will reset the control module.
For this, disconnect both battery terminals for 5-7 minutes. Start with the negative terminal, then the positive one, and then press honk to use all the remaining power. Wait for 7 minutes and reconnect the battery – first the positive terminal, then the negative one.
3) Use your scanner
If you have a good scanner that is compatible with your vehicle, use it and see what exactly it shows. Sometimes, the codes may be just random and misleading, but, in some cases, you may get several hints on what to check in your vehicle.
Unfortunately, cheap ELM scanners won’t help much because they only communicate with the ECM while you need the scanner to check fault codes in other modules.
4) Finally, go to the dealer
When you see the “Battery Charge Fault” error message in a Peugeot vehicle, I recommend you go to the dealership. Peugeot guys know this problem and won’t spend hours on diagnosis.
If you decide to go to the independent shop, tell them to check the BPGA first. Otherwise, they may start with the battery, alternator, fuses, etc., and will just waste your time and money.
How much is the BPGA for a Peugeot car?
It depends on the year and model, but the average price in Europe is about 250 euros/pounds. You can find aftermarket offers cheaper. I even saw one type of BPGA selling on Aliexpress in China for less than 200 euros. I really don’t know if I can recommend this (probably not).
As for labor, it will take about 1 hour to replace the BPGA in a Peugeot vehicle, so you may count the labor costs according to the prices in your area.
Unfortunately, dealers will also charge about 150 euros/pounds for diagnostics which will bring the total cost to pretty high numbers. But DIY replacement is not an option unless you have some skills as an auto mechanic and electrician.
Can you drive with this error message?
When your Peugeot complains about battery charging problems, it may be OK to drive. Sometimes, the issue is just the message but the battery keeps charging normally. Even if the battery charge is not going on as needed, you can still drive till the battery drops. Sometimes, it may be several hours, but this depends on the remaining juice in the battery.
But in quite many cases, the “Battery Charge Fault, Stop the Vehicle” is accompanied by limp mode, other electronic glitches, car stalling, etc. In these cases, I strongly recommend you avoid driving. This can affect the safety on the road.
By the way, I’ve also written about screen issues in the 208 and the “Gearbox Fault” message in the 3008 – you may want to have a look.
Do you have experience in dealing with this Peugeot problem? Please share your insights in the comments below to let other owners know!
