After a 15 degree night, my 2001 Expedition started just fine, but when I turned it off, the heater continued to blow - even with the key out of the ignition. After several re starts and playing with the key, ON/OFF, in/out, the blower was still still blowing. I was able to turn it OFF with the blower control ****. I also discovered that the turn signals could be activated with the key removed. Radio would not turn on, unless I turned the key back ON.
Needless to say the battery would run down after a bit, but I could jump start and use the truck until I left it sitting for a while. Even if I turned off the blower and turn signals, the battery would drain. I'm assuming that something else was ON also, draining the battery. This went on 2 or 3 days until I could find time to work on it.

I couldn't think of any possible faults except the ignition switch, so I bought one. Before replacing the switch, I jump started it to see if my symptoms were still the same. I turned off the engine and everything was working normally. No blower running, no turn signals, engine starts OK. I could not do anything to make it act up. I disconnected the battery replaced switch anyway - assuming that the switch had to have been causing the original trouble even though it wasn't acting up right then.

Somewhere in all this ordeal, either I have created a secound problem or my original trouble has grown. The engine starts and everything works fine, but when I remove the key I get a row of dashes in the odometer that stay On and after a while the battery still drains down. At some time in this fiasco, the Theft light was fashing a 1-6 code, but that has stopped.

What else can supply voltage to the blower and turn signals other than the ignition switch? But, if that was the case, why would the radio not turn on?

Was my switch the original trouble? Do I have a secoundary problem? Did I create a complication?
Any help?

 

Have you had rain lately? My bet is water is leaking through the windshield and getting the GEM module under the dash on the drivers side wet causing the freaky electrical gremlins. I went through the same thing, and after reading about the problem here, I had the windshield and seal replaced. My windshield was cracked anyway, so insurance took care of it for $100 deductible. Problem solved!

 

I agree with lv2race, that's probably what the problem is. Oh, and by the way, welcome to FTE.

 

Thanks for the responses!

We've had no rain - only that very cold night that I think triggered this whole episode, but I will look at the possibilty of a leak at the widshield and previous water damage affecting the computer.

I checked the battery and it was not fully charged. I put a full charge on the battery overnight and the dashes in the odometer are gone, the truck starts quick, and no more 1 - 6 code of the Theft light. All seems to be well at this moment except one strange thing....the theft light blinks about every 2-3 secounds very, very dimly and very briefly ( you might not even see it if you weren't looking for it or if it was a bright sunny day).

Thanks for the welcome.

 

The windshield leak has been a pretty common problem with the Ford trucks and SUVs over the years. You might find that the fuse panel and GEM has been getting wet for quite a while, as others have. The erratic functions don't always show up right away. If you drop your fuse panel and the GEM you might see some rust or other indications of water intrusion in the past.

 

I have been reviewing a lot of threads for about two hours and I am having alot of these issues plus some others. My 1999 Navigator theft light will blink faintly and rapidly while I am accellerating. It has stalled on me 2 times in the last 3 weeks. Tonight it jumped out of gear while pulling up a small incline at 35 mph. If you let it stop and turn the ignition switch off it is fine until the theft light does its thing again. Sorry I posted on someone elses thread. I am new to this web site and do not know how to start a fresh thread. Thanks in advance.

 

Go back to the forum's list of threads. At the very top of the list on the left is a button that says, "New Thread", click that to start a new thread.