Hey all. My first post, was a regular on a certain other FT_ website since '02 even before I bought my 02 F150 SuperCrew FX4, until that website practically died. Still on life support but I don't know why.

Anyway, hoping for some help here. Have had the "one drop each rain storm from over the passenger side windshield near the headliner, but never anything wet" problem for about a year now. Never got it fixed as it was one drop, no biggie I thought.

So, about two weeks ago I go to leave for work and my key fob won't work, I think it's just the keyfob. No biggie I open the door and jump in and try to start it, I turn key and nothing. Then I notice, no interior dome light, no anything. I hook up the jumper cables to wife's car thinking maybe battery. Still Nothing. I close the driver's side passenger door (where I had my jumper cables stored) and dome light comes on. I get in and it starts right up under its' own power. Stopped twice on my way to work not even thinking about it, it starts fine. That afternoon again it's dead, nothing. Finally lights come back on, I get it to start, and take it to dealership. They keep it for two days and it starts everytime for them. Said possible wet GEM. No charge since they didn't fix anything. I come back and get it, it works great for the past two weeks. It rained for the last day and a half, and now it's dead in the driveway.

Starting with the leaky windshield stories, I was thinking GEM also, but no one's GEM stories state "eveything dead", all of theirs state weird electrical occurrences. Mine's doing none of the weird stuff, just not doing anything. Like a complete idiot, I sat outside for about an hour last night with a hair dryer on the fuse panel / GEM and no change. Battery is new, good power there, checked all fuses that have GEM references in owner's manual (all checked good), so do I have a GEM issue or something else entirely?

If I can get it to "dry out / start" I'm taking it directly to a glass place to get the windshield replaced, in hopes of catching this before it gets worse. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Mike

 

I would ck both the neg and pos battery cables. Sounds like it could be a loose or bad connection somewhere.

 

i vote for wet GEM, and a new seal on the windshield...... GEM might be full of white oxide crud now. It shorts out and makes funny things happen... maybe can kill it also ?

 

OK, checked again, and battery was down to 4.98 volts. So jumped it off wife's car. Was only showing 12.5V with truck running, after about 45 minutes of full blast heat on floor, checked again and now was at the 13.7V proper alternator output. Turned it off, and heater fan kept blowing even after key was removed. Battery is back to 12.5V with motor off. So, battery is now charged again so I guess the GEM is my culprit after all. Wet GEM lead to fan blower motor coming on unattended and draining battery. Made sure to turn off all accessories tonight, have an appointment with the local Glass shop for Monday morning. Hopefully, it'll last until then, i.e. through another supposedly rainy weekend.

I had looked over the fuse panel area and GEM outer and saw no moisture, but did see some moisture under the left kick panel; on the sides of the inner chassis and at the bottom. Not much, but still moisture.