Hello FTE-

It's been a while, but I've been busy fixing my '99 F-250 PSD XLT 4x4.
Obviously I need help fixing this recent problem, so I'll throw it out to those smarter and more experienced than me.

I'm currently chasing an electrical problem with my power windows.
They don't operate!
Here's what I've done to date-
1) Verified that the motors work (hot wired them with regulators attached and they run just fine).
2) Inspected all wiring in the area and found no rubbing/rusted/bare wires in the door or under the dash. Cleaned and re-attached the ground near the parking brake, which had some corrosion.
3) Checked for and verified there is continuity between the driver window motor hot wire (Orange w/yellow stripe) and Power distribution box fuse (circuit breaker as the manual refers to it) hot side. So that rules out that the junction at the firewall is a problem.
4) Dissasembled and examined the power window switches - they operate correctly and all contacts appear clean and shiny.
5) My truck was a victim of Ford's windshield blunder. I have rust alongside the drive side pillar beneath the winshield. The windshield has been replaced and resealed, but water did its damage in the area where the parking brake, fuse box, and computer mount. I do not see any wiring damage.

So, what's next?
I'm at the end of my knowlege on this path.

I've also got a voltage draw on the system. My batteries are slowly being drained. So somewhere there's a short.
If I pull the power window relay (#4) in the fuse box under the dash, I can stop the power draw.

This is not fun

Hope to hear some positive advice.

 

Water from the windshield leak can run down and corrode the contacts in the fuse box, and can also ruin the GEM module (the computer box you were referring to mounted on the back of the fuse box). The fuse box may have to be pulled, cleaned and/or replaced, and your GEM module may need to be replaced. You can find used GEM modules on ebay http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=...+gem&_osacat=0 but you need to make sure the part number of your old one matches the part number of the new one, because they can vary. They can be a bit of a bugger to get pulled out.

 

Does your radio work? I think there is a time delay relay or something in the instrument cluster.

 

Sounds like you have eliminated just about everything except the GEM(Generic Electric Module).

 

The radio works, but only with the ignition (Key On Engine Off/Running).
The radio does not run after pulling the key nor do the windows operate after pulling the key (as it did with my '99 Eddie Bauer Expedition).

 

When the GEM is affected by water it can create all sorts of weird things which can vary from vehicle to vehicle depending on the extent of the water damage. I'm still thinking this is your problem. Here's some instructions on how to remove it. These are for a 97 and I think should also cover your 99 but I'm not positive. http://www.sparkys-answers.com/2009/...le-window.html This would also give you a chance the check the contacts on your fuse box for corrosion.

 

When my '03 had those symptoms, it was a bad ground wire in the harness that runs from the driver's door into the cab. It took me waaaaayyyyy to long to find it. But when I finally did, it only took an hour or so to fix it.

 

That actually sounds like you might just have a door ajar switch that isn't making.

 

I thought my problems were because of the door switch, too. But my windows randomly not working finally led me to the bad ground.

 

He already checked the ground.

 

As did I, sir... As did I.

Certainly could be the GEM. That's where everybody pointed me when I was having the exact same symptoms. But my '03 doesn't have one, so I had to keep looking. I even grasped at the door switch straw. But that's probably not the problem either if the windows randomly stop working... just like mine did.

Just throwing it out there.

 

Thanks Madsonp, I appreciate the link to Sparky's. It is an informative write-up with Slight differences bewtween the '97 & '99, but essentially the same.
Yesterday I pulled my fusebox/GEM. The PSD is a much easier pull than Sparky's '97.
Lay on your back and it's all there in front of you! Pulled in 20 minutes.
After close examination of the GEM, fuse box, and all connectors - I see no VISIBLE signs of corrosion. NO faulty solder points, NO burned/overheated/dis-colored components. All connectors appear clean.
As I mentioned earlier, the ground wire to the side of the parking brake looked coroded (odd that it is colored red with a heavy black flexible plastic ribbed shealth), but I cleaned it.
I would like to know if my '99 PSD XLT 4x4 has a battery saver relay as mentioned in Sparky's tale.
My manual shows the #2 relay bay as vacant (that's where Sparky was operating).

Is there a battery saver relay in the PSD?
If there is, I could follow his diagnostic proceedure.

I have a friend with a laptop and all the software bells and whistles.
This weekend he'll read the CEL code and that might shed some light on the problem. He tells me that he can read the health of the GEM using his software. (He's the pro diagnostician the dealer techs call when they can't figure out an electrical problem! But I hate paying his rate.)

The numbers off my GEM are: F81B 14B205 EL
Version E.

I've yet to track down one of those exact matches so I can avoid paying to re-program the GEM.
Anyone know what other GEMs are compatible?
I was assuming I had to pull it from a vehicle with 4x4 ESOF, PWR Windows/PWR Locks, Cruise, Premium Stereo, Keyless entry, etc.

One of the challenges in searching for the part is that many salvage yards use vastly different lingo to describe the same component: GEM, Chassis Computer, Body Controller, Brain Box, etc. Makes for difficult searches...

Again, thanks for the sound ideas.

 

Was it the same ground wire I describe in my reply above?

 

Hi FTE-

Well I've been doing some research on my problem and I've eliminated almost everything I suspected in my first post. (very first one at the top of this thread...)

I've isolated the problem AFTER the Power Distribution Box.
So, the problem is on Circuit 170 (R/LB) between the hot side of fuse position 25 and Pin 30 at the Accessory Delay Relay.

Can someone please tell me where Connector C1051 is located?

Thanks