Hello all,

Let me start here.... It all started one day I went out bout to leave for work and battery was completely dead. No interior lights, not even the dash lights came on or odometer would light. I took the battery out my mustang and popped it in and started right up. That was just the beginning of a down hill problem it seems...

The next day after putting truck battery back in charged up I was setting in park waiting to warm up a little and turned the lights on and this god awful grinding noise came from what sounded like the starter when sitting in the cab but with hood popped it sounded like it was coming from the cab wtf?!?! Put it in reverse it stopped, put in neutral came back then into drive and stopped again.

Started driving and this buzzing type noise was coming from the engine and then the all kinds of clicking noises started. One was random and one was the 4x4 when it lighted on the dash clicked then went off, happened about once every minute. I am completely clueless as what the hell this could be. Never heard of such a thing. Let my truck sit for a week to drive the stang and went to start and started right up no struggle.

Checked the alternator and battery with it was running. Unhooked positive and kept running so checked battery which was 13.5 and alternator was 14 volts. When it rains the belt gets wet and squeals like hell so do you think water got somewhere and messed it all up?

Sorry for the long post, tried to break it down to make it a little easier to read. Any and all replies are extremely helpful!! Thank You.

 

During this time when these "strange things" started to happen, well any time really, Does this sit outside often?

If yes, then has it be raining or snowing when the worst of the noise & strange happenings? And the time it started and ran better or near normal, it was dryer outside?

If Yes to those as well then, I would suspect that you have a windshield leak and water is migrating inside the cab and finding its way to the GEM module.

You may still have bad serpentine belt and or tensioner, but not really thinking that it is the primary source of your aggravation

 

and don't EVER pull the cable off the battery when the motor is running. Alternator voltage can SPIKE and blow multiple things.

 

I'm almost 100% certain this is the problem now because it was getting better when I posted this almost unnoticeable then the next day it rained and I went out and tried to start it but battery is at 4 volts. Charge it up and the ABS pump (I think it's what it is the part on the drivers side with all brake lines going to it) started clicking and the "Battery Saver Relay" is warm. I put it in run not even over to start and it starts up..? Then the starter will grind every few seconds like something is telling it to keep starting. Tore the dash apart and replaced the ignition switch and did nothing to help.

My truck does leak around small area in door from when I put light bar on and had to remove weather strip to drill which I will defiantly be fixing now. Definitely likely it could leak down around the fuse box or even into it. There is quite a bit of rust where the pedals are not sure how much there should be if any? How would I check the GEM or fix it?

Thank You Very Much. I am definitely getting somewhere thanks to your help.

 

Okay now here's an update...

It's gotten worse. Now the truck won't even turn over.

I took out the fuse box / GEM module, set it in rice over night and put dielectric grease on all the terminals before putting it back in truck. When I hooked battery up there was a clicking coming from the ABS pump or whatever you call that thing on driver side with all brake lines going to it. Then when I tried to start it the ACC Delay Relay and possibly the One Touch Down Window Relay were clicking in fuse box with no turn over.

Put a new battery and new starter solenoid.... No Change. Jumped the truck from the solenoid and started right up and ran fine.

With the truck off I shifted from Park to Reverse and all interior lights went off and 4x4 light popped up. Went to Neutral and went back to normal. Still clicking when tried to start, though I know it shouldn't start in anything besides Park anyways...

What in the hell is going on with this thing? Is there some fuse / relay I'm missing here or is my wiring all shot to hell? Anyone with any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

I am having the exact same problem. Went out one day and battery was dead. I put the charger on and right away heard clicking from the ABS module and the blower fan came on. (with no key in)
In the cab, the turn signals work and the blower ran without the key in. Radio and wipers did not come on though.
About a week before, it seemed like the key had a little more drag in it to turn. I am wondering if the key switch is bad?? I pulled fuse 102 and 105 out and the load went down. (ABS and blower stopped)
I pulled the + cable off of the battery until I can get a full charge for a couple of hours. We had over an inch of rain yesterday and I have some drippage from the pull handle in the A pillar. So either I have water in the GEM or fuse panel or it is a bad key switch.

2001 F150 super cab

 

For the time being, lay a large trash bag over the windshield and you'll minimize the trouble caused by rain seeping into the GEM.

 

It seems you have a couple of gremlins here. 1) being that you have water leaking inside the cab...You'll need to address that before pursuing anything else. Yes covering the cab will help....but ultimately you'll need to reseal the glass and or any holes. 2) Make sure that you have not had any rodents chewing on any wires....those little boogers can really mess things up too.

Which solenoid did you cross and it started? the one on the firewall?? Or the one on the starter itself? In either case you have a poor connection, or inability to transfer the power to the starter. I would suspect a bad/interior corroded cable or wire. Did you clean the battery posts and cables at the battery?

As far as the shifting thing....First off your truck should be able to start in Park or Neutral...nothing else. Have you crawled under the truck and checked the electrical connection going to the transmission and the wires going to it? Make sure that connection is solid and that wires have not been chewed on or fallen / gotten to close to the exhaust and melted.

I applaud your efforts to "dry out" the GEM....but it may not be enough the interior circuitry could still be corrupted.