Electrical Gremlins
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Electrical Gremlins
Hi everyone, new member with a doozy of a problem. Any advice would be welcome.
Background:
1999 F250 Superduty, 7.3L Diesel, No mods other than a remote start/lock installed before my ownership, 178,000 miles, no known engine issues.
18 months ago I got into the truck during a rain storm and found the glove box was full of water and the cabin functions (fan, lights, radio) were acting erratically. The speedometer was also acting very strange. I had a glass company come out and replace the windscreen gasket and they reported that the body had some rust under the gasket that may interfere with the seal working well. I tracked the speedometer issue down to a bad speed pickup on the rear diff. After a week or so of drying out the cabin functions all sorted themselves out, mostly. Every now and again when I turn off the truck the cabin fan will keep running or the radio may not turn off when I shut it down. I've been living with that by just turning them off when it happens which isn't very often.
Now things start getting interesting. 3 months ago the locks started to misbehave, if you lock the doors the key won't open them from the outside, it's like the electronic locks are pulling the locks down very gently. On the other hand, when you get into the truck and close the door, it won't latch at all unless the lock is engaged. You can probably imagine that this is a bit frustrating and has led to a few trips through the rear window.
Today the horn went off and stayed on until I put the key in the ignition. This happened three times before I yanked the fuse.
Clearly something is wrong, I'm guessing water has gotten into the cabin controller? Can anyone give me any guidance if I'm missing something or what parts I need to start replacing? The truck still pulls great and doesn't have that many miles for a diesel but it's getting a little ridiculous.
Many many thanks,
Joe
Background:
1999 F250 Superduty, 7.3L Diesel, No mods other than a remote start/lock installed before my ownership, 178,000 miles, no known engine issues.
18 months ago I got into the truck during a rain storm and found the glove box was full of water and the cabin functions (fan, lights, radio) were acting erratically. The speedometer was also acting very strange. I had a glass company come out and replace the windscreen gasket and they reported that the body had some rust under the gasket that may interfere with the seal working well. I tracked the speedometer issue down to a bad speed pickup on the rear diff. After a week or so of drying out the cabin functions all sorted themselves out, mostly. Every now and again when I turn off the truck the cabin fan will keep running or the radio may not turn off when I shut it down. I've been living with that by just turning them off when it happens which isn't very often.
Now things start getting interesting. 3 months ago the locks started to misbehave, if you lock the doors the key won't open them from the outside, it's like the electronic locks are pulling the locks down very gently. On the other hand, when you get into the truck and close the door, it won't latch at all unless the lock is engaged. You can probably imagine that this is a bit frustrating and has led to a few trips through the rear window.
Today the horn went off and stayed on until I put the key in the ignition. This happened three times before I yanked the fuse.
Clearly something is wrong, I'm guessing water has gotten into the cabin controller? Can anyone give me any guidance if I'm missing something or what parts I need to start replacing? The truck still pulls great and doesn't have that many miles for a diesel but it's getting a little ridiculous.
Many many thanks,
Joe
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 7,092
Likes: 145
From: San Diego, CA
I recommend checking for indications of moisture and water damage in your Generic Electronic Module (GEM - which is behind your fuse panel in the lower dash under the steering column), the fuse panel, as well as the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) which is above the parking brake pedal. A visual inspection under the dash wouldn't be a bad idea either.
This would give you a good idea where the water may have gone.
I'm not sure if the horn runs through the GEM but the door locks do.
This would give you a good idea where the water may have gone.
I'm not sure if the horn runs through the GEM but the door locks do.
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