I've been driving my 2002 Excursion up every week or so during the winter months to keep the batteries charged and everything moving around. This past week, I found myself with fully drained batteries. I charged them up and discovered that after I shut the key off and locked the doors, the digital odometer display remained lit, as well as the clock on the radio. So I believed I found the parasitic draw and disconnected the negative terminals until I had more time to troubleshoot.

Reconnected them and started to troubleshoot. I found that by disconnected the 60 amp fuse for the ABS system and removing what I believe is the accessory delay relay in the fuse box under the steering wheel, the lights would stay out (of course, they don't come on when they are supposed to either, but I could do this and not have to disconnect the batteries anymore). I took the truck for a 10 minute drive around to see if I noticed anything else. With the 60 amp fuse and relay back in place, the ABS light was on (I'm sure because it had been removed and tripped a code or something of that nature). No speedometer movement on the dash. Tachometer and other gauges were functional as normal, but the speedometer remained at 0 the entire drive.

Upon returning I shut the truck off. I noticed that if I cycled the key back to the glow plug position (before crank) and back to off, the lights would all go out. About 10-15 seconds later, I heard a click behind the dash, and both the radio and digital odometer came back on.

I tried swapping around the accessory delay relay with another one of the same type under the dash. No change. I'm wondering if this might be an issue with the dash itself, or if there are other relays to check in or behind the dash, or if I should be looking closer at the fuse panel. I don't mind tearing into things a bit, and I've read on the forum about dashes being sent off for rebuilding due to electrical issues. A few years back, the fuel pump relay failed in the dash, and I wound up hard-wiring the fuel pump in as a workaround. Just want to try and narrow things down before throwing money blindly at things! Thanks for all and any ideas on this one!

 

1st comment I will make, is just starting and driving the truck around a few minutes once a week or two, will NOT keep the batteries fully charged.

you must keep a Battery Tender on them, preferably 24/7.
the "keep alive" relay is in the cluster panel, not under the dash.
it is very common for the cluster panel to give problems, the solder joints are now 22 years old, and falling apart..... I sent mine in to have it serviced, and it now works like it should.

for Parasitic draw, you need to use a clamp on Ammeter, to trace out which path the current it taking to ground. I started at the Battery to get a total current figure, and then followed the wires as they split up and found my problems with the Clamp ON, Ammeter.

 

Thanks for the feedback! After I bought the truck 3 years ago, the alternator conked out after a month. When I replaced it, I also installed a digital voltmeter so I could keep an eye on voltage levels. I've been running CAT batteries with good luck, though my best run was a pair of Duracells from Sams that went 6 years on my other truck.

I've read about the perils of not letting diesels warm up to operating temperature and shutting things down too quickly, so I do try and make my trips last long enough. The tender suggestion is a great idea.

So it sounds like the cluster could very well be the culprit, and it looks like circuit board medics has some good reviews for this service. Is that where you had yours serviced?

Thanks again for the help! I read a lot of your posts and replies and always find them insightful!

 

I sent mine off to this place, because the give you a Lifetime Warranty, as long as you do NOT break the seals that they apply on the back.

 

I received my instrument cluster back today from Automotive Circuit Solutions. Fast turnaround, and they were great on the phone as well. Hooked the cluster back up, and the same symptoms exist as before in my original post - nothing from the speedometer, the digital mileage display clicks on after about 15 seconds after removing the key.

Could the ignition switch be the issue? Trying to figure out the next step in troubleshooting. Thanks!

 

Also noted that the tach stays stuck at 1000 RPM on the cluster after the engine is shut off for about 10 seconds as well. Then it finally goes to zero like the rest of the gauges.

 

I can't offer much, but,,,,,, nothing was mentioned about the cluster actually having an issue to fix? What did they say about what they did, or what it needed?

 

They said that they fixed all of the cracked solder joints that they found and used a solder with higher heat resistance. They also repaired the speedometer and tested everything before shipping it back.

 

So I went ahead and replaced the rear speed sensor to rule out the possibility of that being an issue with the speedometer not working. No change.

I hooked up my laptop and pulled codes with Forscan. Aside from codes related to the 4x4 system (I have the switch off since the dash is removed) I came up with B1352. Based on that, the next thing I'm going to try is replacing the ignition switch. From some reading on the internet, I came across some folks with F150s experiencing similar symptoms to mine with that code, and the resolution was in either the ignition switch or the ignition lock cylinder. Hoping its not in the CJB, but at almost 400k and 22 years old, I wouldn't rule anything out. Just trying to do the cheap and easy fixes first.

 

Installed new ignition switch (was pretty easy to do). No change.
Swapped the ignition lock cylinder from my other excursion into this vehicle. No change.

I don't really want to throw in the towel on this one, but I'm running out of ideas. Removing the large 60 amp fuse in the CJB keeps whatever is causing the relay behind the dash to click on 15 seconds after shutting the vehicle off and pulling the key out. Is there anything in the CJB itself that could have gone bad? I had the fuel pump relay (which is built into the CJB) go bad a few years ago, and I bypassed it by hard-wiring in the fuel pump. No problems since. Wondering if something else could be failing. I suppose I could go ahead and remove it and send it off for repair (looks to be about a $300 job) but hate to keep throwing parts at it.

 

PATS? PCM? Best to find an electrical diagram for your year and trace back that relay signals. Windshield leaks were common, and would damage the GEM piggybacked to the fuse-box, but as you are a 2002, you do not have the GEM, but maybe check for signs of water damage at the fuse-box.

 

Wow, I can't believe how long this has been going on...time for an update:

I took the Excursion to a mechanic in May. Told him the symptoms and issues going on with the electrical system, and that I had replaced the ignition switch, repaired the instrument cluster, etc. First thing he did was replace both batteries (said one was dead, not really surprised on that one). No change.

After a few months (July) he came back around and said that there was evidence of water damage to the Body Control Module (located under the glove box) but could not locate a replacement. I found one local to me with a matching part number and a rebuilt warranty. I bought it. The mechanic put it in. No change.

It's now November, and I haven't had the Excursion for months. I'm feeling a little frustrated that he can't figure out what is causing the relay to kick the instrument cluster on. The last I heard, they were looking into the driver's side door ajar switch. Yes, it's been sticky in the past, with the lights not always coming on without a little wiggling of the door, but it never caused any other issues before.

I did get to bolt on a new exhaust last week to my other Excursion and getting ready to do the starter. With winter coming, I know the diesels don't like to sit, and I really don't want the two new batteries he put in to wind up being toast from sitting (they are disconnecting them to keep from the parasitic drain). I'm also concerned that if there is an issue with the windshield leaking, but I'd really like to get the electrical issues cleared up before moving on. The mechanic has done good work for me in the past, so I want to give him a chance, but it's taking forever.

Sorry for the vent. Just frustrated, and any suggestions are welcome! Is there anything in the fuse boxes from 2002 that could cause this issue? Mechanic said no, but I'm wondering if that should be sent off to a re-builder to go over as well.

 

ouch, the hours of labor on that is going thru the roof

 

Well, the mechanic said he is not going to bill me for all of the diagnostic hours (nice of him, but he said he's losing out a bit on his end).

Got a phone call today on it. Likely culprit is the ABS module. Apparently the wiring harness is melted from the ABS module to the CJB. Wondering what caused this. In any case, disconnecting the ABS wires made everything go back to normal. We'll see where we can go from here.

 

my mechanic treats me really fair also.

I always pay him with cash, and at times, I give him $100 on top of his invoice, when I feel he has short cut the invoice.....
I have twisted wrenches in the decades gone by, and know when a job should take more than x hours.