I have a BLACK 1999 f350 7.3 that did some strange things today. The batteries were dead this morning so I charged them up. I hooked the cables back and noticed the dome light flasher was clicking. I drove off to get a new one. After I turned off the key the heater blower was still going and the power windows worked with the key removed. I replaced the relay for the dome light. The lights work but when the door is shut the relay clicks. Driving home I blew the horn and it wouldn't stop blowing. Sounds strange. Ifanyone can make sense of this THANKS!!!! Rick

 

Has it rained or been wet lately? You are definitely having a problem with your GEM. All of the things you mentioned go through the GEM. There are problems, usually associated witha windshield leak that cause the module to do kooky things. Is this truck new to you? One of the functions of the module is to keep some of your accesories on when you turn the key off (radio, power windows, blower) until you open the door. It is a programmable module, so it is possible that the battery problem caused the module to malfunction, but it is much more likely that moisture in the module caused your batteries to die along with all the other problems.

 

It rained heavy the night before this happened. I have had this truck for a year now. Where is the GEM and do I need to replace it or just find where the water is getting in.. Thanks, Rick

 

Hey Rick,
The GEM is behind the fuse panel. Take the lower dash panel off, then look for two big harnesses with 10mm bolts holding them in and remove them. Then there are two bolts and two nuts holding your fuse panel in, remove them and flip over the fuse panel. There will be three more electrical connectors going into a black box on the back of the fuse panel. Remove the connectors and take the three screws out of the box and pull the GEM off. Most of the time you can dry it out with compressed air and it will be OK. Make sure you blow out the fuse panel too. Sometimes they're really corroded and you'll have to get a new one.
They're kind of expensive and the dealer has to do it because it has to be programmed. My guess is that since you've had the truck for a year and didn't know that the power windows are supposed to work with the key off until you open the door, it's been having problems for a while.
As far as the water leak, you'll probably have to get the windshield removed and resealed. Look up under the dash and see if you can find any other place it could be coming from, but it's 99% of the time coming from the windshield.

 

Thanks Spike,

I'll try to clean that out and make an appointment with the window man.


Rick, who'se glad there is no rain in the forcast for the Blue Ridge Mountains

 

Good luck with that Rick! Hopefully the cleaning out will take care of it.