almost every time that i turn the wipers or the turn signals i get a complete power interruption some times enough to cause the engine to stall any help please .

 

How complete? Do the headlights go out or dim?

 

What year and model etc?

A generic answer is that it sounds like there is a problem with either the "Clockspring" or the switches controlling those functions.

The "Clockspring" is a flexible circuit wrapped around the steering column which looks like a clock spring. Sometimes it can short out and then when you use a control, it shorts out.

If the controls you mentioned are on the steering column, the above answer is probably it.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

I'm sorry is a 1999 f-250 super duty and when the truck its park if I turn the wipers on it shuts off completely. thanks.

 

Bad grounds?

 

I think this is something more than bad grounds. I am with Jim on this one. Pull the steering wheel and check the clock spring and connections. Caution: Be sure to follow proper procedure when disconnecting the air bag.

 

The clock spring shouldn't be involved with the turn signal/wiper/washer functions. The clock spring only connects the horn and cruise controls, the parts that are on the turning part of the wheel.

The multi-function switch is the turn signal/wiper/washer arm. It has the turn signal, washer/wiper, brake and headlight circuits running through it. If any one of those is shorting to ground for some reason, I would think it could cause what you are describing.

 

Thing is, all that stuff is fused and shouldn't interrupt the engine/PCM because they are on separate feeds. And if it did, it would blow the fuse and the engine wouldn't run at all until the fuse was changed.

And like David said, it's the multi-function switch in question, not the clockspring (cruise control/horn/air-bag).

 

I agree that a short should be blowing the fuse.

However, I'm remembering back to an issue we had with my Dad's '96. I know that's a way different model year, etc. But we had an old camper that we wired up for the 7-way trailer connector to provide for stop/turn/running lights and 12v power for the interior lights. We wired on a couple of spade terminals for a battery that we stuffed into the area behind the wheel wells. The camper was not originally built with a place for a battery, just one wire coming out for a 12v feed that fed 2 or 3 internal 12v lights.

I went to take a trip with it and didn't have a battery in there, because I wasn't going to need one. I had the spade terminals taped up with electrical tape and taped to the wiring so they were hanging beside the bed at the rear.

Just after I left home, the truck starting "missing". But it was more than just missing, it was intermittent, very short, complete engine shutdown. Even took the tach to zero. Lasting only for a fraction of a second. Enough that if it had been at idle, it probably would have killed it, but since I was going down the road at 60 it would just cut out for 1/2 second or so. Kinda like what the OP is describing.

What I discovered is that the positive 12v spade terminal wasn't completely covered with tape and was swinging in the wind and occasionally grounding out. Apparently it can take a few seconds of short for a fuse to blow, because I know the 12v feed in the tow plug is fused and it wasn't blowing the fuse. But it was enough of a power interruption, or surge, or something, to cause the engine to cut out briefly.

I taped up the wire better and went on my way without any problems. This incident is what is making me think maybe the OP has a very brief short to ground in his multi function switch. Something long enough to interrupt the engine, but not long enough to blow the fuse.

It may also be the wires going to the MF switch, I suppose, rubbed through on a bit of frame and grounding out intermittantly. That could be checked with inspection. The only way to diagnose a malfunctioning MF switch in this case would be to replace it, I would think.

 

thanks for you help guys,today it was raining and start acting up; like after a good 30 minutes of driving and after the first one then almost every 10 minutes tomorrow as soon as we get some day light I will do all you recomendations thanks again.

 

Rain and wipers leads me to think about the TSB on the windshield leaking can causing the GEM to act up. It's worth a few seconds to check for water on the back fuse panel (I think that's where the early GEMs were).