Location of GEM on 2011

Welcome to the Forum. I'd have somebody check the codes to see if you have any. Just for the hell of it you might check the ground connection on your battery post for looseness, for corrosion, and broken wires.

gixer2000 said:

Its called the SJB but I would be looking toward your alternator/battery. Its pretty common for weird things to happen when the alt is going south

Click to expand...

Gixer2000, I didn't see any flickering of the volt meter or the lights prior to everything going wacko. I disconnected and re-connected the neg cable to the battery several times right after it happened in hopes that it would reset whatever it was (didn't help). The battery was strong and engine started each time after I reconnected. I didn't leave the cable connected though. If I was shorting out somewhere, I didn't want to keep supplying power to it.

bobmbx said:

If you've got a former cop car, I bet there's an unused wiring harness connector getting wet. I'm assuming this vehicle had the 14 extra miles of wiring for the cop lights and all that other cop stuff.

Click to expand...

Bobmbx, They powered everything in the vehicle from the unused circuits of the interior fuse box. It was all disconnected and pulled before I got her. They only left the jumpers in the fuse box. I pulled them off.

Donn Rogers said:

Gixer2000, I didn't see any flickering of the volt meter or the lights prior to everything going wacko. I disconnected and re-connected the neg cable to the battery several times right after it happened in hopes that it would reset whatever it was (didn't help). The battery was strong and engine started each time after I reconnected. I didn't leave the cable connected though. If I was shorting out somewhere, I didn't want to keep supplying power to it.

Click to expand...

I missed the part where it was a former police vehicle. So that opens up a whole new host of issues but I would still consider having the alternator load tested.

Jumpers in a fuse box?

Did they use the idiot 3m vampire taps also?

You should get the service manual and wiring diagrams. Many circuits are now on the CAN bus (meaning networked). If they connected into that......

I did find moisture behind the right kick plate. I pulled the smj away from the inner wall and didn't find any moisture on it or any of the wires bundles going into it. The water doesn't look to be coming from the dash, rather it is running down the A pillar and around the door seal. The inner wall is rusting out and the ground stud that bolts onto the inner wall had rusted away from the wall so the two wires that ground there weren't.
I don't know if that was enough to cause the issue with all the electronics going crazy.
I have coated the metal with rust retardant and will pick a new grounding point for the wires.
Once the retardant is dry, at least a day, I'll hook up the rest of the wiring and battery and cross my fingers.
What do y'all think?

stamp11127 said:

Jumpers in a fuse box?

Did they use the idiot 3m vampire taps also?

You should get the service manual and wiring diagrams. Many circuits are now on the CAN bus (meaning networked). If they connected into that......

Click to expand...

Yes taps, but as I said there were all on unused fuses and are now removed. I've been running her for a year now and this was the first time with an electrical issue after a week of driving in the rain.

BTW, I am using her for a police unit as well. Of course, my wiring is done on a fused "home run" off the battery. I don't like messing with splicing or taping into the factory wiring. Too many issues.

A rotted out ground could definitely cause all that.

I have a buddy with a Dodge Journey that I’ve been trying to troubleshoot a ground on. One reverse light refuses to work and the rear wiper likes to stop in the middle of the window.

Can we assume that correcting the grounds solved your problem?

After a 70 hr. work week, I finally have had time to get back to it. I am happy to report that the electronics are working now.
I do have one issue. The horn started the minute I hooked up the battery and won't shut off. Had to unplug it. I hope the tow driver didn't jack it up when he was trying to figure out how to bypass the shift interlock. (He never did figure it out.)