Interesting electrical/GEM module issue with my 2002 Eddie Bauer

[Salty-Salt-7777]

Hello all!

Let me preface this by saying that I am not at all mechanically inclined. I keep up with regular service and things like that but ask me to do more than the lightest of maintenance and I'm left scratching my head.

I also want to say that this is my first post. Hoping to find some help here.

I have an 02 Eddie Bauer Expy with north of 175,000 miles on it. I am the third owner and have had it since 2010. It's been a phenomenal vehicle.

Recently I noticed that the horn wasn't sounding unless the engine was on. I took the vehicle to a body shop where they noted that I had a parasitic draw and suspected that it was the GEM module. I was also told that Ford has discontinued that particular part and it's hard to find one nearby. I've seen some on eBay that reportedly are the correct part but again, I'm not mechanically gifted so I have no idea. As a result I can't listen to the radio (or see the clock) when I'm driving and I have to take out a fuse when I'm done driving it for the day.

But I've been doing some digging and I'm not sure that's quite the problem.

- Everything else electrical works - power locks, lights, power windows, etc.
- To my knowledge there hasn't been any windshield leakage; I've replaced a couple of the fuses once (about ten years ago) but other than that they've all worked fine.
- Battery/alternator are both new , having been replaced in the last couple of years.

Does anyone know where I can find a GEM module, or even if that's the issue? Thanks in advance!

 

[Billme]

I believe you are thinking right.. I just sent my Gem in to UpFix for them to check it out.. It was fine, but the fuse box was slightly corroded interrupting speed info and dimming of the mileage indicator.. I cleaned and made knew terminals at the battery also ground to body.. That took care of the dimming..
My PO 500 problem is most likely connector or in the harness somewhere..
Do the easy stuff first, like connections to the battery and grounds, and post what you find.. Somebody will jump in and hopefully you will find the problem..

 

[whySKIPdodis]

I used to have a 2002 F150 (basically the same as your Expy) and ran into similar issues with the GEM module. Mine had water damage to the GEM - this is super common on these generations. I was experiencing weird electrical stuff too, and ultimately had to replace the GEM to get things back to normal.

Here's what I learned from my experience:

Finding the right GEM: You're on the right track looking on eBay. The key is getting one with the EXACT same part number as yours (or at least get a GEM from an Expy with the exact same options as yours...power windows, power seats, etc.). I had to pull my existing GEM (not fun, I'll warn you - it's tucked up under the dash) to get the part number off it. Once you have that number, search eBay for that specific part number. I used to have a site that gave the explanation of the GEM numbers, but I cannot find it.

The water damage connection: Even if you don't see obvious windshield leakage, these GEMs are notorious for getting water damage from small leaks you might not notice. The water can wick down and cause corrosion on the module over time.

Your symptoms: The parasitic draw and radio/clock issues when the engine is off definitely point toward the GEM. The fact that other electrical components still work doesn't rule it out - the GEM controls specific functions and can fail partially.

Once I replaced mine with the correct part number match from eBay, everything went back to normal. It's definitely worth pursuing this fix, especially since you've already had a shop suspect the GEM.

 

[astro110]

I have a 1998 Expy and had to replace the Gem. I was experiencing electrial issues such as the drivers power window would work sometimes and the radio would come on by itself. I finally figured out it was the Gem. It was not fun getting the Gem out it is attached to the top of the fusebox under the dash.

Make sure you get the right one. I purchased mine from NAPA it was preprogrammed. All the numbers matched up. After I installed the Gem everything worked perfectly. There are some videos on youtube on how to replace the Gem that are helpful. Check your fusebox for corrosion while you have it out. It took me approximately two hours to replace the Gem.

Good Luck

 

[yeet99]

I just want to chime in - I'm working through some electrical issues on my '01 EB and the symptoms point to the GEM failing. I replaced it with an eBay GEM (with identical part #) but it did not fix any of the issues I'm having. I hope you have better luck than me!