leak.....electrical issues.....

[bg46]

having water issues when it rains...well just sometimes....with water getting on my GEM.....causing erratic electrical issues....I've read post by moose and hammerg26 but still have questions...i know moose wrapped the gem in plastic.....do you have to take it out to wrap it....i just checked mine and it is hard to access....mechanically challenged so looking for an easy fix.......

 

[bg46]

ooops forgot to mention it's a 2001 expedition.......

 

[LyoddChrissmiss]

Not sure how to wrap the GEM, but those 1St Gens are known to have a leaky windshield. I definitely get that fixed first. Had the same issue years ago with my 01. Every time it rained the door locks stopped working and the horn started honking no reason. Finally fixed the issue with windshield and the GEM dried out and everything worked normal again.

 

[kythri]

I had this issue crop up 3-4 years ago. I was able to park my 2000EB under cover, extricate the GEM module/fuse box assembly, and dry it out completely (space heater).

After reinstallation (and elimination of the acute issues caused by water short-outs), I was able to get my Expedition to a glass shop on a dry day, and have them install a new windshield (I don't know that this is necessary for everyone, but mine was pitted and had a few rock chips), and in doing so, clean everything up and seal the windshield correctly.

Problem hasn't come back since.

 

[Trainmaster]

Not sure you can remove the old windshield to reseal it without destroying it. A new one around here, installed is about $200.

 

[kythri]

Yeah, I wouldn't have thought so, either, but I seem to remember some claims that it could be done without replacing, hence my comment.

 

[bg46]

I do have a crack on the passenger side of the windshield....will look into getting a new shield and hope that works......read is some of the old posts that one guy had the windshield guy do it over as it still leaked.....hoping that is not the normal.......rained last night and I see this morning my running board lights are on and pretty sure it won't start....

 

[kythri]

A competent glass shop should know what they're doing, but make sure you explain what's going on, and make sure they properly clean up any rust/corrosion when they remove the old windshield, and take extra care to properly seal it, especially at the driver side.

That said, I think the bigger issue is a failure of the factory urethane sealant, not just that specific area (honestly, if it hadn't been shorting out the GEM, I never would have noticed it leaking in that area, because it wasn't a large amount of water that pooled or anything) - a few months prior to my leak/short issue occuring, I started noticing drops of water coming into the cabin at the passenger side top of windshield, when taking mine through a car wash, indicating (at least to me) that the whole factory seal job was failing.

 

[bg46]

replaced the windshield and had no issues since then.......thanks