Donn Rogers
Member
Checking this forum, I believe I have a rain induced electrical insanity on my 2011 xlt. Where is the GEM located so I can check for water contamination?
Location of GEM on 2011
- Thread starter Donn Rogers
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1955moose
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Wow! You must be new here. Well welcome if you are, now to school you. Only 1 St edition 97-02 Expeditions used a gem module, mounted piggyback with the inside fuse box. Your year Donn, has a fuse box located behind the passenger side kick panel. Says fuse on the cover. Is your windshield leak on passenger side? Hope that helps. Please state your issues so our members can help isolate your problem. Moose.
Sent from my N9131 using Tapatalk
Sent from my N9131 using Tapatalk
gixer2000
Retrofit or Bust
What type of issues are you having?
Donn Rogers
Member
Driving home at night, in the drizzle, the intermit stopped working on the wipers. I was having to turn them to high to wipe the windshield. The wipers would stay where ever they were when I turned it off high. Then they finally came down. I turned them on intermit again and they started working, then stopped again. This process happened a few times. Then the message center started flashing messages, one after another. Then the head lights went out. I pulled off the road and turned off the ignition. The head lights came on. I turned on the ignition and they went out. The message center started flashing messages again. The motor would start but it would not shift out of park. All the electronics were going crazy. I could not even turn my emergency flashers on. I had it towed to the house (an ordeal itself because the first towing company couldn't figure out how to bypass the shift lockout). And now she is sitting and I am in a quandary as to how to fix her. She's a 2011 XLT, white in color, with a little over 100k and rescued from the Galveston County Sheriff's Office.
Donn Rogers
Member
It's still raining here so I haven't pulled the kick cover yet to check for water. Hopefully, there should be a break in the weather tomorrow.
So what is the part called exactly. If it is the culprit, i'd like to get an idea of cost besides the windshield reseal.
So what is the part called exactly. If it is the culprit, i'd like to get an idea of cost besides the windshield reseal.
Donn Rogers
Member
Is it called a Smart Junction Box? If so, where can I find an associated part number?
gixer2000
Retrofit or Bust
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
Bedrck47
Full Access Members
No GEM on the 2011 However the smart junction box has been referred to as a GEM
Did you have visible water intrusion?
Where did you see water inside the cabin?
ExpeditionAndy
Full Access Members
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.
Donn Rogers
Member
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.
Donn Rogers
Member
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.
gixer2000
Retrofit or Bust
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.
stamp11127
Full Access Members
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......
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......
Donn Rogers
Member
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?
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?
Donn Rogers
Member
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.
deweysmith
Full Access Members
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.
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.
Trainmaster
Old School Member
Can we assume that correcting the grounds solved your problem?
Donn Rogers
Member
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.)
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.)
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