Strange Electrical Issue

[scottmeiners]

hello,

hopefully someone can help with a strange electrical issue that just popped up with my 09 xlt. A couple weeks ago I had my oil changed at an instant oil change place and they told me my battery was going bad. now a few weeks later, I drove 400 miles from Cincinnati to Grand Rapids Michigan and started having weird electrical issues. When the problems start, the power outlets on the dash go out, the from blower motor cuts out, my dome lights will not work and my head lights come on, but w/o my fog lights. I noticed this happening when i was sitting in traffic. So, I went to auto zone and had my battery checked and it was bad so I got a new one. Also had my alternator tested and it also passed their test. I thought my problem was fixed for a while but no every once and a awhile this electrical problem will pop up. it must me a short somewhere or something. A few times I was able to get everything to go back to normal if I slammed my drivers door very hard. Tonight I was sitting in the drive through for a while and it did it again. unfortunately slamming the door did not work and when i turned my truck off, the headlights were staying on. I ended up driving around for a little bit then everything came back on. Does anybody have any ideas where to start looking? When this electrical problem starts, the radio work fine, the dimmer switch works fine, the rear air conditioner works fine.

Thanks for reading my really long explanation, but it seems really weird. The problems started on Saturday but has not been a problem the last two days.

thanks,

Scott

 

[mrford60]

look at your grounds first. sometimes a bad or dirty ground will cause things to do that.

 

[scottmeiners]

Thanks for the reply. where should I begin to look for grounds. I don't really have any idea where to start looking. does anybody know if one set of wires controls the dome lights, front blower motor and head lights?

 

[FordCustSrvc]

hello,

hopefully someone can help with a strange electrical issue that just popped up with my 09 xlt. A couple weeks ago I had my oil changed at an instant oil change place and they told me my battery was going bad. now a few weeks later, I drove 400 miles from Cincinnati to Grand Rapids Michigan and started having weird electrical issues. When the problems start, the power outlets on the dash go out, the from blower motor cuts out, my dome lights will not work and my head lights come on, but w/o my fog lights...

Hi scottmeiners.

I recommend visiting a Ford dealer to have this concern diagnosed. Let me know what you find out!

Ashley

 

[stamp11127]

What are your mechanical abilities and do you have a DVM?

 

[scottmeiners]

i am fairly mechanical, however I do not know what a DVM is. the three different times I have driven it today have been problem free. Hopefully my drive back to Kentucky tomorrow will go uneventfully

 

[stamp11127]

DVM is Digital Volt Meter, also referred to as a multimeter by we ol'timers. Every toolbox needs one, think of it as an electronic wrench, screwdriver or whatever.

Here is a basic one that is inexpensive:
Sears.com

If you want a "pro" model Flukes are good.

Usage video, part one of his series:

How to use a Multimeter for beginners: Part 1 - Voltage measurement / Multimeter tutorial - YouTube

 

[scottmeiners]

I do have a volt meter and would be willing to check things out. I just have no idea where to start looking. this is a weird problem, on my trip back home, the think cut out a few times, sometimes after hitting bumps in the road, other times seemed at random. Also, when the "Problem" was occurring, my windshield wipers do not work. (which I found out during a rain shower on the drive home). If I can't figure something out I will end up at the dealer, but I need to make sure that it is acting up consistently before they will be able to find out whats going on. Thanks again for your assistance.

 

[stamp11127]

I'd hit ebay and get a wiring manual. That will allow you to see the logic that was used, where everything is located and what ties into what.
It would also tell you what is controlled by the GEM, if it has one.

Troubleshooting an intermittent electrical problem is accomplished one of two ways. The first is a time intensive diagnosis of hunting for it. The other is a somewhat educated guess of throwing parts at it until the problem is found. Both can get expensive if your paying someone to do it.

You may have a loose or broken connection at some point. It could be a broken wire somewhere in the harness, a broken pin in a connector, a bad GEM, etc.

You shouldn't have any trouble finding it with a dvm and or test light. You just need the time and patience.

 

[scottmeiners]

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it.

 

[tojohnso]

With everything you mentioned, look to the main ground to the engine block. Follow the black wire from the battery. If it's loose, easy fix.

 

[Bernard]

I have a Range Rover (P38 – which are notorious for electrical problems/gremlins) and it does some of the things you have mentioned, when the battery is about to die.. And all of a sudden, while you try to figure how to approach the problems, it dies on you… replacing it solves all the problems.

If it’s not the (easy fix) ground, I would get the battery checked (with load)..

 

[scottmeiners]

well, as many of you have stated, it must be a grounding issue. My problems first started in Michigan when the temperatures were up in the 90's. Since I have been back to Kentucky it has been rather cool for this summer and I have not had any problems. So I have not been able to take it to the dealer to have them look at it since I can duplicate the problem. mostly highs in the mid to low 80's. Now we have run a streak of some 90 degree days, it starts acting up again starting yesterday. last evening, the problem was intermittent. So tonight, we are leaving to go camping, with me pulling our camper. I hook it up and everything is fine, pull out onto the street after idling for just a few minutes, then my electrical problems come back, but different this time. When my electrical problem is occurring, my trailer brakes start acting goofy and the number on the brake controller just show 0.0 but sometimes flicker off and on. The weird thing is that when my truck is plugged into the camper, my blower motor on my AC starts to blow, but just a little bit. Once I unhook the camper they go back off. So I have tried to locate some grounds on the truck and have not had any luck. There is a small black wire that comes off of the battery ground wire and attaches to the quarter panel of the truck. I unscrewed that and put it back on. still no luck. Does any body have any idea where I should possibly look. I know that it is probably a needle in a haystack kind of thing, but it doesn't hurt to ask. I check the wiring harness at the plug at the back and wiggled all the wire around and still not luck. I crawled around the bottom trying to follow the wires but I am not finding where anything it attached that could be a ground. It just seem weird that it only seem to happen when it is hot out. Fortunately we are not camping too far from home so a friend who was already there is coming to get my camper so we can at least enjoy the weekend. Thanks

 

[stamp11127]

I'll say it again, pick up the electrical manual if your able to "read" them. That is your road map for tracing electrical problems. Once you have that then you know the parts location and logic used for the circuits. If you don't you'll just waste time and effort trying to find the source. Rare times you will get lucky and see it from the start. I've had that happen only a few times in the last 40 years.

With the diagram you'll be able to see what the common connection is on the circuits - is it a common ground? Is it a branch circuit in the central junction box? Is it common in the GEM? Is it a corroded connector pin? Is it a broken wire that looks normal? Could be any one of the above or something I didn't list. The question is "what and where"?

 

[niels07]

newbie to this forum.....but I saw your post and had to tell you I had all kinds of weird electrical issues on mother in laws ford freestar for at least 2 years. Checked grounds and all( went through entire wiring schematics)... went through 2 alternators, 3 batteries(in 6 months!!!)changed damn near every fuse. finally found a guy less than an eighth of a mile from me who was good with electronics and I could trust. he had it for two days and found the problem......the damn BATTERY!!! When the first battery was going bad, my father in law went to auto zone and bought it there. Turns out that the battery they sold him was a smaller battery than the stock one. I kept asking at auto zone if the battery was the right one and the alternator too. they kept saying yes. WRONG!!!!!! the mechanic dude said he's been running into a lot of problems with fords and their electronics because of the wrong battery!!!! He said to get a stock ford battery and you should have no more problems. I did and 6 months and counting.....NOT ONE FRIGGING PROBLEM!!! I had to buy a battery back in april for our 2007 expy and went with a red top optima from summit racing....no problems as of yet. I hope this helps with your issues.......frank

 

[scottmeiners]

Thanks for your replay frank. Mine acted up all weekend and even today. So I just dropped it off at the dealer to have then try and figure it out. I also had a list of 4 or 5 other items for them to also look at/fix so I get my $200 deductible's worth. I did replace it with a battery from Autozone, but it appeared to be the correct one, i think it was the biggest battery they had. But I have wondered if that could still be the problem. Once I get it fixed, I will post the results here for future use.

 

[scottmeiners]

Finally heard back form the dealer. The problem ended up being a bad/broken ground under the dash somewhere. They believe that it was caused by them when they had my dash apart a few months ago to replace the A/C diverted box. The dealer took the blame for it and are replacing it at no charge. But while it is there, they are replacing my radio because the CD changer quit working ($600), a power steering hose that was leaking ($440) and a Pinion seal that was leaking ($140). So I will still end up paying my $200 deductible. Even with the high deductible, my extended warranty is paying off, this is the third time I have had to use it. Thanks again for all your suggestions.

also, I highly suggest Mike Castrucci in Alexandria Kentucky for service. They are not necessarily the fastest place, but they do set you up with a rental car while yours is getting fixed.

Scott