Windows go down with ignition off??

[Tinovolpe]

Hey I have a new one for everybody. My 2001 SE duratec has developed a quirk that my son, who is just learning to drive (god help us) noticed so I don't know how long this condition has been going on. With the car off and the key out of the ignition I can still put down the power windows. Now I'm pretty sure that is not supposed to happen. Last night when I came home and parked, turned the car off, took the ignition key out and sure enough the windows go up and down. Tried locking the doors, windows still operated. I noticed the background lights on the door lock and window buttons were still on. This morning got in the car and first thing I did before putting the key in was try the windows. They did not operate so whatever is going on turned itself off during the night. I'm worried whatever it is that is still powering my windows will run my battery down.
My question is, what controls cutting power to the accessories like the power windows? Is it the ignition module and is that going bad on me or is there something else like one of the car's chips that controls this.

Thanks

[65comet]

Turn the car off and remove the key, open and close the door, then try the windows. If they still operate, then you have a problem. If they don't, try this also. Start the car with doors shut. Turn it off and remove the key. Wait at least two minutes. Try the windows. If they still operate, then you have a problem. If they don't, then the timer relay is working correctly. I didn't think Ford started it with that year, but around that time they put in a timer relay that would allow certain functions to continue for up to two minutes (some are timed for less) after turning it off and removing the key and not opening the door. Besides windows it can also include wipers and the radio, but not always.

[shorod]

The Accessory Delay Relay, mentioned above, is probably not shutting off. The accessory delay relay would also provide power for the radio.

The trigger to shut off the relay is from the door ajar switch. It's a pretty common occurrence for the door ajar switch to fail on many modern vehicles and Ford is no exception. The switch is integrated in to the door latch. People often spray various chemicals in to the door latch to keep them from freezing, make them latch or release more easily, etc. The added lubricants, as well as the factory lubricants and just plain wear can cause the switches to fail. I suspect that's what's happening here, the Generic Electronic Module (GEM) is not seeing an opened door and keeping the Accessory Delay Relay active until it times out.

If you determine the door ajar switch is the issue, you can try cleaning the switch by spraying an electrical contact cleaner in the switch and opening and closing the door several times to work it in. I do not recommend WD-40 or similar as that is not intended as an electrical contact cleaner and it could attract further dust and dirt. Beware though that some contact cleaners can be pretty harsh and might damage plastic or paint if used too liberally. My favorite product for these door ajar switches is Caig DeoxIt to clean the switch followed by Caig PresevIt to lubricate the contacts. This may be a temporary fix, but it could also buy you a few years.

-Rod

[Tinovolpe]

thanks guys that's pretty interesting. I never knew or even noticed that there was an delay timer on this car. I will try out the suggestions and see what I get. I have been having issues with the door switches on this car for years. Sometimes the door ajar light would light even though all 4 doors were closed tight. Another time the doors were locking and unlocking while I was driving. Usually a shot of WD-40 into the door latches would solve the problem for a few years. Sounds like its about time for those switches to act up again.

[65comet]

Ok Rod, you've had this latest SHO for a couple years now. What reliability issues have you run into. It's time for another car for me and the cheaper gas has me calling for more horsepower again. SHO or Mustang get me emotional, but I'm taking my time and am going to get what fits me best this purchase and not "all my cars are broken beyond repair and I need something now" situation. Luckily I have two spare vehicles running at the moment and am doing an engine swap for my Escape that will get me up to 3.

[shorod]

Originally Posted by 65comet

Ok Rod, you've had this latest SHO for a couple years now. What reliability issues have you run into. It's time for another car for me and the cheaper gas has me calling for more horsepower again. SHO or Mustang get me emotional, but I'm taking my time and am going to get what fits me best this purchase and not "all my cars are broken beyond repair and I need something now" situation. Luckily I have two spare vehicles running at the moment and am doing an engine swap for my Escape that will get me up to 3.

We'll try this again. My first attempt at a reply did not take and I lost what I typed.

I've had my 2011 SHO since May of 2010. To date I've had no mechanical issues or really issues of any kind. I did have a rattle that drove me nuts for a short while until I discovered it to be an unsupported wiring harness above the headliner. It was pretty easy to access from the opening for the sunroof so I fixed that one myself. My SHO has the Performance Package as well and the F1 Supercar tires that came with it are due to be replaced. They are wearing very evenly, just quick. How quick? I only have 13,500 miles on the odometer. This is my fair weather car, not my daily driver. And living in Iowa, "fair weather" is not a huge portion of the year.

Oh, now that I'm out of warranty it's probably safe for me to admit that I have tuned my car. No hardware modifications, just firmware. The tune REALLY woke the car up but doesn't seem to have adversely impacted the reliability or fuel economy. I can still get around 17 mpg if I drive responsibly in town and can regularly achieve 28 mpg on the highway regardless of if I'm using the A/C or not, if I have the full family along, or how much luggage is in the trunk. Most trips though we take my wife's 2010 Lincoln MKT which also has the same Ecoboost as my SHO. No mechanical issues with her car either, and that one has almost 47k miles on it.

-Rod

[65comet]

Thanks. The Ecoboost has me slightly worried. It will be my daily driver and I do about 36,000 miles a year. I don't think I'll have an issue with carbon buildup in the type of driving I do, but I saw that video about how using the normal chemicals to remove the carbon can end up burning up those little turbos when the larger chunks flow into them as they are removed and they then superheat. Reported no solution from Ford yet. They are probably thinking it is an out of warranty issue for the most part. We'll have to wait and see I guess. I'll just make sure I don't do anything like that. If I do get buildup, I'll probably take it apart and physically clean it if they don't come out with something.

[shorod]

At the risk of being accused of hijacking this thread, I'll keep this semi-short. The carbon issue has been discussed a lot on a SHO-specific forum that I frequent. Not a lot of folks have been experiencing issues with carbon, but Ford's position is, if carbon is a problem for a customer, the suggested repair is to replace the intake and/or head. Some folks have been experimenting with catch cans, but very few. The consensus so far is that the BMW implementation of GDI is much more prone to carbon than the EcoBoost. There are a lot of folks with a lot of miles on their SHOs with no issues, and only a couple of folks running tunes that have had any sort of engine issues.

Before hearing of the carbon issue I did a cylinder decarb on my wife's MKT and have not experienced any side effects yet. That was 2.5 years ago. It seems the biggest engine issue has been that the spark plugs wear faster than expected. The typical interval is more like 45k miles.

-Rod