Electrical problems

I have a 99 expedition that has major problems, the blinkers don't work the AWD does'nt work, and when it sits out in the rain over night the vehicle will have a dead battery, and things like the stereo won't work when I put the car in gear, the windows will quit going up and down, the interior lights start blinking, and there is a clicking noise constantly under the dash. I've had it fixed once but the next time we had a couple days of rain all the problems started again. Does anyone know of a fix or possible leak problem in expeditions?

This may be basic but it could be the source. It sounds like a voltage problem. Check your battery(even if it cranks it could still have a dead cell)12.6 volts is what you want. Then check your altinator to see if it's putting out the right voltage under a load (i.e. light,a/c, etc.) and it should be around 14 volts. Make sure you let it test for over 10 minutes because sometimes they'll charge until they get hot.

We are taking our 2000 in for almost exactly the same problem today (see description under "steering wheel leak" above). The dealership resealed our window and replaced the fusebox because of 'corrosion' for a mere $400.00, but the first time it rained, things got even worse. Car even tried starting itself!!
Don't know what to tell you, but will report tommorrow after 'repair'!
I have another friend who experienced similar problems with his 99.
I'll bet you there are quite a few more people who've had this problem too.
Dealership said Ford only responds when there is a safety issue involved.
I pointed out that windshield wipers going out in driving rain and vehicles trying to start on their own WAS a safety issue!!
Need to complain to Ford, and keep any reciepts for repair--maybe we could get reimbursed if enough people become involved.

I too have been experiencing electrical problems, esprecially during and after rain and have noticed it to be a fairly common problem with these SUVs. The truck starts on its own, shifts in and out of 4 wheel drive, dash lights out ect... I noticed dampness under the dash on the rug and traced it back up thru the fuse box under the dash and then removed the plastic covering on the interior side of the drivers window and found a significant leak. I tried sealing it with RTV but no luck so I stuffed a rag in there and the problems stopped and even corrected itself after it dried out. My 2 year old son messed with the rag about 2 mos later while waiting in a parking lot and the very next rain I experienced the electrical problems. I placed the rag in the area tighter and the problem stopped, but now all my dash instrumentation is not working. I have been real busy and have not had time to get my truck in but I have heard I will need to replace the fuse box and GEM. It does piss me off but FORD won't do anything, they see it unique to my vehicle.

I know how you feel, I very helpfull auto forum member sent me this!


mailto:[email protected]

This is the message:

I know exactly what is wrong. I fixed it this weekend on my 2001
Expedition. You have a leak in your winshield and it does leak onto your GEM
which is bolted to the backside of your fuse block. The gem is not
broken. The problem is that there is water inside your fuse block and as
signals change to the GEM there are voltages going to the wrong pins.
Remove your fuse block/GEM, unbolt the GEM, remove the relays, look at the
screw holes that the bulkhead connectors bolt to. You need a drill that
is THE SAME SIZE as the surrounding metal (about 1/2"). Drill down
about 1/4" without hitting the threaded hole too much. This will allow the
screw-hole-things to be pushed out through the back. Pry open the fuse
block and start removing the plastic plates one at a time. There are
lots of metal bars and shapes that need to be kept in place so keep it in
order as you disassemble. Dry out each layer with paper towels or air
and then spray liberally with WD40 or similar to displace the wa!
ter. When you are done put it back together and be happy you spent
nothing on it. Fix the leaky window or it will come back. note: when you
are removing the layers be careful to watch the metal pins that go into
the layer below. as you pry up get a long flatblade screwdriver and go
under the layer to pry up each pin. When you reassemble the unit the
same thing has to happen. sometimes you have to push the pins around to
get them in their correct holes. Each plastic plate has a recess for
each metal bar so if you get confused, look for a recess that is a similar
shape to the metal bar. Good luck. Takes about 2.5- 3.5 hours.