electrical disaster

[newade]

hey all, new to site, new to ford. just bought a used 99 powerstroke, has several backup batteries and aftermarket wiring harnesses for lights and electrical supply. washed it for the first time yesterday, now going crazy, door locks going off , interior lights stay on, clicking from inside dash, sounded like a clicking behind left headlight, fan motor goes on. truck acts like key is in even when not,, starter is staying engaged, i disconnected batteries, let it sit over night, and when i reconnected, same story.. was running great until then, thanks everyone for all the help.

[JSchuricht]

Take the cover off below the steering wheel, remove the fuse block. You will find a module bolted to the back of it. That's the GEM, it controls all of the functions you are having issues with. Replace it with a new one and take the truck to a dealer to get it programmed to your specific truck then have someone come out and reseal your windshield so you don't get water on the new GEM.

[newade]

lol,, that sounds like it has happened before,, thank you for the help,, will do today

[JSchuricht]

It is common for the early trucks to leak from the windshield and drip on the GEM. I haven't had a leak there yet but I have other issues with the GEM. In your case, it happened after washing the truck so it's a fairly safe bet that it got wet.

[newade]

the windshield had some chips, so getting that replaced tomorrow afternoon, is there a way to test the gem?, i used all my money to buy the truck, so a 550 dollar part is gonna hurt,,
thanks for all the help
wade

[JSchuricht]

If you have a good code scanner, there is a test function for the GEM. You might try pulling it out, cleaning and drying it.