Hello,

After recently completing a timing job on my 2006 5.4 F-150, I have noticed weird electrical problems:

1. My cargo light stays on even with all doors shut and while driving. No door ajar light. To shut the light off I have to turn the dimmer switch ALL the way down.

2. Dome lights aren’t working. They were flickering randomly and not don’t turn on at all no matter what.

3. 4x4 not working. Haven’t messed with this too much, so not sure if it is actually engaging and just not showing up on instrument panel, or if it isn’t engaging at all.

4. Radio is not working.

I have also had a PCM code appear shortly after timing job, but I cleared it and it hasn’t come back. Initial thoughts were bad PCM, because none of the pins are bent. Also wondering if it could be instrument cluster or dimming switch.

Just hoping someone has ran into a similar issue and can help pin point the problem.

Thanks.

(Edit: just remembered one night I noticed if I pressed a button on the driver’s side switch on the door, the lights on the buttons would turn off and made headlights would dim. Can’t remember if that was before or after I fixed my window not being able to roll up which was just a wire that was broken. Also should note I have checked the grounds around the fuse box behind passenger kick panel, and the ground near the Auxiliary Relay Box on LH side of engine compartment.)

 

Did you reconnect the engine ground strap located just inches (towards driver's side) from the PCM? That's the only electrical thing that I can think of that may have been disturbed with a timing job.

 

I sure did. I couldn’t think of anything else either

 

What work was done after the last time you recall those devices working?

Are you comfortable with using a multimeter?

Does pressing any button on driver's door switch panel affect the problem?

 

Timing Job was it but no pins were bent. I did get a PCM code a while ago but cleared it and it never came back. I believe I narrowed it down to fuses 29, 30, 31, 39. I also replaced the radio with an after market one but that was years ago. I latched the doors and used the multimeter to measure mV of all the fuses after the truck had been locked for an hour or so, and the fuses I mentioned read a high mV reading. That’s why I came to that conclusion.

I’m pretty ignorant when it comes to electrical problems. I’m only 20 and I can do anything mechanical but electrical is beyond me lol.

 

I found a useful post related to your issue: https://www.fordf150.net/forums/view...68817&start=20

If you're interested in trying to fix it yourself you'll need a cheap multimeter. I'll try to help if you want to troubleshoot it yourself.

 

Yeah I have a multimeter. I appreciate you sending me that thread I will check it out and see what I can find out.

 

Something you can check fairly easily is to remove the passenger side plastic fuse panel door and the plastic kick panel below it and check the grounds. There are two grounds there that could be rusted and causing too much resistance. They are G206 and G202 in the picture below. Their wires will be black.

 

Yep. I checked them already. I found something interesting last night. My dome lights haven’t worked in awhile so I dug into them and checked out the bulbs, and neither seem blown. I was fiddling with them and got one of them to actually stay on. Also, my headlight on my drivers side is way dimmer than the other and I found that it grounds with some other things I’m having trouble with. I plan on digging into it shortly and I’ll let you know what I find.

I truly appreciate you taking your time out of your day and helping me.

 

Sounds promising. Good luck.