KnightIRD

So, my truck has quite a bit of problems. Early 1997 Ford F-150 XLT with auto windows. I turn the headlights on and the amp gauge goes WAY down, brand new alternator, shut it off and the battery is dead, driver side window won't roll down, when pushed up on the switch I can hear the motor engage, when pushed down, I can hear the relays engage, but every time I press up or down all of my interior lights come on and go back out intermittent, passenger side rolls down very slow, and all interior lights go out, when rolling back up they all come back on until the button is released. I need some advice here, somebody please, I am so frustrated.

02sport4

Did you test the battery voltage? Di so with the engine running then hold down the throttle till about 1500rpm. Thwn turn on your whipers Brights and radio and test it again. If its ok then start checking the wires going to your alternator. Or maybe you got a bad alternator

Raybz

Damn! You didn't by chance just buy this truck in Joliet Illinois did you? You are describing the EXACT reason I passed on buying a truck not a month ago. Check the wires where they go into the door. I suspect that one or more got pinched and are shorting. That's at least the place I would have started IF I bought the one I passed on.

charliedyal

Also check the GEM for water damage. The windshield in these trucks eventually leak soak it. It's a very common problem.

KnightIRD

No, I've had this truck since December, and my grandfather has owned it eight years before me.

How do I get to the GEM? I've tried getting to it, but can't seem to find it. Would this cause the charging system to fail as well?

KnightIRD

Getting a fusebox AND GEM from a truck at the salvage yard for free, I am going to go ahead and guess that this is hopefully my problem.

twoskinsoneman

You should follow the offered advice of monitoring and posting your voltages.
Your headlight/volt meter symptom does not really indicate the GEM

KnightIRD

Got that solved... I was pulling fuses out of the fusebox and must have missed one, because therewas an airbag monitoring system fuse that was missing. Put that back in and the alternator started charging again, works like a dream besides my door/interior/window problem. Also robbed an automatic headlight setup off of a Lariat and that works great as well. Any other things I should check before I replace the GEM?

Thanks for all of the help by the way guys, this is by far the best forum I've been on!!!

KnightIRD

I went ahead and installed the new GEM module. Didn't work.... I'm thinking it could be possibly a window switch now? I'm not too upset about the GEM module, this one seems to work fine.

KnightIRD

Help!!! My instrument cluster went crazy, so I put my original GEM back in and its still doing the same thing. Could this be a bad cluster? I know that I have half a tank of gas, and my alternator is charging fine at 13.88 volts and my battery doesn't drain, and my engine was cold cause I hadn't started it in a couple of hours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRmE...ature=youtu.be

Do our trucks have ECM's? Could that maybe be my problem?