Ford Super Duty Wipers Gone Wonky and Other Repairs

[@gregpavone8485]

That by far is the cleanest interior I have ever seen you work on and hand sanitizer to boot, dang!

[@oldtree218]

Cab corners are shot tho...dang

[@bigunone]

Supervisor's truck

[@parteibonza]

hahah yup and reading glasses neatly set on the right side

[@mlocklin]

When you were playing with the wipers in the beginning of the video I have a picture of my cat watching the wipers go back and forth.

[@dansevern3291]

Story of my life. "I can fix almost anything, IF, I can find the source of the problem." That's why I enjoy watching you diagnose these "sticky little issues."

[@garymucher9590]

Obviously the older our vehicles get, the more problems with connections will crop up. And now since everything is operated via a computer or two, we have way more connections then ever. So your job is certainly secure... Thumbs Up!

[@WatchWesWork]

Yeah these low current connections are so finicky.

[@mdouglaswray]

@@WatchWesWork - if the enginerds that designed these computers had any wits, they would have used better connectors. They knew resistance was a big deal. Quality is job... uh.. 6??

[@kevinoscarson2941]

Gem issues Extremely common on super dutys which sit. Doom light is probably from stuck door lock switch.

[@dcrahn]

Wes, check the marker lights on the roof for leaks, common problem I've been told. A friend of mine has an F350 almost identical to mine and he was having weird electrical issues when it rained. Turns out two of the roof lights were leaking. He fixed the leaks and no problem since, even with the heaviest down pours we have here. May not be the issue, but worth checking.

[@SteveKirks]

“Hi Mom!” - state DOT construction trucks always make me think of that sign back in the day.

[@Hfoutdoorsyt]

I had the same thing on my cruise control module on the brake pedal of my F250...cleaned it, put it back on and it worked like a champ. Crazy how that works.

[@WatchWesWork]

So frustrating!

[@mikelonneke1844]

Fix Or Repair Daily

[@henryholliday1]

@@mikelonneke1844 that is what my GMC is doing anymore

[@FishFind3000]

My e46 bmw wouldn’t start and I thought my starter had gone. I was at school and had no tools so I just started checking everything visually. I removed the fuse for the starter to check if it was bad and it was fine. Put it back and the car started. It kept working for years after that and kept working when I sold it. Strange how these things happen.

[@TheMetalButcher]

@@FishFind3000 Maybe the clutch switch? I've had mine act up a few times.

[@terryharvey4811]

Simple fix. take wiper arms off, lay on dash, when you see rain drops on glass, roll down window, grasp large end of wiper firmly in your hand, put arm out open window, place wiper blade rubber side down on glass surface, rotate wrist up and down thus wiping water off window. Adjust speed of wrist rotation as needed. THIS WORKED FOR ME WHEN MY WIPER ARM BROKE OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE, By the way, GOOD JOB WES.

[@davidjeffery2823]

I thought we were going to have an eighteen minute vid of you laughing at dodgey wipers.

[@madisonjam85]

*fordey

[@blake8297]

Only Wes could find a wiper issue funny. I typically only laugh at wipers when I see people driving around with them on high in a drizzle.

[@krtwood]

Yeah I thought he was just going to give it back to the customer with a note saying "This is awesome, don't fix"

[@Qwerty22091997]

@@blake8297 I tipically laugh a them when I see people turning them on while entering a roundabout

[@JS-wc4xs]

I absolutely love hearing his laugh! It's so awesome and masochistic

[@Peter-V_00]

You are a heck of a troubleshooter Wes, always glad to watch your videos, thank you for taking the time to make them.

[@plumbum48]

Dielectric grease, my favorite libation! You break me up with your humor Wes.

[@simboller5851]

Techtran dielectric spray works wonders in plugs. Awesome product!

[@mickburns5546]

Anybody else remember when it was just a wire and a switch? Check the fuse and it was fixed.

[@vehcor]

Sweatshirts to t-shirts.........that's a Tuesday in IL any time of the year! lol

[@WatchWesWork]

I know. We had frost here last night...

[@matta3888]

Vehcor, You just described TN's weather. One minute the weather is nice, another not so pleasant.

[@bryanphillips6666]

Wisconsin too

[@bryanphillips6666]

@@WatchWesWork I live in Mauston WI about 70? Miles north of Madison and 25 minutes away from the Wisconsin Dells, there's been frost advisories off and on for over a week

[@mariosaccoccio1688]

I gotta say, you've got the best dog I've ever seen! What a great personality!

[@saintsi6997]

HR (High Resistance fault) always the toughest to find. Well done.

[@RuneLar]

In this episode, Wes laughs like a maniac at windshield wipers.

[@RonMurakami]

Wes, Whenever I work on low voltage connectors, I apply DeOxit that cleans, lubricates and protects contacts. DeOxit comes in a pen and spray and I apply it to SIMs, computer boards and battery and critical connections. In this video you didn't use your favorite dielectric grease which is wise. Silicone can increase the resistance on low voltage, low current circuits.

[@matthewgillies6936]

Max is sad because the rain washes away his superhero power!

[@n4zou]

I prefer the old way of doing things before computer modules. The best fuel level guage I ever had in a vehicle had a bicycle cable between level float and the guage. No wires except for the bulb that lit it when you turned on the lights at night. The wipers on it had a two speed switch and you parked them wherever you wanted with the switch. That made it easy to replace the wiper blades. I believe in the KISS principal of design. KISS= Keep It Simple Stupid.

[@kevindavis6042]

Oxidation can occur even in if the connector is in a dry spot

[@fredericksample4018]

i have been a ford tech for years ..... water runs in the fuse box from the A piller where the roof of the truck meets the A piller . it is right where the windshield and door seal meet it runs down the A piller trim right on top of the fuse box connections .. most of the time i had to replace the fuse box . i drilled holes in the bottom of the fuse box to let the water out and reseal where the roof and a piller meet.

[@ChappoTC]

Good we had closure....thanks!

[@superdutyscaler6823]

The 99 to 04 super duty use a ground tab under the steering column under the column cover right next to the ignition cylinder. It's held on by a little plastic tab and it eventually cracks. When that happens it makes the door chime go crazy and it causes other electrical issues

[@brandonbradley2578]

I like learning from your videos man. I do most of my own mechanic work on my vehicles and on the farm equipment. Your knowledge is valued

[@Larry-325]

Don’t you hate those problems that fix themselves and don’t point to something you can see. Glad you had a solution! Enough to drive a man to drink. 🍺. Here’s to ya! Wes please get Max a mechanical mouse for rainy days! 👍👍

[@deanmills5106]

Give your dog a hug for me. Enjoy your videos immensely!!

[@HODGEPODGEDODGEGARAGE]

Wiring problems make me *cringe!* 😣 Hats off to you for putting in the time and tracking it down. Tool box looks great! 🙂👍 Nice bracket fabrication Wes. Take care 🔧

[@clifbradley]

Watch Wes track down the problem and then obliterate it. There is an issue with these trucks and the windshield coming apart at the seam around the edge. I'm glad you were able to fix it without that being the issue. Edit: just saw end of video. There you go

[@cheeto4493]

I noticed the rust on the dash rail and was wondering about moisture/corrosion as well.

[@danielsimpkins9662]

Look at that, you fixed the issue and didn’t take a chainsaw to the interior and call it a “bad design” like some other KZbinrs out there do. A+ for proper work done.

[@bostedtap8399]

Great diagnosis and repair, nice change in discipline ref welding and fabrication. Perhaps your dog has a sensitive head, ref rain drops!!!!!!. Thanks for sharing.

[@grosseileracingteam]

Those ignition lock cylinders do wear out. Only took 5 minutes to swap mine out.

[@danmackintosh6325]

Ah, glad we got the follow up tacked on the end. That's the kind of thing that maybe "drive me crazy" isn't the right phrase, but really wouldn't have sat right knowing there was an interior connector that got moved and the fault "miraculously vanished"... Water ingress at least gives the connector a reason to have been iffy & like you say, the low currents and precise (if incorrect on diagram) resistances involved mean any slight tarnish on a pin can be a real ballache. Actually, as soon as you mentioned the wipers acting up it gave me flashbacks to a Peugeot 206 I dealt with last year that had lots of random yet connected intermittents which all ultimately came back to the BSI (their version of a GEM) and it's wiring... At least yours co-operated and didn't steal days of your head scratching lol

[@mdouglaswray]

I LOVE how you discovered the reference diagram was wrong! THAT impresses me, that you regularly spot errors in the factory documentation! too funny

[@A_friend_of_Aristotle]

Often when solving a problem the "assumed to be good" is what we really should examine, not what we've "assumed to be bad." For those of you interested, Wes followed good diagnostic practice by talking to the driver (owner), verifying the complaint, understanding the circuit and the principles of its operation, formulating a hypothesis (a working theory), and examining/testing the components against the manufacturers specifications. His conclusion, although not to his satisfaction and not complete, was correct in a general sense. It is most likely a grounding problem. Wes, this should not be taken as criticism but as praise from a professor who has taught hundreds of young men to do exactly what you did in this video. I would say that roughly 5% of technicians your age would have gotten up to the point that you did with this problem. What you did not do was examine what you "assumed to be good." You were on the right track when you were examining the wiper switch schematic. The conclusion was that it was the ground side for the signal return, but you did not follow up with an examination of the ground path to the source. "Ground" is a path back to the battery. Where does the ground path go from the module to the battery? Is it a dedicated wire or does Ford use the chassis? How many connections are there between the module and the battery? I think you assumed the ground path to be good all the way to the battery. The water ingress most likely has created a problematic ground at a grounding terminal since Ford uses a chassis ground electrical system. Manufacturers like Caterpillar use a dedicated ground circuit...they got away from using the chassis decades ago. It doesn't simplify the electrical system, but it does eliminate many of the reoccurring electrical problems that chassis ground systems suffer. Not only do intermittent problems happen more frequently with chassis ground systems, the load required to push through corroded and loose ground connections shortens alternator life.

[@peterarisz2150]

Nothings like a Sunday morning with Wes. Back in the EU.

[@ron827]

I always enjoy hearing your chuckle after you have observed something crazy. Thanks for keeping your videos family friendly.

[@brandonfloyd6321]

The gem module is very common to go bad. It's why my dad's dome light and cargo light dont work. Some people wiggled their fuses and brought back their functions

[@isaach3438]

i had a 97 f150 that used to roll down the driver's window by itself when it rained. it also had 300k miles on it and was more rust than metal. anyways, i fought with GEM issues on that truck from water intrusion also

[@LouJustlou]

My 2000 Expedition had a similar problem, but showed up as a crank / no start. Leak from windshield was fixed but still getting water (not alot) under the floormat during very heavy rain. I used a bore scope on the drivers side cowl drain after removing cowl cover. Full of leaves and some weird foam like insulation stuff. Had to get under car and use long needle nose pliers and one of those little remote grabbing tools with a claw at the end. I also pulled the GEM module plug and cleaned it. AND just for fun my ignition cylinder failed and would no longer recognize that the key was in a month later. Sigh..... Works great now and in 9 years I qualify for an antique tag in FL. Something to look forward to. :)

[@BG-vq9fd]

I keep hand sanitizer in my cup holder. I admire your diagnostic capabilities. Truck must be mouse free.

[@kennethhoovler9050]

Happy Saturday! The first thing I did was look for a Wes video, and you did not disappoint. Thank you!

[@butchbailey8565]

Wes, those are the worst kind of problems with intermittent results with connector issues. Your not only a great mechanic with the best electrical skills but a Doctor of Diagnostics.

[@Bi0]

As someone dealing with cab leaks currently on a 99 f-250, check the roof marker lights. They are known to leak. I was able to find replacement gaskets for mine, they claim they fit a 02-17 but they fit mine perfectly. Looks the same as the ones on this truck from what I can see in the video. ---Part is a "Dorman 923-500"---. I had all sorts of dash issues, overhead console issues, etc... til' I found 1 of them was leaking when it rained.

[@butler386]

I am so glad you are working on this truck and not me. I was thinking a big engine fire might fix things.

[@GIGABACHI]

You always deliver knowledge and entertainment. That's hard to mix properly. It manages to keep my AADD at bay most of the times. Thanks, Wes. 👌😊👍

[@crawfordtowing4496]

The back side of the fuse panel under the dash has that green shit growing on I fix that problem all the time man plus I own prolly 30 of the 450 an 550 7.3 trucks an they’ve all had that problem

[@zx8401ztv]

Hey you fixed the problem, the mad ghost is gone lol. But if it was the switch at fault, you could have glued an old volume pot to the dash and he could play a game of lucky chance wipers :-D Excellent toolbox fit, shame the pillock made it difficult for you :-(

[@drdougaz1]

Excellent diagnostics. No one can accuse you of being a back yard mechanic. I love your vids. Keep up the good work and keep the wifey happy.

[@duanebennett2961]

DC does weird stuff when you have a bad ground, moisture, or just funky connectors. Love your videos Wes, keep em coming

[@johnclamshellsp1969]

What happened to simple wipers with delay, located on the wiper motor? The good ole wiper delay control board, wiper motor, or wiper switch in steering columb.

[@Kowyn]

Had the same problem on a 94 Town Car, it was a due to dust buildup in the dielectric grease, cleaned it and worked great. I immediately sold the car lol.

[@JonatanGronoset]

Wes shop is a magic place; broken stuff come in and suddenly they work!

[@SammyFender]

Great day in the morning!!A WWW video!!! Hey Wes! Thank you for making these videos! They've been a much needed addition to my retirement enjoyment!

[@MaShcode]

Cabin dome light always on? Remove the bulb until needed. Wipers won’t turn off? Remove the wiper arms until needed. Call it done.

[@peterhunt4919]

Love your work Wes, all the way from Australia

[@neilaturner]

Used to call it "environmental battery" when I worked in Telecoms. Bit of moisture in a cable joint would cause a capacitance build up which would block signal.

[@JimNichols]

You had me at "libation". Damn geek mechanics. :) I live in Thailand and having a nice car is a status symbol that said everyone drives like they are on fire and blind so I bought a 97 Mitsubishi that is already kinda ruff for cheap. Had some wiring issues opened the dash up and found, masking tape, bubblegum, 12 splices in one wire wrapped in the aforementioned substances and no wiring diagrams to be had. Apparently when a device quit working the previous owners just cut the offending harness out of the picture used cat gut, lamp cord or anything that mildly resembled a current carrier and masking taped it in place. As circuits fail I go to the fuse panel tap into the correct fuse and rewire it. Now if I only had a wiring diagram, but then where would the fun be in that? Great ride along video Wes thanks for the time and effort, you know the drill bro!

[@artiejohnson40]

Great looking 1 Ton Dump...For a 2000 Ford pickup, that thing is in excellent shape! Inside and out!! Especially for a Midwest truck! My Dad has a 2000 power stroke that he has taken excellent care of and it still is eaten up with Cancer!!??

[@Julien987]

"Cheese eating friend 🧀 🐁" 🤣😂

[@tomtheplummer7322]

If Max says so. 🐶🐹

[@Renville80]

My first car was a Tempo, and the original key cylinder was worn enough I could pull out the key WITH the ignition on AND THE CAR STILL RAN. After getting a Haynes book (for the disassembly sequence) and a trip to the locksmith for a new cylinder, I never had any further issue with the ignition...

[@RAKINAUS]

I am always tempted to spray something on those connectors, like a dielectric spray (inox) or something to ward off salt mist etc. And my vote will always be ground fault, with my start point on battery ground. Good work though finding that connector, you are one hellova troubleshooter!

[@jackmiyamoto5270]

Marvel at your critical thinking skills and your ability to make a plan to attack. Your schematic skill knowledge are unbelievable.

[@CharlesReiche]

Dome light relay hanging, it will be back for the battery going dead. My magic 8 ball says so.

[@jimgardner9044]

You did fine Wes, The box and rope rail looked good to me and his wipers still working I think your customer should be happy after all it's an old truck. cheers Jim in NZ.

[@davidhearne9383]

I have the exact same thing going on as well as the gem randomly turning off and on the radio.

[@t1259sw]

Wess, I noticed that you blew out the connector with compressed air, a must do step. Learned that lesson the hard way on a jeep PCM 62 pin connector. The cleaner dissolved the plastic retainer clip that held the female pins in the outer hard plastic. On the surface the retainer looked fine until I pulled it out when I was troubleshooting multiple errors. Had to replace the PCM wire harness, now the jeep runs like a new one.

[@mattlaptop5728]

Thanks for the video - I like the real life content - intermittent faults - sometimes that’s just the way things go...no smoking gun. Good use of the wiring diagram for troubleshooting and that magic gadget thingy. Very watchable. Keep doing what you do.

[@gailtaylor1636]

Twas in Ferd Dealership 2001-2005. Replaced at least a wheel borrow load of those GEMs (Generic Electronic Module) due to windshield leaks. VERY common issue. Ford came up with a clear plastic tray that went over it to shed water. Every tech had a combo switch, which was also high failure rate, in their box. Plug in new switch, no change? Replace GEM and send vehicle to body shop to reseal windshield.

[@RichardWilson-sh3kr]

Highly interesting to me. I have the exact issue but with the door locks. Electrical is my nemesis but getting better watching your vids. Thanking you!

[@sydneystewart6059]

Another nice job figuring stuff out, well done, I love watching you work.

[@elkvis]

I had a 2000 excursion that had a leaky windshield. It destroyed the GEM and/or fuse panel. The interior lights, power windows, cruise control, and lots of other stuff didn't work at all.

[@chrisprobert6]

There's a ton of devices including household stuff that has to be unplugged to get working again. Micro processors have a temporary spaz and have to reboot. I've come across same thing too many times to be coincidence. Sometimes you have to not let the smoking gun worry you, just have a smoke yourself.lol. Good video as usual.

[@ksokie63]

Thanks Wes for another great video. At least it wasn't too bad . Head scratcher ,but still interesting problem. Have a great weekend.

[@sjb_rnd]

Marker lights always leak on these trucks. After trying a bunch of other sealants and replacing the lights. I ended up using seam sealant around the base of the lights. That finally stopped them from leaking on my 2012 F250 King Ranch.

[@chillywilli]

I had a problem with my car that the complete instrumentpanel stopt working. I pulled the fuse, put it back and it worked flawless all the years i drove the car. It was a tip from my nephew that worked at the dealer. Common problem. The fusebox was under the hood BTW. This Ford is 20 years old and cars suffer from moisture through condensation as well. It is an age where Pandoras box can open up.

[@mebebrb]

On the dome light thing. I inherited a 60 Belair in my late teens (a LONG time ago) and the dome light would come on when I stopped and turn off when I accelerated (yes; I have a heavy foot) well I tore into the dash to figure out why the gas guage stopped working and I found a penny had slipped through the dash and fallen down it the back of the light switch and would flop back and forth as stopped and accelerated :)

[@boubaros]

I think you found the perfect pointer for explaining things ...(aka hook)...:). The fabrication, although we didn't see much, looks very good also...

[@henryg683]

Holy Moly you got the tire machine and balancer off the skid great job!!!!

[@kurtkuipers9473]

I have a 1998 pickup truck Scottsdale the same is that problem when I bought it this past October the problem was in the switch open the hood where that boxes on the firewall you got to replace that little box $35 to replace the little box the job was done in 3 minutes

[@terrysmith7751]

Yellow F250. I thought it was a township truck until I saw the interior.

[@ralfie8801]

Sometimes humidity will cause a white oxide on the pins in that type of connector that effectively insulates the pins from each other. I’ve seen it a lot on locomotives and usually doing what you did with the contact cleaner and reconnecting the plug fixes the problem. Sometimes we unplug and reconnect it several times to get some wiping action inside the female pins and help make sure it’s got good continuity.

[@jw4620]

Had the dome light problem with an F150. There are switches in the doors that control dome/load light. When they're bad the lights stay on. Not expensive switches but a bear to get at on that truck.

[@UnlaunderedShirt]

At least you didn't have to buy any parts, I know you've been having issues getting them

[@Xlaxsauce]

thanks for the closure, I was worried that plastic pin connectors go bad within the life of the w.e its in

[@deenunya7735]

Good Diagnostic Wes 👍.....When it turns out something like that , Yes to be Totally Convinced, far better to See Evidence Hows is Mrs W Doing ?

[@danfarris135]

I have a similar situation with my gem module. The door light problem is from the switches in the door latches. Wd 40 in the latch usually fixes the stuck on light. I didn’t believe it would work but I had nothing to lose but an ounce of Wd 40. I did drivers side first, with no luck. Did the passenger side next and poof all fixed. I keep them lubed in the fall and spring now. Hopefully this video will help me track down my wipers that quit. As Yosemite Sam would say: I hates corrosion

[@richardcranium5839]

2000 was in the year range where they used aluminum hood and sometimes door skins. when they were building them they didnt realize the aluminum on steel sanding dust would cause corrosion under the paint. mine actually rotted above the window under the paint causing the leak. well known and documented. as long as it doesnt fry the chips you can pull them apart and clean the corrosion off and be good

[@josephroth3982]

When you look at this again, remove the GEM and you'll find your corrosion. Seen a million of these over the years. Used to be you could replace the GEM and the fuse panel(they both get pretty green), but as of late I'm fairly certain that the fuse panel has gone obsolete in the Ford catalog. The GEM may still be available, if not I'm sure there's a company out there that rebuilds them...maybe the fuse panel too.

[@Derek_00Mustang83]

Turn signals and brights quit on my 98 sable I had but the hazards would work. Replaced the multi function switch and solved the issue.

[@n1dp]

Many a sign off in aircraft maintenance: "Sprayed out and re seated connector, OPS check good."

[@poolmotorrepairguyFL]

The Florida pool pump motor repair guy approved ! that was good info Wes

[@barry8462]

My 2000 f250 radio would come on without the key in the ignition and no key fob would work. It turned out to be the GEM module attached to the fuse box.

[@mischef18]

First thing to come to mind was the unplugging and replugging had reset the wiper module but yep the water getting in explains things. Made for a great video anyway bro. Safe travels up your way

[@jannepo]

Wes, there was a hint of water intrusion just next the module and fuse box. At 7:42 look how rusty the beam inside the dash is. There must have been water there for a long time in order to get that so rusty.

[@ionracer24]

That was my guess too. Those fords always leak around the windshield had 3 of em

[@JHruby]

Well I guess that's kind of sort of your there's your problem lady moment at the end. Good video as always Wes.

[@carljorgensen2813]

Have you ever ran across this problem.. have a dodge 2000 ram, 3500 Dooley.. try to start it it will not start turn the key all the way on and all the lights and everything comes on and work a solenoid on the starter if you take that wire with the key on and put it on hot it starts.. Outer people on KZbin have the same problem with a 1500 for 2500 and the3500 different years what could it be. can’t find any broken wires or critters that eight through the wires that I could get to seem to be fine.. what was that spray you put on, and the grease for wiring what was it called.. i’m 75 and hard to work on it.. just wondering if you came across this and have a video on it... many people have the same problem out there.. Great show you are a fantastic mechanic.. thank you Mr. Jorgensen.. ps Watch all your videos learn a lot.. now I can mount my box on my flatbed..

[@bhepner1]

Thanks for sharing and the update.

[@TroubadourJuggernaut]

the dealer (or many mechanics" would have said) ... (1) you need a new wiper switch (2) you need a new connector (3) you need a new module .. $1200 later it would have been fixed