# Odd Ford windshield wiper problem



## Haywire Haywood (May 2, 2009)

It's been raining most of the night and all of today and when I got in my truck (04 F150) the wipers wouldn't work. It wasn't raining too hard so I went into town anyway. During the course of the trip I figured it out exactly what it's doing and it's STRANGE.

I can turn the wipers on when driving down the road and nothing happens UNLESS I shift into neutral. Then they run normally, but then I can't change the settings. Basically, I have to change the settings in drive, then shift to neutral and back to drive before it picks up those settings. I can turn them off but they'll keep on running until I go to neutral and back. Then they'll stop till I turn the knob and do it again.

What do you think? Never had a moment's trouble out of them until today.

Ian


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## Metals406 (May 2, 2009)

Haywire Haywood said:


> It's been raining most of the night and all of today and when I got in my truck (04 F150) the wipers wouldn't work. It wasn't raining too hard so I went into town anyway. During the course of the trip I figured it out exactly what it's doing and it's STRANGE.
> 
> I can turn the wipers on when driving down the road and nothing happens UNLESS I shift into neutral. Then they run normally, but then I can't change the settings. Basically, I have to change the settings in drive, then shift to neutral and back to drive before it picks up those settings. I can turn them off but they'll keep on running until I go to neutral and back. Then they'll stop till I turn the knob and do it again.
> 
> ...



Wiper Gremlins? :dunno:


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## Haywire Haywood (May 2, 2009)

Went to go to the local greenhouse and when I started it, I had no power brakes nor steering and the "theft" light was flashing. Turned it off and back on again and everything is back to normal. Trip to greenhouse was uneventful.

Ian


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## Metals406 (May 2, 2009)

Haywire Haywood said:


> Went to go to the local greenhouse and when I started it, I had no power brakes nor steering and the "theft" light was flashing. Turned it off and back on again and everything is back to normal. Trip to greenhouse was uneventful.
> 
> Ian



Man, I'd get that checked out! You don't want major systems going Haywire (hee hee) while you're dong Hwy speeds... Seriously.


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## sawinredneck (May 2, 2009)

Two things come to mind Haywire:
Back in the early 80's a buddy had a new Ranger, started doing all sorts of weird things in the rain. Then it just wouldn't start one day. He took it to the shop and one of the welds on the cab/firewall wasn't welded and sealed properly and water was running right into the PCM. He got a new truck.
Around 120k my '97 F150 started freaking out. The wipers quit working, but if you opened the door they would go three times. Then the dome light refused to come on at all. THEN the windows might go up and down, might not. Then they quit working altogether! Fortunatly they were both up.
Turns out it was the GEM (Generic electronic module) $465, dealer only, it has to be flashed.
Take it in, it's only going to get worse, whatever it is.
Just FYI, there are 70ish computers on my wifes Toyota Siena mini van. They are out of control!:monkey:


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## Haywire Haywood (May 2, 2009)

And now it's deteriorated to the point that starting is out of the question. Starter turns the engine over just fine, but no start or fire. Doesn't even try.

A buddy of mine says it sounds like a bad battery. I'll take it to Autozone tomorrow and put it on their tester.

Ian


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## Haywire Haywood (May 3, 2009)

This morning the engine wouldn't turn over. Took the battery to O'Riley's and the tester said it was extremely discharged, had a bad cell and wouldn't charge.

I bought a new battery and hooked it up, put a multimeter on it inline to see if the truck was pulling it down and it wasn't. Cranked it up no problem and had 14.5v on the battery so the alternator should be OK.

Looks like I lucked out this time. Odd how a bad battery can give such strange symptoms.

Ian


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## Frank Boyer (May 3, 2009)

Bad batteries can cause weird problems. If anythuing else comes back check the grounds.


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## Peacock (May 3, 2009)

sawinredneck said:


> Turns out it was the GEM (Generic electronic module) $465, dealer only, it has to be flashed.



They lied to you. The GEM modules of that era do NOT get flashed.


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## Peacock (May 3, 2009)

I've seen batteries do some strange things like that before. Grounds usually take the prize for inducing the weirdest electrical problems.


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## nilzlofgren (May 3, 2009)

The wipers on my '89 f superduty work intermittently when I use the heater controls. Maybe I'll check the batteries.


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