2001 7.3L gremlins.

Hello, I'm new to the forum but have owned my truck since new, its an F-350 long bed extended cab 4x4 non dually. It has less than 100k on the clock and recently had some very weird electrical gremlins attack it.

What happened was that I parked it one day and it sat for a couple of days and when I went to start it turning the key there was nothing! I managed to start it by jumping the solenoid on the inner fender, but this is where it gets weird, the power windows and interior lights wouldn't work it would keep blowing the fuse! I replaced the solenoid and it seemed to cure the problem for a while until the original starter died!

So then I replace the original starter and it hasn't started that good since it was new for about a week and a half. This is where it gets even weirder, after that week and a half of wonderful starting I caught the truck trying to start itself with the key nowhere near it!(WTH!)Batteries were run down enough to need to be recharged. After that happened the starter didn't start the engine as good as it did before this happened, like this burned it up making it weaker. Also the key would no longer start it, it was back to opening the hood to jump the solenoid to start it I would also disconnect the batteries so they wouldn't get drained from the dam thing trying to start itself. Before anyone asks, no I don't have a remote starter installed on it.

After the above happened more gremlins appeared, after I connected the batteries and jumped the solenoid and started it and it was running the radio would work until it was put in a moving gear. The radio would stay on but the sound would stop coming out of the speakers! Only in P or N would the sound come out of the speakers! With the power window/interior fuse burned out the radio would work in gear, very weird.

After dealing with all this now the truck won't even start jumping the solenoid! The thing is dead in the driveway, probably with another dead starter. I'm at my wits end trying to figure why the flock this is happening and would welcome any advice to resolve this problem with open arms. Thanks in advance to all that reply.



Derek

You need to check and clean the battery cables and ground cables. Make sure ALL of the large cables are CLEAN and what they attach to is clean. Corroded cables are the number 1 cause of no start problems and they all crop up this time if the year - it is COLD and your truck needs every milliamp of power it can get to start. Do this first and see how your truck is.

Welcome to SDD !

What Dave said First.. And then ?

Drop and inspect the in cab fuse block. And right above that is the GEM.. thats where All Things electrical connect for distribution.. after the fuse block. Inspect those for corrosion.

The +/- 2K model years are/were noted for Windshield leaks.. the water leaks & runs down the wiring.. into the GEM & fuse block causing all kinds of the Gremlins you are describing. Same thing with the PDB, under the hood.. If you hose the engine bay down, or do much 4 wheel'n. Over Time.

Joe

DaveBen said:

You need to check and clean the battery cables and ground cables. Make sure ALL of the large cables are CLEAN and what they attach to is clean. Corroded cables are the number 1 cause of no start problems and they all crop up this time if the year - it is COLD and your truck needs every milliamp of power it can get to start. Do this first and see how your truck is.

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Sorry, forgot to mention, this happened before the weather got cold, its been sitting dead for a while. Plus like I wrote, when I installed the new starter it was starting great until it tried starting itself and killed the batteries. I cleaned the batteries connections the first thing I did when I started having these gremlins.

BIG JOE said:

Welcome to SDD !

What Dave said First.. And then ?

Drop and inspect the in cab fuse block. And right above that is the GEM.. thats where All Things electrical connect for distribution.. after the fuse block. Inspect those for corrosion.

The +/- 2K model years are/were noted for Windshield leaks.. the water leaks & runs down the wiring.. into the GEM & fuse block causing all kinds of the Gremlins you are describing. Same thing with the PDB, under the hood.. If you hose the engine bay down, or do much 4 wheel'n. Over Time.

Joe

Click to expand...

Thanks for the welcome, I'll have to look for corrosion. Does the windshield leaking issue include windshields that have been replaced 5 times? LOL (dam gravel trains!!)

Haven't really used the truck for four wheeling, except for when it snows, so under the hood doesn't get sprayed down. Probably should of to get the salt out of there though.

Derek said:

Thanks for the welcome, I'll have to look for corrosion. Does the windshield leaking issue include windshields that have been replaced 5 times? LOL (dam gravel trains!!)

Haven't really used the truck for four wheeling, except for when it snows, so under the hood doesn't get sprayed down. Probably should of to get the salt out of there though.

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Can't say fer shur, but if even One of the replacements leaked.. Go figure.

To add a bit to what Dave said (?).. LOAD TEST your batts too. From my experience.. These PSD's are ANAL about Clean, Strong voltage.. from 2 REAL GOOD batteries. If ONE is weak.. replace them BOTH.

yer now on 16 years of Rain, Salt, Snow and Gravel trains.. The GEM & PDB prolly need to be looked at Anywayz ?

Joe

Are you putting a direct drive replacement starter? Mine was a bit slugish when turning over last year. I did some research and found a gear-reduction starter that was oe on a later model t444e. It had 1 less tooth on the pinion gear and the nose was designed so that the starter sat closer to the ring gear,makeing it mesh perfectly.I had to lengthen the solinoid wire by 4" but the batt cable was correct.This starter rocks!It actually zings the motor over at the same or a bit more than the idle speed! It only attaches with 2 bolts instead of 3,like the fomoco starter.A great upgrade to any 7.3.

Good upgrade info

john griffin said:

Are you putting a direct drive replacement starter? Mine was a bit slugish when turning over last year. I did some research and found a gear-reduction starter that was oe on a later model t444e. It had 1 less tooth on the pinion gear and the nose was designed so that the starter sat closer to the ring gear,makeing it mesh perfectly.I had to lengthen the solinoid wire by 4" but the batt cable was correct.This starter rocks!It actually zings the motor over at the same or a bit more than the idle speed! It only attaches with 2 bolts instead of 3,like the fomoco starter.A great upgrade to any 7.3.

Click to expand...

I can't recall, but the new starter made the engine absolutely zing when I turned the key! I couldn't believe how fast it spun the engine, it was great! The batteries had no problem zipping the engine until it started, it hasn't started that good in years. Unfortunately it only lasted 1 1/2 weeks, when the dam thing tried starting itself with no key in it is what I suspect eventually killed my new starter. I suspect it was engaging the starter all night long until the next morning when I found dead batteries. The POS way it is designed when the key is turned to tell the computer to make the starter spin, instead of the key being the switch to turn on the starter is BS the way they did that!

Yeah, I suspect I'll need a new GEM and everything else that goes along with that. Can anyone tell me what the typical cost is associated with having that fixed? I hate electrical failures, anything else I can fix myself. I have also heard that the stupid GEM needs to be programmed to my truck by a dealer, they must be programmed to fail after so many miles or after so much time!!

Thanks for all that have replied so far, looking forward to what to expect with this repair, thanks again in advance for taking the time to reply.

The GEM doesn't need re-programming. Think of it as a... 12v Junction Box. When, or if it gets corroded.. voltage goes, or doesn't go where it's supposed to go. (the un-commanded starting ?) Sometimes.. a GEM just goes T U from time & use.

You should probably look at your Ignition switch too ?

Do you have the Owners Manual ? If so.. look at the under the hood PDB legend.. there are a number of Relay's that have to do with Start/Run components and systems that maybe need checked out ?

Yer call.. but I wouldn't take it to a Dealer, due to labor costs. Ask around and find a reputable Automotive Electrical shop ?

Joe

On Edit: Getting Your truck Scanned might point you in the right direction also.