My car is possessed?

I

IronCrossMac

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Aright, so it's not possessed, but this is an issue I've searched for and found little on. It may be unique, but I'm hoping the combined knowledge here can give me some guidance (and I do apologize if there is a thread on this that I missed despite searching).

Quick background on my car. Bought it on '09 with about 70k on the odometer, sits at roughly 120k now. Everything in it is stock except the stereo that was installed shortly after buying it (Double Din DVD head unit with a 1000 watt amp and 2 12's in the trunk, interior speakers are still stock). I also have the K&N FIPK kit on it. Other than that, my car is completely stock. No similar issues before now.

Onto my issue... I just noticed this the other day as I don't think it's happened any time before recently. While driving, my interior lights will come on, and I mean all of them, floor lights and map lights. This happens while I'm driving but it's not steady. They will pulse, they will turn off, they will turn on fully... it seems to happen most often when I'm braking, but I've also noticed it under acceleration. I though maybe it was a ground making contact when I would slow down, but it happens while I'm accelerating as well. They remain on when I turn the car off also, and I noticed today that even the outside convenience lights under the mirrors are on Basically every incandescent light I have on my car is on. I'm sure even the trunk light stays on. It's all intermittent though. They don't stay on steadily for more than a minute it seems. I can of course 'turn off' my map lights by pressing the buttons about halfway, but otherwise they will remain on when the problem is occurring.

I haven't had this issue before and I'm not sure where to start. I do have a mechanical background, so hopefully that helps... I'm not a complete idiot. I was a diesel mechanic in the Army for 10 years but I no longer have access to the tools and equipment anymore so what I can do myself is limited and I don't have a garage.

If any other information is needed to help diagnose this issue please don't hesitate to ask. I'm very anxious to get this problem fixed, hopefully as easily and cheaply as possible.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Dustin
 
Well, if it's the battery, it would have to be that the alternator is failing too.
I doubt that the trunk light is coming on with the trunk closed, the mechanical trunk open switch would have to be failed. Since the trunk light is completely separate from the other lights mentioned, it really would be a case of possession. (Still better than repossession.) Anyway, it doesn't help at all to exaggerate the problem. It just makes diagnosis harder. I assume that when you say every bulb, you don't really mean every bulb, like the tail lights, backup lights, brake lights, rear turn signals, and so on. Please confirm this.
Do the headlights, front parking lights, fog lights, and front turn signals come on when this happens?

I'm leaning towards a problem with the FEM, or the grounds going to it, but it would help to know which lights really are coming on and which aren't. Also, do you get a door ajar message at the same time?
 
OP - I have the exact same problem!! it only happens once in a great while and I can NEVER reproduce it. Its my interior lights that come on and sometimes it sure seems related to the brakes (hit the pedal and they go on, then go off when I release the pedal) I figure its a short of some sort but I can't figure it out. It hasn't happened to me in a couple months but I'm sure it will happen again.
 
Only works if they chant "The power of Christ compels you" as they wash... otherwise it's just another sh!itty carwash...:D
 
Joegr, it's every interior light like the floor lights and map lights, and the external mirror convenience lights. I don't recall seeing the headlights and instrument lights come on.

I have spent entirely too long away from forums... I've missed this.
 
No door ajar message?
It could be the switch in the dimmer wheel messing up. It could be a failing FEM. It could be wiring to the FEM.
 
Nope, no door ajar message. In fact, there are no error message from the info center. It probably wouldn't hurt to scan for DTC's, but I'm not expecting anything from that.

I'm unfamiliar with the FEM, but according to another post I saw, I assume it's an electronic controller of some kind? Located in the driver side area?

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Nope, no door ajar message. In fact, there are no error message from the info center. It probably wouldn't hurt to scan for DTC's, but I'm not expecting anything from that.

I'm unfamiliar with the FEM, but according to another post I saw, I assume it's an electronic controller of some kind? Located in the driver side area?
 
FEM = Front Electronics Module
It's behind the driver's kick panel. It controls the interior lights, puddle lights, headlights, front parking lights, front turn signals, and a few other things.
 
Spent a lot of time in my car today and didn't notice it doing it at all (at least from when I would check it during daylight hours) and then noticed it at night. They came on immediately after starting my car. It's all the map lights, the footwell lights, and the mirror lights. They all pulse then stay on. It seems that as long as I'm above 40 or so and off the brakes they will stay off. When not under acceleration they are usually off, but once I start braking or I'm even just sitting at a stoplight, they come on.

Would changing the FEM possibly fix this? It's irritating and probably a little unsafe to drive with all my map lights on at night. Just having this issue is pissing me off and makes me want to park my car until it's fixed.
 
Is 14B205 the right part? Is it year/model specific or 1st gen/2nd gen specific?
If that's the right part, it's 488.00 new on fordparts.com, but I'm sure they can be gotten much cheaper elsewhere.
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The FEM is pretty specific, and if new it will need to be configured for your car.
Have you checked the wiring to it, particularly the grounds near it?
 
IronCrossMac said:
... It's irritating and probably a little unsafe to drive with all my map lights on at night. Just having this issue is pissing me off and makes me want to park my car until it's fixed.
Click to expand...


You could always pull fuse #5 in the rear Power distribution box (trunk) until problem can be rectified correctly.
#5 (GEN I) = Courtesy and Map lamps. 10Amp, Red in color.
 
BigRigLS said:
You could always pull fuse #5 in the rear Power distribution box (trunk) until problem can be rectified correctly.
#5 (GEN I) = Courtesy and Map lamps. 10Amp, Red in color.
Click to expand...

I think (from the clues provided) that this is a gen II. It might still be the same fuse anyway. I kind of feel like it may be a loose ground wire because slight movement of the firewall near the FEM seems to cause the lights to go on and off.
 
yeah, I was only suggesting to pull the fuse for the interior lights if he really needed to drive it while he has this problem.
 
It's our only car right now, so I'll likely pull the fuse for the time being since the lights are rarely ever used. I have to check all the wiring still. Either my panel is missing, or it's exposed in the Gen 2's because my FEM (or at least what I assume is the FEM because it's a silver box bolted to the car with a wiring harness running to it) is readily accessible. I wiggled my foot near it gently last night, trying to move wires (I was parked while doing this) just to see if anything would happened. I didn't notice anything, but it was also just a half ass attempt since I didn't have time to check it thoroughly.
 
Now I see the kick panel you are talking about. I do have it. I just glanced over everything under there. I didn't remove the panel to check though, I'll have to get to that later. Just unlocking my car and looking at everything cause it to do it again. I think the best thing to do is pull the fuse for the time being until I narrow down the root cause.
 
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