Hello all,

Let me start here.... It all started one day I went out bout to leave for work and battery was completely dead. No interior lights, not even the dash lights came on or odometer would light. I took the battery out my mustang and popped it in and started right up. That was just the beginning of a down hill problem it seems...

The next day after putting truck battery back in charged up I was setting in park waiting to warm up a little and turned the lights on and this god awful grinding noise came from what sounded like the starter when sitting in the cab but with hood popped it sounded like it was coming from the cab wtf?!?! Put it in reverse it stopped, put in neutral came back then into drive and stopped again.

Started driving and this buzzing type noise was coming from the engine and then the all kinds of clicking noises started. One was random and one was the 4x4 when it lighted on the dash clicked then went off, happened about once every minute. I am completely clueless as what the hell this could be. Never heard of such a thing. Let my truck sit for a week to drive the stang and went to start and started right up no struggle.

Checked the alternator and battery with it was running. Unhooked positive and kept running so checked battery which was 13.5 and alternator was 14 volts. When it rains the belt gets wet and squeals like hell so do you think water got somewhere and messed it all up?

Sorry for the long post, tried to break it down to make it a little easier to read. Any and all replies are extremely helpful!! Thank You.

 

First thing is you NEVER pull the battery cable of a running engine.
That is old time ways on a DC generator before computer control days.
Doing it causes the alternator to go full output supplying everything with over 16 volts.
You have not located the noise yet to offer a good idea..
What year are we talking about?
Sounds like it might be a windshield leak onto the GEM module or the transmission Neutral switch is faulty or even the ignition switch.
It depends on what is making the noise as to why.
Good luck.

 

Okay now here's an update...

It's gotten worse. Now the truck won't even turn over.

I took out the fuse box / GEM module, set it in rice over night and put dielectric grease on all the terminals before putting it back in truck. When I hooked battery up there was a clicking coming from the ABS pump or whatever you call that thing on driver side with all brake lines going to it. Then when I tried to start it the ACC Delay Relay and possibly the One Touch Down Window Relay were clicking in fuse box with no turn over.

Put a new battery and new starter solenoid.... No Change. Jumped the truck from the solenoid and started right up and ran fine.

With the truck off I shifted from Park to Reverse and all interior lights went off and 4x4 light popped up. Went to Neutral and went back to normal. Still clicking when tried to start, though I know it shouldn't start in anything besides Park anyways...

What in the hell is going on with this thing? Is there some fuse / relay I'm missing here or is my wiring all shot to hell? Anyone with any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

Your latest report tells me there is a harness short, open or ground out..
The start function is allowed in Neutral and Park.
You would normally be in Neutral with foot on brake to access 4L.
.
No crank in Neutral or Park means the start circuit is 'open' from the Ignition switch through the transmission selector switch to the firewall start relay.
.
There are only two times the 4X4 light will come on.
At ignition to Run for dash lamp check out and when the GEM turns it on for 4X4 operation.
Any other time is a fault.
.
Look at the ignition switch for a fault, the harness in and under the truck for damage.
May be Rodent damage or some other cause.
Good luck.

 

Thank You for the reply. You say look for a fault in the ignition switch. I installed a new ignition switch a few weeks ago, how would I know if there is a fault in it? Also you said when the GEM turns it on, is this going back to the GEM is possibly bad? Should I take it out again and do something else to try to help it or just replace it since the first time didn't do anything? Thank You.

 

The 4x4 lamp has two ground feeds on the dash.
One is all lamp check outs at key on and turns off after starting is complete.
Other is a ground from the GEM when the a GEM inputs from the transfer case motor board sends it's signal back to the GEM on a separate lead, that the motor has operated for 4X4 H or L function.
You begin to see the logic of all this.
Good luck.