I have a low mileage 1987 F-250 which I bought new. Here's the problem.

In the winter months when the air temp is low, the radio and its clock losses all settings. The radio defaults to AM 600, loses its preset stations and the clock defaults to 0:00.

Over the years this would happen once or twice a winter. This year it seems to happen every week. This winter colder than the past few.

Is there anyway to fix this?

I'm new here so if I'm in the wrong forum please direct me the proper one. Thanks.
--Glen

 

glenstrek -

Welcome to F150 Online !!

Since you are requesting help on an older model F250, it may be to your advantage to try the "Pre 1997" forum on this site. Not that we won't help you, but that someone with a similiar year model may be a better reference, especially with an identical truck / problem.

As to the radio problem, all I can offer is this: A friend of mine has an older F150 and had a problem very similiar to yours. His radio would just go brain dead every so often.

After much testing and tinkering, the root of the problem was simple: his battery needed replaced. When the engine was cranking, the voltage to the accessories was dropping to the 8 volt mark. Apparently, that was not enough voltage to keep the radio memory settings, etc.

Now, we are in Florida, so the cold was not as extreme as you are indicating, but the symptom is the same. And we know that a batteries' output is drastically affected by cold temperatures.

I would try putting a meter across your battery while someone cranks the engine. Try to use an analog meter, as a digital is sometimes harder to catch quick fluctuations on. If you see the voltage fall a significant amount, I'd suspect the battery.

Good luck, welcome, and let us know what you find out !!!

 

I had a similar problem with the radio/clock in a 78 F150. The settings went away overnight whenever it got cold. Started doing it whenever it was 30 below or colder and then progressed to doing it whenever it was 20 above or colder.

It ended up being a cracked lead someplace on a circuit board. When it got cold enough, it parted. I ended up buying a used replacement from a warm state (florida I believe).

A real pain to figure out. I chased power supply in the truck for a while and couldn't find anything. Finally pulled the radio and supplied power from a boat battery on a trickle charger to eliminate any question about it getting power. Stuck it outside and watched it get cold. It took about 3 hours at -10 for it to loose its time and settings. Only took about 10 minutes back in the house at around 70 for it to get happy and keep the settings again.

If I were you I'd clear up any questions about keeping juice to it in the truck during cold nights, and then go find a replacement.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. I now believe the battery may be at part of the problem.

This morning with the temp in the +30's the radio and clock were OK when I turned ignition switch to accessory position. Then when I moved the key forward to on and start, the radio when out for a second and defaulted back 600 AM and the time to 0:00 as the truck started.

However, I'm not sure the battery is the sole problem. The starter cranks the engine at a normal rate and the truck starts up within a couple of seconds even when the temp is near zero. I was thinking more along the lines of some other defective electrical component perhaps the ignition switch itself.

During this past year another intermittent electrical problem developed that is possibly related. Once the truck starts the ignition switch springs back far enough to disengage the starter but on occasion does not always spring back as far as it should. When this happens neither the radio or the turn signals work until I manually twist the key back a little further.

Could the ignition switch have a "dead" spot that would cut all power to the radio/clock causing it to reset to zero? I am not familiar with how the clock keeps time but would think it must have to receive at least a tiny charge from some source. --Glen

 

Got to have power all the time on circuit 54 light green/yellow wire that comes from fuse #8. check for loose fuse (and tap ins) and connection at back of radio, if secure, clean, and tight maybe a radio problem. you could also run a new hot wire to rear of radio.

 

How do you set the clock after changing blown fuse? This is for a 1978 F150 4X4........ Any help would be appreciated.....

 

Wow, my original post was January 2003, I cant' believe this thread is still alive .

Not sure about your 1978 F-150, my truck is a 1987 F-250. My clock is in the radio. To reset it you press the "on-off" button IN (instead of turning the it clockwise to turn the radio on) and at the same time PUSH the "seek" arrows one sets the hour the other sets the minutes. I have no idea if this applies to your truck.

As for my original posted problem it turned out to be the battery. It totally died a month or two after my first post. And. . . wouldn't ya know, the replacement battery died six months later. Fortunately it was still under warantee. Since replacing the second battery no problems with the radio or clock. Knock on wood. --glen