I have a 5-speed 1997 F-150 4x4 with almost 160,000 miles on it.
I bought it over a year ago used from a local used car dealership with no warranty, of course. This was my first truck to purchase on my own, so I had very little credit, so I figured I was getting a good deal to get a new looking truck financed. My dad warned me, I guess I should have listened.

About three or four months ago the cab started making the dinging noise it makes when the door is open with the keys in it, only when the keys were not in there. Soon the dome light started staying on longer after the door was shut, and then it really got bad. My 4x4 light would sometimes flash on for no reason and then the radio started staying on even when the truck was turned off. Then the headlights started staying on even after the truck was turned off and the lights were turned off. When the truck was running, it made the grinding noise mostly when I shifted into second gear. It was making a buzzing sound kind of like when the truck is not all the way into four wheel drive. The 4x4 light was constantly flashing the whole time.
I took the truck into my mechanic to get fixed. He said he changed out the main ground wire and a few blown fuses and it was fixed. All of the problems were fixed, except that the radio still played on its own. The radio is an aftermarket radio, but he checked it and said it was not the problem. I took the truck home after he couldn't find the problem and when I turned the truck off, the radio went off on its own!
I never had another problem out of it again until this week. I stayed home from work with the flu, and my girlfriend was leaving for work when she heard my truck making a loud buzzing or vibration noise. I checked it, but I know nothing about vehicles, so I called my dad to look at it. When he showed up, the wipers were working on their own. The switch to the wipers were on, but the truck was turned off. He told me if I keep all of the switches off, it should be fine for now.
I went to get in it the next day, and the battery was dead. I got a jump and charged it up for a little while, but when I turned the truck off, the radio wouldn't turn off and the parking lights stayed on. I took it the next day back to my mechanic, and he kept it for four days. Not once did it act up. He told me to go ahead and take it home since he couldn't do anything if it wasn't acting up. My parents brought it to their house, and when I got there, THE RADIO WAS PLAYING!!!!
My dad told me that the mechanic told him that it had to be a bad fuse causing it and to pull fuses until the problem stopped. We walked out to mess with fuses and it was making the same old vibration/buzzing noise. Dad found that fuse because it itself was vibrating. He pulled it and the noise stopped. The fuse went to the windshield wipers. So I guess we found that problem.
We pulled every single fuse we could find but the radio never once stayed off. Sometimes it would turn off for a few seconds but never stayed off.
I left to drive home and I didn't get 100 yards away when I turned on my blinker, and it reset my whole battery. Thats when it started doing the grinding noises all over again when I shifted gears, went to turn, or stop. I parked the truck and unhooked the battery cables so it wouldn't drain the juice.
I apologize for such a long thread but I wanted to give all of you every detail I had. PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME!!!!!

 

I'll tell you what I can. It sound like you have some serious Gremlins in the system, and they may be due to water in the fusebox. It was uncommon, but not unheard of for water to get in through an improperly sealed windshield gasket. The leak usually happened on the lower left corner. Has it been real wet by you lately? You may be able to dry everything out, clean the connections with contact cleaner, and seal the windshield; if not it could be big buck$. Check out the links attached and get back to us.

Gremlins
Phantom
Good Luck

 

Its haunted!!!!!!lol sorry to hear about your wacky system.i have a 93 f-150 .i washed it and all the way home that stupid chimer went off as long as the headlights were on.i found that the plug was off of my trailor light connector,had apparently gotten wet and caused it. But i hope you have full coverage on yours and get ya a fire extenguisher,cuz ya never know what ya might wake up to with it doin all that .the fuse that was buzzing,was it bigger amp than its suppose to be?cuz i would think it woulda blown.

 

it sounds like the ignition switch is not working properly. The radio and wipers will operatie in the ACC, On and Run mode. If the switch is not cutting the current to the circuits than they will still run. Because you have a 4x4 you also have a GEM. Generic Electronic Module. this module controlls timer functions as well as warning chimes and your 4x4 system operation. If it is not grounded properly or has an internal malfunction it can cause the buzzing or clicking sound you described.

JMC

 

You lost me shortly after the door chime & dome light staying on after you closed the door.

What JMC said sounds pretty good.

This won't fix your problems, but concerns me:

You said the radio stayed on when all of the fuses were removed. Being an aftermarket radio & the fact it isn't fused through the fuse box I would bet that a "butcher" installed this radio. I have seen way too many radios installed this way & had to fix them.

Double check your owners manual for the radio fuse location & try it again. If this radio wasn't run through the factory wires, you may want to double check the quality of the job that was done.

 

A friend of mine had these same problems with his Ranger a few years ago. The problem was the result of a bad ignition switch.

I would invetigate your switch more closely...

 

Thanks everybody for the help. My truck hasn't acted up since I posted the first time, but it also hasn't rained since then. The fuses may be getting wet because when it rains heavy the floor is sometimes wet. I have a crack at the very top of the windshield and I have felt water drip from it before. I almost think that the fuses are getting wet and the starter is bad, that's about my luck, but I'm working on fixing it.