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Ford Mustang Electrical Problems

13

Comments

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well okay, checking for a battery drain should be simple enough. That seems the logical next step.
  • redstang05redstang05 Member Posts: 3
    this morning went out there and the car started right up and has been working fine all day... still no auto up on the window. Maybe a relay or a regulator?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Has the car been scanned for codes? Maybe there is a module or relay that's malfunctioning and it might store a code.
  • dieseltechdieseltech Member Posts: 1
    I got a question about my car i was driving it home one day and i stopped at a light and the car just died. soi get to the side of the road i mess around with battery cables and nothing so i call my friend and have him jump my car and its on and running perfect again. Until i turn my car off then it wont start so i get my battery checked and its bad i replace it and get the alternator checked its good.So im driving and the battery gauge on the cluster is flickering back and my electric locks,interior lights, and speedometer is not working?????????? but my car is running just fine. So my check engine light comes on and i have a scan tool in my car and when i plug it in it wont pick up the cars computer???finally i was going home to visit my parents and i pull over to by a drink when i come back outside my car sounds like its dying like its not getting fuel i had a full tank??????? but when you shut my car off it will start just fine.could it be water in the electrical????ground?? I dont know. any suggestions? :sick:
  • pony_piratepony_pirate Member Posts: 317
    window auto up needs to be reset after power failure. consult manual.
  • pony_piratepony_pirate Member Posts: 317
    Have read above posts. Have had the same problem w/ '05 GT off and on: Get in, engine turns over very slowly. Get "low battery" readout on the radio and my radar detector. Time on radio needs to be reset. CD changer clicks thru all CD's.

    Problem is NOT battery. When battery tender is hooked up, green light indicates battery fully charged. Thus there can't be a drain on battery or alternator problem.

    I always leave radio turned off.

    Once during routine service at dealer, was told battery not charging properly. After 35 min's, manager came back and said it was OK. He probably couldn't figure it out.

    Empty the CD changer? Leave it in the garage without turning on antitheft? Why not. I'll try anything.
  • pony_piratepony_pirate Member Posts: 317
    Btw, how do you lock car without turning on antitheft? Lock it with key?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    don't go by the battery tender's assessment. Unless you load test a battery, you really can't tell its condition. When the tender flashes the OK, all it means is that the battery won't take any more charge---that could mean it's full, or it could mean it's faulty.

    You are probably right, but the one thing that always trip people up and makes them crazy when working on a problem, is making assumptions that something is okay without really verifying it. It's time-consuming to be thorough but it pays off.
  • pony_piratepony_pirate Member Posts: 317
    Right you are, Host. Battery was dead as a door nail the next morning. Who has patience (or time) for this kind of mechanical failure? Following day got replacement battery, 40R Sears Die Hard Gold -- don't you love that allusion to corporate overcoming of death?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    If your battery hadn't died so hard, you'd have found the problem earlier! :P Lay down already!
  • ricker113ricker113 Member Posts: 2
    Hey Dieseltech, I had a very similar problem happen to me today. Started with a bad battery. Changed that. Checked the altenator. That was ok. Then driving around my stereo stopped working.It turned back on, then my dash warning lights started blinking. Exterior car lights went off. Door locks and windows stopped working. Car engine died. All happened in about 10 minutes. Now even with the car off and no key in the ignition the dash and interior lights are blinking/flashing totally randomly. This has all happened in one day.

    Did you ever get your issue resolved?

    Thanks!
  • nativesaulknativesaulk Member Posts: 1
    Hey all:

    Mustang has a battery light that is on until you rev to 2500 rpm's. Took to have battery checked, good but low, charged it and still problem exist. At the same time, had the alternator checked - it is perfect. I am assuming since belts are good, is it cable short or something much easier?? :confuse:
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    How do you know the belts are good? The fact that it varies with RPM indicates either a belt that's slipping at lower RPM or the alternator is bad. The belt is cheaper - replace it and see what happens.
  • ricker113ricker113 Member Posts: 2
    I did get the issue resolved.It was a combo of a bad battery and bad alternator. I replaced both and everything has been working perfect since.

    Thanks! -Rick
  • jmarounjmaroun Member Posts: 151
    It's consistant. Whenever my wife is in the passenger seat of my 2010 Ford Mustang GT, invariably, everytime without question, the fking passenger airbag is off signal pops up after we've been driving for a few minutes. My wife doesn't usually ride in my car..but on occassion when she does, like this weekend, this issue always occurs. This ANGERS me so much since it places my wife in danger.

    Now, I've already spoken to Ford designers and a Ford dealership about this. Both give the same annoying response like questioning about propper seating position or if my wife weighs less than 50lbs! They offer suggestions like moving the seat back or to move around a bit in the seat to get the sensor active. What a bunch of BS. My wife sits propperly, and weighs around 110lbs or so. Furthermore, moving the seat or seat position does NOT help. There is NO F'king excuse anyhow..the airbags should reliably sense if any adult is present. PERIOD! I will bring this up to my Ford dealer again on Monday. If I get the same BS casual indifference..I will take it to a higher level. Damit!

    Joseph
    San Diego
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    I'm not convinced that passenger airbags are all that useful if the passenger is wearing a seatbelt. That said, I understand your concern. Next time it happens, try switching seats (without turning the car off) and see what happens. If it stays deactivated then it's a bad sensor. If it only deactivates with your wife, try adding some weight (5 or 10 lbs at a time) until it changes. If you can prove that the weight threshold is over 100 lbs then there should be no argument. If you can't get the first dealer to fix it then try another dealer. Then go to Ford. It's difficult for Ford to do anything without a cooperating dealer.
  • billyc13billyc13 Member Posts: 1
    While driving 60mph at night my wife lost all her lights and every warning light on her dash went on. After making it off the road she turned off car and put it in park. After a few minutes she could start the car with everything back to normal except the check engine light was on. She had it towed to the nearest dealer who has not been able to diagnose the problem after 1 week. She does not want to drive it again until someone can tell her what went wrong. She wants to sell the car if this issue cannot be remedied. 06 'stang GT 44,000 mi.
    Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks, Billy C.
  • glassguyglassguy Member Posts: 3
    I am asking for help with my GT. Today all of the sudden, my turn signals went on. My head lights and brake lights don't work. My windows won't roll up or down. My stereo doesn't work. My locks don't work. The fob won't work. I am a total loss! Please help!!!!!
  • eric10870weric10870w Member Posts: 1
    99 Mustang Convertible....So I have no power locks, no door chime when door is open with key in ignition, no keyless entry remote (wont even open the trunk) and no windshield wipers. Has anyone seen anything like this? None if these issues have happened before, no intermittent problems or anything. Other wise the car runs great....OK, I've checked the grounds, still nothing. I rechecked all the fuses also. I'm at a loss.....

    Eric
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Could be the FEM (front end module).
  • mhenaganmhenagan Member Posts: 1
    I have an 05 mustang v6 and the guages have started not working. Started with the temp guage it just goes round and round (car is not overheating) then moved to the gas (same thing) I can use the electronic mileage indicator so the float seems to be working and now the battery indicator is not working. The only ones that are working are the tach, oil pressure, and speedomoter. Any suggestions?
  • jmarounjmaroun Member Posts: 151
    edited February 2010
    I'm starting to get cheesed off at my dealership who can't reproduce the problem described in title. I brought my wife to the dealership this morning to demonstrate to the service rep, and he turned me away claimming that I have to talk to the manager first. ?? I called the manager twice today..seems he's out today.
    Why do I need the manager to see the problem..wouldn't it be enough to show the service rep or one of the technitions who appeared to be available???
    It's clear I'm getting a bit of runaround.

    I'm working with Ford customer relations at the same time..their engineer couldn't reproduce the problem so the issue remains. This is becomming frustrating.
    I, nor my wife, have time for this.

    Has anyone else experienced passenger seat belt light OFF when an adult is sitting in passenger seat? It sounds like an obvious case of a bad sensor.

    By the way, I did some research on the importance of airbags. In short, they SAVE LIVES! Even when seat belts are used.

    Here are some findings from: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/Cars/rules/regrev/evaluate/808470.html
    "For drivers reported as belted in FARS, air bags reduced fatality risk by a statistically significant 21 percent in purely frontal impacts (confidence bounds: 9 to 33 percent). In other words, in a purely frontal impact, a belted driver has 21 percent lower fatality risk in a car equipped with an air bag than in a similar car without an air bag."

    This is why it is important to have a sensor that works propperly:
    "The agency's Special Crash Investigation teams, as of July 1996, have identified 22 fatalities of child passengers in low-severity frontal crashes of vehicles equipped with dual air bags (14 before the end of 1995 and 8 during January-July 1996). Infants in rear-facing safety seats, and unrestrained or improperly restrained children who were out of position prior to the main impact, appear to have contacted the air bag during the forceful early phase of its deployment."

    "Infants in rear-facing child safety seats should never be placed in the front seat if the vehicle has a passenger-side air bag. The safest place for children of all ages is the back seat. If riding in the back seat is not an option, toddlers and older children may ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger-side air bag, but only if buckled up properly and with the seat moved as far back as possible."

    And in Summary:

    "If no passenger cars or light trucks had been equipped with driver or passenger air bags, it is estimated that a total of 1136 additional fatalities would have occurred during 1986-95 (approximate confidence bounds: 692 to 1622)."
    So as you can see, this is some serious stuff that should be taken seriously and I don't appreciate how this Ford dealership in Poway, CA is dealing with this issue.

    Joseph
    San Diego
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Sounds like you need a new dealer. If you can reproduce it then it should be cut and dried to get the sensor replaced.

    And while I agree with airbags in general and especially for the driver, I question the effectiveness of passenger airbags for passengers who are properly belted in. Airbags were originally developed because people wouldn't wear seatbelts. I'm thinking if the crash is bad enough for the passenger to contact the dash (while belted), then an airbag is probably too little too late. Side airbags are a different matter though.

    I'm not questioning whether you should get this fixed and I probably wouldn't disable a passenger airbag given the choice. And airbags for the driver and side impact are no brainers. I just wonder if passenger airbags are really a holdover from the original intent which was to protect unbelted occupants.
  • jmarounjmaroun Member Posts: 151
    akirby,

    There is no need to wonder. Empirical evidence answers your questions.
    Passenger airbags are life savers. Equally important to driver air bags.
    It took less than 15 seconds to find this information on the internet. Google is our friend.


    "FATALITY REDUCTION - PASSENGER AIR BAGS - CAR PASSENGERS AGE 13 OR OLDER

    Passenger air bags in cars are effective for right-front occupants age 13 or older in purely frontal crashes. The fatality reduction is statistically significant 27 percent (confidence bounds: 9 to 45 percent).

    Air bags reduce the overall fatality risk of car passengers age 13 or older by a statistically significant 13? percent.

    The preliminary conclusion is that air bags are about as effective for passengers age 13 or older as for drivers. If so, it is estimated that an additional 88 right front passengers age 13 or older would have died during 1986-95 if no passenger cars or light trucks had been equipped with passenger air bags."

    Joseph
    San Diego
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Notice that it doesn't say whether the passengers were belted or not. Obviously they can be lifesavers for unbelted passengers. I'd like to see the same statistics looking only at belted occupants before any conclusions are drawn.

    Again, I'm not against them - if for no other reason than to protect passengers who refuse or forget to buckle up. Just making an obversation.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I don't think they work as well with unbelted passengers because if you are unbelted you can slide under the bag.

    With just the belt on, people were still sustaining serious injuries because they could still contact hard parts in front of them.
  • jmarounjmaroun Member Posts: 151
    edited February 2010
    Also, I'd imagine that a minor frontal collission (at slow speeds), which would injur but not necessarilly kill a passenger without a seat belt and no airbag, could be fatal with no seat belt but with an airbag. This is because an air bag expands quite fast with alot of force..so instead of hitting the dashboard at say 15 or 20 mi/hr, you can end up hitting an air bag at upward of 200 mph! That wouldn't be fun.

    Airbags and seat belts work best when used together propperly. Doing so significantly improves driver and passenger chances of surving a random crash. That's what I get out of that report. That's what I plan on doing.

    And bottom line,..I want this airbag light fixed..all airbags should be active at all times when adults are in the front seats. I hope they'll be able to fix it.

    Joseph
    San Diego
  • mach1girlmach1girl Member Posts: 2
    edited March 2010
    I have a 2004 Mach 1 and the low beam headlights will not turn on. The high beam lights, fog lights and turn signals all work. I'd like to have an idea of what could be wrong before taking it in to be repaired.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Check the realy under the hood. They look like big fuses and are in a plastic box. Not sure if the low beams have a separate relay or not - if they do then that's probably it. If not then it's probably the switch.
  • shennygolfershennygolfer Member Posts: 1
    My 2006 V6 with the pony package completely loses power when the fog or headlamps are turned on. Both the alternator and battery have been tested and are fine. Has any one else had this problem and any clues as to where this short is coming from?
  • jmarounjmaroun Member Posts: 151
    At this point, I just don't think the car is safe anylonger.
    So Ford customer relations had me drive around this weekend with a "flight recorder" (some sort of recorder attatched to the car's CPU with cables all over the place), in hopes of catching this event on tape so to speak. I was a bit annoyed that they'd require me to test the car risking my family's safety. I reluctantly agreed to do it since the dealer was unable to reproduce the problem. Sure enough, this weekend..the light went off like clock work as I drove my wife around the block to a near by parking lot. We even tried it on the highway..and it went off there too. Basically, the light goes off spuradically, with no warning..stays on for an equally random amount of time, anywhere from 3 minutes to for the whole ride. Finally got my wife on the scales this weekend and found she weighs 118.5 lbs. That should be enough weight for the sensor to identify and adult present.

    So, I'll be returning this gadget to the dealership today. Now, I want this fixed..or my money back!

    Joseph
    San Diego
  • highroller2highroller2 Member Posts: 16
    this is a 2002 mustang gt convert. 66k miles.. theft light is always on. ignition off. ignition on running... not running. Otherwise the car runs fine. any ideas? thankis
  • momsmustangmomsmustang Member Posts: 1
    I sadly almost 7 mouths ago bought a 2005 mustang that has been in the shop 3 times for the same proplems which is a defect rain water pores on the wires umder the hood and runs cars floor.the repairs have cost me over 3500 so far for less than 2080 miles what a big ********* mistake.
  • thomtangthomtang Member Posts: 1
    Marineway1, did you get an answer or solution to your map light problem?? I'm having the same and would appreciate help.
  • mauimustangmauimustang Member Posts: 2
    i have a 1994 mustang GT 5.0L, i went out to my car to start it and it didnt start. thinking that i didnt hear my fuel pump, i thought it was that. so i bought a new OEM fuel pump and filter and replaced it. went to turn on my car again and got the same thing. it sounds like it wants to start but its not turning over. one person said that it could be elect. issue another person has told me that it could be a relay issue. if anyone knows what i need to do to fix my car, please please please let me know. :sick:
  • mauimustangmauimustang Member Posts: 2
    it shouldnt matter if the car is an auto or not. i had a similar problem with me 94. i guess the 1st question would be do you have after market gauges or over lays? if there after market then it could be the after market gauges/overlays that went out. if there not it sounds like a relay problem, check the relay and or replace it. if that doesnt help check the wiring harness in the back of the cluster make sure every thing is connected
  • moyo71moyo71 Member Posts: 6
    edited July 2010
    I have a 2006V6 mustang and I replace the alternator about six months ago, that I purchase from auto zone. I have close to 150,000 miles and about a month ago while I was coming home I notice that the radio was going off and on, the headlights were blinking dim then bright and the odometer was getting dim and then bright. I took off the alternator and had it check it was bad, I replace the alternator and this week I am having the same issue. I took the battery off along with the alternator and had them tested and they booth were good. I think that I might have a short but where would I check. If anyone can help me out. thanks
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    your charging system is controlled by the PCM--so you might need to have the car scanned for trouble codes and see if anything comes up. If the alternator was "bad" as you say, then your "charge" light should have illuminated--so either the alternator wasn't bad or your PCM isn't doing its job, seems to me. Also, buying rebuilt alternators from chain stores can be risky business.
  • moyo71moyo71 Member Posts: 6
    edited July 2010
    What is a PCM and where is it located? I have never had any trouble codes pop up in the past.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    That's the Powertrain Control Module---the car's computer. I'm not saying that's bad, but if there is no other possible cause, you'd have to suspect it.

    Trouble codes are worth looking for, to give you a start or clue.
  • moyo71moyo71 Member Posts: 6
    Is there a way that I can get the PCM tested to see if it's good or bad? After I replace the alternator two days ago I have not came across the issues that I was having but I would want to go ahead and get the PCM tested just to make sure.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    well you could go back to Autozone and have the scan the car's computer--they'll probably do it for free; otherwise, if your charge light isn't on, I'd just see what happens. As I said, rebuilt units from chain stores are a dodgy thing.
  • moyo71moyo71 Member Posts: 6
    My car does not have any check engine light on at this time and Autozone will not be able to check it. It might be just that the alternator was bad... if it was then I learn my lesson for next time... but I will be take it to a shop to make sure that the pcm is good just to be on the safe side.
    Thanks a lot Mr. Shiftright for helping me out.

    Thanks you
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Oh i don't think you have to do that...if the PCM weren't functioning, you'd know it. You might have the shop check all your battery cables, connections and ground cables however. You see, when the voltage drops, for whatever reason (bad battery, bad alternator, bad connections, etc.) your car's computer goes nuts---so we can't say with any certainly at the moment that the PCM was actually doing something wrong. It does, however, control the charging rate.
  • billyboy54billyboy54 Member Posts: 1
    edited July 2010
    I have a problem that has been going on for over a year that ford cant seem to find.Every so often my dash lights come on engine light brake light hot light .My directionals work outside but dont blink on my dash gas gauge doesnt work.I have changed my battery 2 times in the last year.Yesterday after picking up my car from ford they told me they found some bad grounds and put a new battery in after 3 days my lights are back on and the car is back with ford.Can anyone offer any fixes to this problem before I give up and sell the car even thou I love it.The car has only 40 thousand miles Only after market item installed in car was satelite radio and i pod connection.Cruise control light on dash doesnt come on when i start it but does show up on dash once i set it.Radio buttons around radio dont light up
  • lexor7734lexor7734 Member Posts: 1
    drain by windsheild was clogged ,it leaked into the car. took to ford to fix . they removed dash ,carpet and under matting . after 5 days of waiting they called and said was finished and to come pick it up. told us it would have a 1yr warrenty on repair well just after the year and 6000 miles the tach sits sometimes at 1000rpm and then will work somtimes the speedometer will go spastic bouncing from 0-120 while driving then will be normal , then for no reason the car alarm will go off .we called and they said to bring it in when it is doing this .but the thing is .it doesn't do it long enough for us to get it there . any advice to the problem will help
  • bigdaddebigdadde Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 Mustang LS convertable. Back in October my daughter was driving home during daylight hours her boyfriend with her car shut down he says seems like alternaor. They attached a battery jump pack to battery and got vehicle home. car sat for probably one month. replaced alternator. Car started missing at around 45 to 50 mph just a little. became extremely worse check engine light on. small hand held computer indicates that had a # 3 misfire. replaced coil pac plugs and wires no relief. can even get car to start now. I am being told it is the car's computor. also being told that it is not very common at all. please help siting idol in Tabernacle
  • mach1girlmach1girl Member Posts: 2
    edited August 2010
    I have a 2004 Mustang Mach 1 and the ABS Module has internally shorted out. Replacing the ABS Module looks easy enough, but is there any re-programming required? If so, what needs to be done?
  • moyo71moyo71 Member Posts: 6
    I have a 2001 V6 mustage and everyonce in a while the radio cuts off and the oddometor goes dim then back to normal when i have the headlights one. The headlights dim the first time. I changed out the alternator from autozone and a month later i had the same issue. I replace the alternator and now a month later it is doing again. i had a friend take a look at it and he did a quick check on the ground from the engine to the body and it was good. i took the car to ford and they checked it out within an hour and they stated that the ground is good. they told me to bring the car in when it happens again. I do not have any check engine light one. i have 150,000 miles on my car. somebody told me that it may be a fuse but if it was a fuse the system would be off. i was thinking about replacing the headlight switch hoping that they may cure the issue but then i was thinking that it might be a grounding issues. I still have the orignial radio in the car. about a year ago i had the dome light that would stay on after the car was shut off. i when ahead and remove the dome light bulb could this somehow be related.
  • jtmccall1jtmccall1 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 05' Mustang GT and have had an electrical issue for as long as I can remember. I should mention that I had satellite radio installed in it very early on at Circuit City, not sure if that is relevant.
    My car battery goes dead in a matter of days since new. Ford told me to make sure my radio is turned off before I shut the car off each time. I do this. Still the car goes dead quickly. Then they had me replace the battery. I had my dealer put in a new battery. I still have the same problem.
    I saw on another "Ford Forum" site that supposedly there is an issue where the radio system draws 1.64 amps instead of .11 as it should. It says Ford is aware of this problem. I called my dealer and neither the service manager or the electrical guru service tech ever heard of the issue. I know I'm not the only 05 owner with this problem. I keep the car on a trickle charger most of the time now but the other day (with a full charge) after sitting at my office for 8 hours, I went to leave work and it wouldn't start. I waited 2 minutes and it fired right up like there was no problem but as other people have mentioned, the radio came on to AM540 and the CD's cycled through and the guages did a complete reset. Can anybody help me with this?
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