Last Nail in the Coffin?
My '97 F150 has had its share of issues over the years. Starting last fall, if I use the keyfob to unlock the door, it gets stuck in a cycle of endlessly locking the door instead (click, click, click...
Forum Discussion
BillyW wrote:
Well, Gdetrailer, you may be on to it. I had some time today, so I whipped out the trusty Heathkit multimeter and did a little testing. I have never used the amperage measurement function on it in the nearly 30 years I've had it, so I'm not certain of the readings. When I put it in the circuit, amperage jumped to nearly 1.5 amps then settled to .44 amps. Pulling the door lock fuse didn't affect that at all. When I pulled the fuse for the GEM, it initially jumped to about .8 amp before settling to .08.
:)
.44A or 440ma is definitely a high draw which would be more than a battery maintainer can typically supply..
The .08A or 80ma with the GEM disconnected would be a much more realistic power draw when sitting..
So, now you are down to the GEM as the most likely suspect for the flat battery.. And since the GEM also controls the door locks I think replacing the GEM should solve both issues..
Not sure how easy it is but you might want to double check the harness connectors going into the GEM for any water, corrosion or even chaffing of the wires which could also cause problems..
