musty ruffler

Hi folks,

06 V6, about 53000 mi.

A week ago I returned from a ~2500 mile road trip; while on that ride there were two times- once there, once back, when the left blinker would go fast, like a blown bulb. Both times it was after about 9-10 hours straight of driving. Each time I checked it at the next gas stop- rear left light was out- but by the time I found a parts shop it was working fine again.

Things have been fine all week, but yesterday afternoon the airbag light started flashing. I pulled out the ODBII reader, no codes. When I restarted the engine, the light was no longer flashing. Driving fine, so I went out, drove a total of around 4mi without issue, got home around 3am and everything seemed fine.

Get to the car this morning, airbag light flashing again. I thought the sequence was six flashes, but I guess it's longer than that? Still no OBDII codes. I stepped outside and holy crap, keys are in my pocket, lights are turned off, alarm is armed, but passenger's side driving lights-front and back- are still on, and warm like they have been for a while. I jiggle everything, lights and blinkers all work, car starts easily & shows full charge, no obviously loose or corroded wires in the engine bay, but the lights just stay on. I pulled the negative battery cable and came inside to ask y'all for help.

Relevant factors:
- Car got oil & fuel filter at 1/2way point of road trip. Guys seemed competent.
- About a month ago there was a moment when the fuel gauge read empty & "miles to empty" readout showed 0 when I knew there was gas (like 1/4 tank). Keeping more fuel in the tank and pulling out of my parking lot more slowly in the AM seemed to have fixed it(?). The fuel happens to be quite low right now.
- It's been raining hard here for days. I'm in New Orleans, so raining hard means we're basically living underwater. The car is parked over a massive grate, definitely no flooding.
- New alternator & battery about 4000mi ago. Had some beef with the mechanic when the first alternator broke down less than a week after going in. Shop claimed I'd hooked up my battery backwards. They were wrong.

Please tell me there's some really simple, obvious fix? I really don't want to spend the rest of the summer on 12v diagnostics.

Nuke

Has the car been in the rain lately? Check the carpet by the passenger kick panel for dampness and read this: https://mustangforums.com/mustang-ts...LOOR-AREA.html

The water leak has been the cause of many electrical gremlins.

musty ruffler

I am aware of the TSB and was convinced this could not be an issue since I had previously checked the carpet after heavy rain. Here is a photo of my rear passenger footwell. Whole car smells like wet dog.



So, some questions:

• Any triage I can do today to protect this from getting worse over the next few days?
• Anyone have experience dealing w/ an aftermarket warranty company on this issue?
• In addition to the steps mentioned, do I need to pull the carpet & perform any rust prevention/remediation? What about in fenderwell or underside?

I'm really bummed, would appreciate any guidance.

AzPete

I would recommend parking the car inside/under a carport and not driving it. You could burn up the elec. system. Then perform the tried and true repairs for the water leaks. Pull the seats and carpet to dry or you may have a musty smell for a long time.

Do some searching on the net for the best ways to seal the leaky areas.

If you have an after market warranty from Ford or anyone else, simply call and inquire about coverage.

Nuke

Do you stock that lake or are the fish indigenous?

musty ruffler

OK, so I think I fixed the leak. The cabin air filter was sitting in four inches of water, which I siphoned out (more than a gallon!) and discovered that the rubber drains were both full of mulch. Cleaned them out, hosed out the other nastiness in there, problem solved. The gaskets mentioned in the TSB were totally dry.

I moved about four months ago, and there's now a lot more plant life and nowhere to park that isn't under a tree (previously had been all urban), and much of it the plant matter is smaller than the cowl vents. I'll be investing in a cover.

I removed the passenger seat and put towels down, and when I pulled the kickpanel access cover off, water spilled out. When the battery is connected, the pass. side running lights are still on.

Is there anything else I can do on my own to fix the light situation? Everything else is fine & no OBD codes. Or if it's the computer, does that mean game over, time to find out if the warranty covers water damage?

musty ruffler

LOL. Leaves. I think. In all seriousness there were more mosquitoes around than usual, inside the car as I was working w/ pass. door open... Though it's New Orleans, so that's kind of another drop in the deluge.

Nuke

Pull the access door off the kick panel and see if you can run a fan so you can get some airflow to dry the SJB out. Remaining moisture MAY be the reason you're getting some electrical tracking which can cause "unusual" electrical issues. 157dB can probably offer some advice if there's anything that can be done (spray the SJB with contact cleaner?) without the possibility of frying anything or compounding matters.

musty ruffler

This is exactly what I did today. Drove around w/ the fan on full blast on the "feet setting," then removed the plugs and most of the 5v fuses, hit all the open spaces I could get at with compressed air (a bunch of water blew out); sprayed everything with contact cleaner (which btw the guy at Home Depot assured me wouldn't possibly work), let it dry, and plugged everything back in. The lights are working properly now- spent most of the day thinking I'd moved the problem to the A/C- which wasn't kicking in- but turns out I'd just put the a/c clutch fuse in the wrong spot.

I also picked up a box of hanging Damp-Rid packs, hung one from the coat hook, and poured some old, stale rice on the carpet (which I plan to vacuum up tomorrow). That was around 4:00; the carpet is now dry to the touch, the rice is soft (but not gross), the Damp-Rid bag has some water in it, and the car smells very pleasant. I plan to use them one at a time, and will likely pull the carpet/pad on my day off and let them air-dry.

Finally today, I replaced the cabin air filter, which was probably due anyway. The "high water mark" is pretty nasty. Discovered that the air in the cabin is measurably hotter without those rubber things in place. Think rather than removing them, the best prevention is a) a car cover; or b) piece of fine mesh under the cowl grille (checked regularly).

Rather than being upset about this ordeal, I'm seeing it as an opportunity- been meaning to run cable for an audio upgrade and maybe put down some extra soundproofing- now I've done half the work! I'm also going to see what I can do about better waterproofing the SJB. This design is absurd. Been wondering in the audio design whether to use a bulkhead fitting or save the $7- now it's a VERY easy call.

Interesting side note: car is driving way better now. It was fine before, but I think the computer had trained itself to think I was more aggressive than is really safe in the city- always jumping off from stop. Now working okay. The reduced weight of the missing passenger seat and a gallon less water might contribute.

Only remaining tasks as far as I can tell are a) resetting the airbag light (the code was 52: battery prob); and b) shopping for a car cover, so this can NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN!

Thanks Nuke & AzPete!

Nuke

Sweet.