Hey All.

I'm new to the F-150 community as I just bought my truck a month ago, a day after returning home from Iraq! Its a great truck and i'm happy so far, but as of this afternoon, I have a problem;

Coming home earlier today, I hit a large puddle. I didnt realize how deep the puddle was until I entered it, and by then, it was too late. The truck made it through the puddle fine, and made it the remaining 2 miles home with no problem whatsoever. When I tried to start it later, nothing. The display has 2 warnings showing; Check charging system, Check braking system. I put a jump pack on it, and it still wouldn't turn over. I'm worried that maybe the trucks alarm system got wet and is malfunctioning so it has the truck locked up.

I'm a bit worried that the water may have messed the truck up. I'm not sure where to start besides here. I will search around the forum for a while a see what I can come up with. Any help is appreciated.

SGT Brett Lenoble
USA

 

Hello Brett,

First - thank you for your service and happy you made it home.

Second - Welcome to the site - it is very useful and most of the time help is here in some fashion.

You mentioned it was quite the puddle - I wonder if some wiring or connections were loosened by the force of the water hitting them. Dont know if you have looked underneath the truck to see if something is loose somewhere. Heck I havent even looked under my truck good yet and sounds like I should just to see what could be snagged or popped loose. Other than the obvious a trip to the dealer or a portable code reader might be in order to narrow it down a bit. Sorry to hear of it and good luck.

I will nose around on the internet later tonight to see if I can find others who have had this issue.

 

To be honest, being its a new truck under warranty, I would just call the 800 number for the free roadside assistance, and have it towed to the dealer.

 

Ford does not warranty stupidity or ignorance, I get that a lot in my line of work, it gets tiring It's clearly not hydrolocked. It didn't short out a coil or coils, sounds like something arced and shorted out a fuse or worse a starter.

Now, moving on to something that can be fixed.

OP stated check charging system and check brake lights are on. OP failed to state if any noises are being made, is the starter trying to engage? Is the truck clicking? Does the radio, fan motor, etc operate? Does the horn work, front fog lights, other items in the front wiring harness? If all other electrical items work move on. I'd start by checking fuses, are they all good, use a fuse tester don't just look at them. Do you have power at the fuse block? If so move on to see if you have power at your starter/alternator/high power block, follow the large wire from the battery directly to the starter, make sure you are getting ~12 volts. If that works, test for power on the smaller wires when you attempt to start. See if they are receiving the signal to start. If that's the case your starter is shorted (which happens).

 

Stormtech gives good advice. We don't know if it was the the OP who caused the problem. Let the dealer handle it.

 

X2, it's a free tow to the dealer. They'll troubleshoot it and then let the OP know if it's a warranty issue or not.

 

Once again, it's only free if it's a warrantable repair. READ the entire warranty.

 

Wow, someone needs to calm down a little.

I have a similar issue after driving in a huge rain storm on Saturday. Poured for a good 30mins on my way home from my parents place. I drove the truck again later that afternoon with no issues, no warnieng lights and no problems. Sunday morning, i go out to the truck and i cant get the doors to unlkock with my key chain and figure somethings up with it, so i try the key pad on the door. Nothing. Get into the truck with the key and notice that non of my dome light are on. I looked at the guages and see the needles jumping ever so slightly. But there is no power to anything. try to engage to key and nothing. So i check to see if maybe i left the light on and they were off. I don t get it. Had ford road side pick up the truck this morning and its at the dealer being looked at now. If you start screwing with too many thing trying to figure out how to get it to work while having no idea what you are doing is not a good idea while your vehicle is under warranty. You can do more harm than good some times. I would not want to screw with something and have my service tech come to me with a "no warranty due to tampering" answer for me.

Point is, if this is a water related issue whether hitting a giant puddle or driving in the rain, I would only hope Ford would own up to and cover the expense of repair on a brand new vehicle. Stupidity/ Ignorance or not. He didnt try the see how far across lake he could make it in his truck.

MC31, Maybe you need a new line of work.

 

Yup - that is the best and most simple solution. Be a shame if the new trucks are this prone to water if a person is caught in heavy rain.

 

I am not very happy I will tell you that much... Hope it is something simple like a dead battery, but I want to know why as well.

 

But ford said we could do it? I'd forward this on and ask if this truck had the same issue as yours.

 

i will give you some advise, if the truck no signs of being swapped in water, then call road side assistance have them to it to the dealer tell them when you came to go to work it wouldn't start.

BUT and this is a big BUT if in the course of diagnosis if they are going to be able to see or find water damage of any kind there maybe a warranty issue, you wont know until you take it in

 

My problem turned out to be a faulty battery. The tech said that when he check the battery the meter read 0 amps. After a full charge session, the battery would only hold 200a. So I guess it was coincidence I had an issue with directly after a huge rain storm.

I was told that ford has seen a few 08-09 trucks that chew up and kill batteries. Not many and my service manager was knocking on wood, that he sees no more. But they had an 08 truck go through 4 batteries in 3 months before the truck stopped having issues, and they never could diagnose the problem. Rouge electrical issues suck.

Submerge and splashed are 2 totally different cases. If water can penetrate and cause problems (under normal or even harsh "splash" cases) I do beleive that would be a faulty design, fitment or seal. Warranted fix.

 

glade you got it fixed up, this has nothing to do with your situation but i think they got a bad batch of batteries, because i am electrical guy at our store and i haven't experienced our trucks eating batteries.

but either way you are good to go again, for the next puddle

 

Good to hear it wasn't a major fix.