F-350 Electrical Issues

Ok, so technically, this is not a RV repair but it is so important that I put it here.  I want to make sure I describe what was happening, and our (so far!) fix.

Have a look at this list:

The quick-fix to all these issues (except the dome light), in our experience, was to simply turn the key off and start over.  To solve the dome-light issue, we had to disconnect the batteries, then reconnect them and press the button on the control panel that permanently turned off the dome light.  It should be said that during all of our normal maintenance activities (oil changes, tire replacements, 70-point maintenance checks), never was there any indication of a battery problem.  But, read on.

All these things happened over time, probably a couple of years, but started after only a year or so of having the truck.  They weren't show-stoppers because we had workarounds.  We had done some google searching for these issues and had very limited success finding concrete answers.  What we found was anecdotal, at best.  Certainly no recalls from Ford.  One solution that popped up a couple of times was replacing the passenger-side battery.

We were finally in a place long enough to explore permanent solutions.  Tucson, AZ and the local Jim Click Ford dealership.  In additional to the oil and filter change, I scheduled a electrical diagnostic that was going to cost me $170.  I explained all our electrical issues with the tech and he actually admitted he had a customer that experienced everything I told him about!  That customer's solution?  Some "reflashing and reprogramming" of various components.  But they had to run the diagnostic first.

As it turns out, as part of their oil and filter change, their multi-point maintenance check actually said we had a faulty battery, on the passenger side.  Huh.  First time ever to have this brought up.  So I waved the $170 diagnostic in favor of replacing the battery, as a first attempt at seeing if the battery replacement would fix the problems.  If the problems creep back in before we leave Tucson, I'll make another appointment.

So far, after a week with the new passenger-side battery, we are experiencing NONE of the problems listed at the beginning of this article.  If anything changes, I will keep this page updated with what we find.