2009 200 Series: Rear Running Lights (out) and HVAC ad MFD limited

[gtex]

Hello Esteemed Mudders...

I left my darn windows down during a rain...ughh....

I do not know for certain if the rain and the failaures are certainly connected, but not long after the "rain event"...some things "changed".

My rear running lights do not illuminate when the headlights are on, or ever, for that matter.

My HVAC operations are limited to voice commands ("make cooler") which can turn on the HVAC system, and the up down buttons on either side of the MFD.

The MFD does not show HVAC screens, NAV screens, or anything other than the phone book screens.

I have checked fuses; no joy. I have searched mud...no joy....

Good news....I have radio controls without the screen, so tunes are not a problem....the HVAC works but with limited functions....the nav being off makes a nice dark environment at night and kind of reminds me of the relative darkness of my 60 series front seats, but the lack of running lights is a real problem.

Has anyone experienced one or more of these issues?

 

[doru]

It might be a coincidence, so we should not blame the rain too much, but it is the most convenient point to start the investigation.

Have you opened the kick panels and inspected the connectors for water? Search for water intrusion to see lots of posts.
If water gets in the connectors, you have to disconnect them and dry them out. They do not dry by themselves well and by the time they do they may also be corroded and that is a lot more work to fix than drying out the truck.

Another thing you should do is pull the panels where you forgot the window open and run some heating fans in the car to keep the temperature high and the air moving, with closed doors, tailgate open and windows down (do this in the garage of course). Take care how you position the fans so they blow into the critical areas and do not melt any plastics.

If you can, it is a good idea to pull the seats to easier/better/faster dry the floor.

 

[Sandroad]

It’s odd your searches didn’t turn up all the electrical issues others have experienced from water intrusion. Remove the door sills (procedure easily found with a search) and remove any water. Then take apart the electrical connectors to dry them out and reassemble with dielectric grease. There may be other places to check, but start with the front door sills.

 

[gtex]

I'm aware of these standard responses to water intrusion, and have seen this type of information through the searches, but I do appreciate the heads up. I have previously made sure that there is no remaining moisture in the truck and my questions are more pointedly aimed examining if there is any known connection between these systems, in hopes of locating a particular common fail point.