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.

 

[bloc]

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.

Nearly every one of the vehicle’s systems has circuits that run through the wire harnesses to the sides of the driver and passenger floorboard. Even if water didn’t impact the power supplies for these things many of the systems communicate over a 2-wire daisy-chained network called CANBUS and either of these wires seeing corrosion can cause all kinds of problems.

If you haven’t since the rain event, you need to open the door sill trim and look for evidence of water as well as open the connectors to look for evidence of corrosion on the terminals. Removing the trim takes about 10 seconds per side and requires no tools. You’ll need a 10mm socket to get the connectors open.

 

[airdzi]

Late but better than never

Driver side kick panel and small fuse box above are suspect areas to check, main body ECU is right there to the left, always look into connecters, inline wires damage is usually mechanical, not water. Any type of multiple electrical gremlins think water intrusion first and driver side windshield pillar is your no#1 suspect on 200. Passenger side close #2. Sunroof #3. You want to minimize water going down to the windshield pillar catch basins. They are plastic with strainer holes located under upper corners of your hood, when they overflow during heavy rains water would find its way under dash. Make sure strainers are clean, leaf’s etc. Make sure roof rack is not missing any inserts. Use black RTV silicone to restrict water flow down the front pillars, windshield molding or where the body panels connect. Unfortunately this is a common problem with 200s stored outside. After heavy rainfall check your floormat and if wet - all the above applies.

Center windshield leak would almost always be due to plastic cowling under the windshield, it has rubbery strip on top, if not treated with 303 protectant, it dries out and stiffens. Expensive as you have to replace the entire cowling. You can try lubing it with 3M silicone paste lube (not sealant or caulking). Silicone is rubber and thermoplastics safe. If it still leaks wait for it to absorb silicone paste and gently lifting the seal lay a narrow bead of black RTV silicone, make sure windshield is clean under the rubberized strip.