troubleshooting my relay problem

I have an 06 Ford F250 pickup. My problem is that the relay that controls the radio and gauges.The radio and gauges will quit working on and off. When they go off,there usually is a couple of minute delay,and they will go on again.This happens quite often. I've replaced the relay and it still happens.The fuses don't blow.I can hear the click when this happens.I think that the click must be the relay. I need a wiring diagram that shows this wiring. Any ideas of what this may be? Thank You.

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hal9000

Bad ground or bad connections to the relay.

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Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

Incidentally there's no way the radio, constant and ACC and the gauges IGN., would be on the same circuit, again bad ground in common or some moron has added something and wired it badly/carelessly.

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Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

Probably a bad ground but also check to make sure all of the fuses are tight. A few years ago I had a Ford come in about 3 months after a remote start install complaining of the radio and a few other things cutting in and out. I looked through the entire install and everything was solid. I went to check and see if the fuse was corroded and noticed that it was really loose in the slot. Somehow the internal spade / socket had expanded and was barely making connection with the fuse.

I ended up showing the customer the problem and offered a band-aid solution til he could find a new fuse box. Ended up putting a little dab of solder on the loose terminal. Never heard from him again so I'm assuming it worked til he was able to really fix the problem.

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Kenny
Owner / Technician
KKD Garage LLC
Albany, NY 12205

Since it's "minutes to reset", it may be thermal. Again, bad contacts or GND, but maybe a relay coil break.
Also its fuse. Rotate its fuse with another. (Fuse rotation being #1 physical trick followed by #2 connector disconnect-reconnect; or vice versa or intermixed depending on convenience. And that's usually after #0 - the overall visual and general check; twisting of battery terminals and leads etc.)

I never thought fuse or the plus side because it's unrelated circuits, BUT what will they have in common?

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Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

I was thinking of the fuse that supplies the coil control - ie, from the IGN relay or whatever.

They are all bad connections, it's just that only a few ever pick a fuse hairline break etc.
And many inexperienced don't break & remake connectors.

Peter, Kenny, I think you're both missing the point here, how can 1 relay control 2 separate circuits, ACC and Ignition?
Unless more than 1 fuse or relay connection is at fault.


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Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

Point taken.
Being a relay for gauges I assumed it's an IGN circuit meaning on during cranking (unless IGN-2 etc).

If it's non-st'd gauges it should be IGN...
But a radio on IGN is rare; it's usually ACC (unless IGN-2 etc).

And then there are the diode-joined combinations.

All I can find is that many such Fords have an accessory delay relay, but nothing that ties gauges to radios/audio.

Exactly. Bad ground or fusebox/body control module connections.
Could even be battery to fuseboxes.

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Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

Ah - now the point. Like bad taillight grounds, multiple relays can energise, or de-energise. EG - stop/tails that are fine as tails, but one or both totally extinguish when braking - ergo, no GND!!

It's a slow Sunday...

And why would you need a relay for radio and gauges?
Suggest OP fires up his engine, leaves it running in idle in park then grabs at the connectors to fuseboxes, ignition switch loom etc.
That will find it.

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Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.