Hi my car has a weird problem when driving away from a standstill the front and rear wipers are activated as if I had initiated a wash wipe.

The wash doesn't occur but the wipers go through the motions the switches are fine there are no loose wires to account for this and upon connection to a diagnostic unit the computer says there are no recorded problems.

So I figure it is something to do with the GEM or is it called the Body Control Unit!

I am confused my garage calls it a body control unit and it lives behind the glove box with a fusebox, my Halfords manual calls it a GEM (Generic Electronic Module) and it lives behind the kick plate on the drivers side of the car.

What's going on here just what is it called and where is it located.

They're both half right.

It's called a GEM and lives behind the glovebox. Fusebox and GEM are all contained in the same unit.

Hi Troy thanks for the reply the vehicle electrics specialist I took the car to says that's where it is as well.

Question is why does the Haynes manual say it lives elsewhere??

Now I have to find the correct part number for a replacement he tells me there was no indication on my GEM to go by he has the equipment to download and the programme the replacement so I need to find out which one it is.

I was thinking of employing an exorcist to remove this electronic poltergeist ;-)

Guess Haynes just make the odd boo-boo now and then.

There will be a ford part number somewhere on the GEM either on a barcode label or maybe etch printed. Just can't find an example photo on the web. Part number will be of the format 98xx 14A073 xx or something like that.