# I did a bad thing to my GEM **URL:** \ **Category:** GEM Forum\ **Created:** [March 1, 2020, 8:42pm UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/i-did-a-bad-thing-to-my-gem/18188 "2020-03-01T20:42:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lphilyaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@lphilyaw](https://community.electricforum.com/u/lphilyaw)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2020, 8:42pm UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/i-did-a-bad-thing-to-my-gem/18188/1 "2020-03-01T20:42:58Z")
I recently bought a 2009 E4 and decided it needed to be washed, I figured since it was designed to be driven in the rain, as long as I didn’t spray directly onto the hood opening, I’d be ok. Well when i finished, I got in and drove about 4 blocks with nothing amiss. I stopped at a light, and after about 30 seconds of sitting there tried to take off, but absolutely Nothing! Just totally dead. The display showed a wrench, turtle and thermometer. I tried turning key off and on, master switch off and on, etc. I was 2 bars down, but that shouldn’t have stopped it dead. Got it towed home, there was water laying on top of the charger and here and there. I’m a decent auto mechanic, but know nothing of electric cars. Any suggestions of what I can check or do? ---
**Author:** ![David\_Illingworth](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.electricforum.com/david_illingworth/32/2671_2.png) [@David\_Illingworth](https://community.electricforum.com/u/David_Illingworth)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2020, 11:11pm UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/i-did-a-bad-thing-to-my-gem/18188/2 "2020-03-01T23:11:04Z")
I had the same problem and just let it dry out for a day and it was fine. Several months later the controller went out in it so I had it rebuilt. Since then I have washed it several times with out any problems so I believe my issue was water got into the controller and after having it rebuilt they sealed it properly. ---
**Author:** ![lphilyaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@lphilyaw](https://community.electricforum.com/u/lphilyaw)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 12:08am UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/i-did-a-bad-thing-to-my-gem/18188/3 "2020-03-02T00:08:52Z")
Thanks, I hope drying will work. Where did you send your controller to be rebuilt? ---
**Author:** ![David\_Illingworth](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.electricforum.com/david_illingworth/32/2671_2.png) [@David\_Illingworth](https://community.electricforum.com/u/David_Illingworth)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 12:50am UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/i-did-a-bad-thing-to-my-gem/18188/4 "2020-03-02T00:50:23Z")
FSIP (Flight System Industrial Products). If you sign up as a business you get a pretty good discount. ---
**Author:** ![lphilyaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@lphilyaw](https://community.electricforum.com/u/lphilyaw)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 1:10am UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/i-did-a-bad-thing-to-my-gem/18188/5 "2020-03-02T01:10:09Z")
Good to know. And I AM a business. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lphilyaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@lphilyaw](https://community.electricforum.com/u/lphilyaw)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 4:52pm UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/i-did-a-bad-thing-to-my-gem/18188/6 "2020-03-02T16:52:21Z")
You were right David. This morning it came to life and operated normally. The only thing is the odometer now reads 40,176 miles instead of 536. lol Larry ---
**Author:** ![David\_Illingworth](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.electricforum.com/david_illingworth/32/2671_2.png) [@David\_Illingworth](https://community.electricforum.com/u/David_Illingworth)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 11:48am UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/i-did-a-bad-thing-to-my-gem/18188/7 "2020-03-03T11:48:43Z")
Pretty sure the odometer reading is stored in the controller so just one more thing pointing at the controller as possibly the problem.