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Ford Expedition Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • tmetztmetz Member Posts: 1
    I am sure this has been addressed before so I apologize but I am frustrated! My '03 Expedition has developed a sort of grinding or binding sound when turning right and sometimes left when proceeding from a stop. Example: Turning right from a stop light/sign. I have had it in 2 times but of course it didn't do for the dealership. It is getting worse, and the last time in, it did it little for the mechanic who rode with me. He said it was probably just a fuel line vibrating. BULL CRAP! My brother, a Mercedes Service Manager has experienced it a number of times while riding w/ me. Last time he happened to be in the 2nd row and he said it sound like it was coming from the rear axle. I even took the TSB dealing with this issue in the last time but the mechanic shook it off saying he laughs when customers bring these in thinking they apply to their car. HELP HELP HELP

    Tim
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Mine was doing the same thing - turned out to be the front brakes were totally shot, linings, rotors, everything was schrapnel at 24,000 miles. Ford replaced everything at no charge for me.
  • whitebwhiteb Member Posts: 1
    I have an '03 EB and started noticing the engine "skipping" and "missing" during acceleration and idling. This started after taking it to a car wash. Could water have gotten into the engine compartment and be causing this??
  • bginsberg1bginsberg1 Member Posts: 10
    The problem here is your rear clutch pack is binding up. This is a known issue with the '03 Expy. Mine started doing it at about 1K miles. Ford is very aware of it and will replace your entire rear end for free. When I took mine in and showed them they first said it was the brakes until they actually looked at the clutch pack. Then they told me that it was not safe to drive and they gave me a loaner on the spot. It took them a week to get the parts and fix it, but it's been great ever since.

     

    You shouldn't have any problem with them fixing it for free. Just be nice and explain the problem and let them know that it's a known issue that they can check on. However I would guess they know all about it.
  • fx4fx4 Member Posts: 72
    The Ford Expeition brake pads were changed to some ceramic version at Job 2 date (say around 12/04) for the 2005 Expedition models. Local Ford dealer shop manager says the downside of the new ceramic pads is more brake noise. He said Ford would not replace mine with the cermaic type at no charge. At least one Edmunds post earlier said the Ford dealer replaced his pads with Ford Job 2 ceramic pads under warranty on his Exp.

     

    Assume rotors are the same spec for both ceramic and non-ceramic 2004 Expedition? Anyone know for sure about the rotors? If so, 2003 and early 2004 Expy owners can at least consider ceramic pads next time if Ford will not/does not replace now under warranty.

     

    Also note that 04 Job 2 gives the double core radiator again in 5.4L Expedition with H/D trailer tow package after the double core being absent a clouple of years in H/D T/T package
  • tourguidetourguide Member Posts: 190
    Your information on the ceramic brake pads appears to be off a bit fx4. Ford had switched over to the new ceramics by April of 04 as this was when my 2004 went into production with those very pads on it. In my opinion ceramics have two advantages over metalic, 1.) Noise is DEFINATELY reduced (I can attest to this). 2.) Brake dust is SIGNIFICANTLY lessened. That isn't to say the dusting is gone, just reduced. The dust my 04 throws off is grey in color and much less noticable. I just switched our 01 Escape over to ceramics for both of those reasons.

     

    I haven't a clue about the rotor spec, but the stock rotors are pretty soft. At 43,000 they had to be replaced on the Escape.
  • fx4fx4 Member Posts: 72
    Correction

     

    I had my Expediton model years of 2003 and early 2004 correct, but I was one calendar year off in the opening paragraph.

     

    I got the ceramic pads date off the Job 2 Ford Ordering Guide which would have published somewhere around Nov, Dec 03. They could have been available later in 2004?

     

    It got the information about more noise with Ford ceramic pads on Expedition directly from the local Ford dealer's shop and parts manager. ?

     

    Great experience with aftermarket ceramic pads on our daughter's 97 T/Bird. Price being the only drawback. Shaky brakes of that vintage Bird completely eliminated with ceramic pads and new rotors (no change after many miles history).

     

    My 2004 Expedition NBX was built in mid October 2003 and came with the older non-ceramic pads. Unit still has lots of general braking for heavy Expedition, great tow and panic braking.

     

    P.s. I wanted to get a Job 2 2004 NBX to get ceramic brake pads and dual core radiator with T/T package, but went with early year version to get the 2nd row captains chairs on the one black 2004 NBX I found nearby. These $530 "captains' chairs" turned out to be nothing more than the outside regular seats with armrests (too low for adults)and deleted center seat. This 2nd row arrangement does give additional floor space in the Expedition and provides easy access to third row seats. This 2nd row "option" should be a credit or no cost option instead of a $530 rip off.
  • wkohlerwkohler Member Posts: 74
    I too looked for the second row seat option before purchasing my 03 Expedition. Couldn't find one at the time, so bought one with the standard 2nd row seats. I took out my center seat in the 2nd row and the set up works just fine. Of course I don't have the "Inboard" armrests, but no one has complained as of yet. Also, I have the "old style" brake pads that have worked very well. Of course there is a dust issue, but I have 60+ thousand miles (mostly highway of course) and still have about half of the brake life left. I too had the "door ajar" issue (about 8 months ago), but in my case used WD40 and have had no re-occurence yet. One thing I wish Ford would do is to contain ALL seat belts within the seats. I notice the 2nd and 3rd row center seats have that set-up. Why not the others??
  • tourguidetourguide Member Posts: 190
    It's funny you should mention that your Ford Dealer said that about the noise of ceramic pads because mine told me the exact same thing I said about the noise being reduced. Why they are telling you this is a mystery to me. Perhaps they have a vested interest in influencing people's opinions to the negative on ceramic pads? It would certainly be a way for them to avoid having to pay for replacing all those pads for "customer satisfaction" reasons. I drove on metalic pads for years before this vehicle and there was always a chance that the squeak would be there, because of the weathering over time. Ceramics don't weather as there is nothing to oxidize, save for minimal amounts of carbon on braking.

     

    About the seats - yeah I agree with you there. I'm not super thrilled about those either. In my opinion the Explorer has a better second row seating setup with the quad-bucket seating option. Ahh well. At least I'm behind the wheel.
  • lenrlenr Member Posts: 13
    Had a similar problem on my 04 Exp built in Nov 03. Vibrating grind on startup/turn; Mine only happened before warmup of a few miles driving. Changeout of the rear limited slip clutches fixed it. If the service rep. doesn't want to help, go back to your salesman. There is a friction modifier that can be added to the fluid that also may fix it.
  • ford_ownerford_owner Member Posts: 23
    Ok, here is the scoop on the Expeditions and the brake dust problems. I have researched this and talked to several Mechanics. My Ford Dealership tried to charge me about 700 to 800 dollars. But I have a local brake shop that is only charging me for the Pads and Labor which was much cheaper by far. But here is the solution: The pads that come on the expedition are semi metalic. The solution is to replace them with a "True Ceramic" Brake. My choice was Ceramicool. These pads are 100% true cereamic, and not just impregnated with bits of ceramic. Here is the info i have from the manufacturer, and all the mechanics that I spoke with agree with this: Ceramic brake pads have become the braking industry’s buzzword these days with everyone going for the ceramic brake pads. So why ceramic brake pads?

     

    Ceramic brake pads are generally quieter and lower dusting than most OEM pads and organic based brake pads. Many ceramic formulations offer extremely low dusting characteristics, preventing dust from accumulating on your wheels.

     

    Since they were first used on a few original equipment applications in 1985, friction materials that contain ceramic formulations have become recognized for their desirable blend of traits. Instead of the semi-metallic pad’s steel fibers, the ceramic braking pads make use of the ceramic compounds and copper fibers. This allows the ceramic pads to handle high brake temperatures with less heat fade, provide faster recovery after the stop, and generate less dust and wear on both the brake pads and rotors.

     

    Moreover, the ceramic compounds in the ceramic brake pads make the braking much quieter. This happens as the ceramic compounds help dampen noise by generating a frequency that is beyond the human hearing range.

     

    The above info is from ceramicool. So I am changing my pads i have them ordered. They tell me this will stop the squeaking problem as well as the dust problem. Ford has a technical service buletin out about this, but if you take it to the dealer get ready to pay a lot. I am as I said earlier taking it to a Brake shop. I will post my results after awhile when I see how this goes. hope this helps!
  • smokey bearsmokey bear Member Posts: 2
    my 03 expedition eb has lost audio in the head phones while dvd is playing.any suggestions?
  • smokey bearsmokey bear Member Posts: 2
    my 03 has same brake problems.that dust is an indication of excessive wear and is a saftey issue.me eb looses braking ability when the brakes are used on a long mountain downhill run.my dealer service dept.has put me off.I plan to take it to them one more time this time with my safety at issue rather than the dust.
  • zman3zman3 Member Posts: 857
    With all due respect I tend to disagree with your comment. As far as I can tell all 03 Expeditions exhibit the excessive dust. It is not a sign of excessive wear and it is not a safety issue. I have had the brake dust since day one and at 30,000 miles my brakes are about 2/3 worn.

     

    I can't speak to how the Expy's breaks perform on mountainous roads since there aren't too many here in Minnesota but any braking system will lose peformance if you ride them too long and heat up the brake fluid.

     

    Karl
  • nckracernckracer Member Posts: 7
    I also agree that the excessive brake dust on the '03s is not a sign of excessive wear. I had 45,000 miles when I traded it in for an '05 and it still had 60% pad left. By the way, the '05 brakes do not dust the wheels like my '03 did. I've got 7,000 miles on the '05 and haven't had to clean the front wheels once! I cleaned the fronts every 500 miles on my '03.
  • wkohlerwkohler Member Posts: 74
    I too agree that the brake dust issue is not safety related (unless you hurt your back bending over cleaning the wheels). We don't have any mountains in Ohio, but on our trip to/from California I disengaged the O/D system and let the engine help with the braking when in mountainous areas. Saved a little wear and tear on the brakes, but most likely lowered the gas mileage a little.
  • ford_ownerford_owner Member Posts: 23
    I have a post from before about the ford expeditions and the brake dust problem? The problem was on the 03, and 04, you can fix this by coverting the front pads to true ceramic pads, I have ordered ceramicool brand for mine, they are shipping this week, will have a local brake technician install them later during the week. Yes its true on the 05's they have gone with ceramic thereby eliminating most of the problem and the annoying sqeal when stopping. The problem as I understand can be eliminated swapping the origional factory semi metallic pads and replacing them with " true ceramic". hope this is helpful, thanks
  • teldocteldoc Member Posts: 49
    I find the integrated seat belts to be very uncomfortable. GM has them on almost all their front now and if you're a tall driver it feels like Mr Spock is giving you the Vulcan pinch while you drive. Other than inboard seats, I hope FoMoCo NEVER gets away from putting the seat belts on the pillar.
  • hickorydhickoryd Member Posts: 57
    I wanted aftermarket seats for my '04 Silverado but told "Sorry" by large California truck seat maker due to integrated seat belts. Traded in my '04 Silverado.
  • fx4fx4 Member Posts: 72
    Tourguide

     

    I have been on for a while now, but it is ironic that I had the same thought that the shop manager

    might just be putting me off. I too like the Explorer quad seat option.

     

    In general I have been thinking about trading my my 2004 Expedition NBX for something for wife and start driving her 2003 V-8, 4wd, XLT. Then I work and drive the Expedition hard and say no. Just cannot get used to the Expedition weighing so much, especially pulling a grade from low speed.

     

    Other--

     As a taller driver, I definitely prefer the higher post mounted or anchored seatbelts with good adjustment range. GM Tahoe,GM trucks and some Ford models with low seat mounted belts drive me nuts. Have noted height adjuster on Explorer is mostly for short people.

     

    Got to see if NVBANKER has any words of wisdom further down.
  • khagerkhager Member Posts: 15
    I have a 2004 Expy that was built in 12/03 I don't know what day but I do know the valve cover has a sticker with 12/16/03 on it, anyway I don't have a dust problem with my wheels\brakes like my neighbor's 03 does. So I think you are pretty close with your dates.
  • quietcatquietcat Member Posts: 1
    I have an '03 with 42K on it now that had the rear-end clutch pack replaced at 2000 miles. It has failed again and they want me to pay 25%. I am very unhappy as they know this is a problem and that it continues. I have also had the complete ring and pinion replaced at around 35,000 miles. I am holding out trying to get the local service rep to return calls, but they are completely ignoring me. Any thoughts?
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Sorry, fx4 - never had an issue with the seat belt thing since about 1971 when they were in 2 parts, and the shoulder belt was clipped to the roof (and stayed there, by the way). So I can't help ya there. Loving my new ceramic brake pads though, courtesy of Bill Ford at no charge.
  • ford 4x4ford 4x4 Member Posts: 3
    While driving at high speed over 100mph in an emergency situation, my throttle body stuck in the full open position. I had to shift to neutral and shut the engine off before it redlined. this was quite a scary experience for me, because once the engine was off the brakes went to a manuall type of feel with very little response. And to add insult to injury we were headed to a very curvey pass. Luckly we stopped and transfered the injured person to another vehicle and got the throttle body to unstick. I have not found anything in regards to this type of situation. Any ideas?
  • kongkong Member Posts: 1
    I'm glad it rained when it did. I placed a bulletin from church in the windshield, and forgot to take it out. The vehicle sat for a few days while my wife was out of town. I decided to drive it to work to clean it out, as I picked up the bulletin, water began to run out of it. I immediately contacted the dealership, they informed me that they had heard of this occurring with the new body style exp. and pick ups. Luckily we only had 35750 miles still in warranty. check yours before its too late.
  • conn395conn395 Member Posts: 2
    I own a 1998 Expedition XLT with 80K miles. The vehicle often wants to idle at 1,500 or 3,000 rpm (depending on it's mood, I guess) while driving. The problem is most notable in warm or hot weather, and almost goes away when it's very cold out. I replaced the idle air mixture unit (proper name?), which fixed it for about a week, then the problem resumed.

         Secondly, the vehicle's front heating system is very weak - it will take 1/2 hour at full blast to make the driver even remotely comfortable. The rear unit appears to function normally.

         Could these problems be related? I am very limited on $ and need to keep this vehicle for a long time, but these problems make it very unpleasant for me and the kids to ride in. Any and all help is GREATLY appreciated.

     

    Jim
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Where is your temperature guage reading when the truck is warmed up?
  • maslss1maslss1 Member Posts: 3
    Is it possible to retrofit a 3-point seat belt for the middle positions of the 2nd and 3rd row seats in a 98 Expedition? We love the vehicle (well maintained with extended warranty), but don't like the idea of putting kids in lap belts.
  • ford_ownerford_owner Member Posts: 23
    OK here is the answer. As I mentioned in a previous post about swapping the factory metallic brake pads on my expedition over to the 100% true cereamic pads from ceramicool, well they are just fantastic, not only did the annoying sqeaking stop, but the run so much cleaner. My dusting problem has for the most part disappeared. No dusting and no brake noise! I'm a very happy camper these days. I also understand that Ford has gone to these type pads on the 2005 models. Well that is the solution, swap those puppies over to Ceramic. Ceramic run Cooler, Quieter, and generally dont have the dust problem like the older metallic pads. So I hope this helps any other expedition owners out there. take care
  • teldocteldoc Member Posts: 49
    Question for ya: I have an 04 EB Expy 4x4 with 5.4L. In 2 wheel drive there is obviously no dash light. When it's in 4x4 high and 4x4 low, there is a dash light which is expected.

     

    But in between, in 4x4 Auto (wet road but not always slippery) there is no light on the dash. Is this normal or not working?
  • conn395conn395 Member Posts: 2
    the lower portion of the "normal" indicator. Motor seems to warm up fine, as the rear heat blasts hot, but the front can't even keep up with a mildly cold day
  • zman3zman3 Member Posts: 857
    I am not the priamry driver of our 03 Expy but I am 99% certain that there is no light illuminated when in 4Auto.
  • tourguidetourguide Member Posts: 190
    I have an 04 4x4 too and you are correct, there is no light that illuminates for 4AWD. The light only comes on for 4x4 high and 4x4 low. This is normal and not a problem.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    The problems then may not be related. You probably have a blend-door issue with your front HVAC unit. As to the engine stalling, that's probably a completely different issue. If it's not throwing a code, I can't help you on that one, I've never had one of these engines act up on me at all...
  • wkohlerwkohler Member Posts: 74
    I'm not real certain there is a "blend" issue here. On Expeditions, I think the systems are independent of each other. There is no blend option between front and back. The front is either on or off, and likewise, the rear is either on or off. The exception being that if the front is off, there is no way to operate the rear separately. Also, for the rear air/heat, there is no blend between overhead and floor operation. Other than the seatbelt issue, this is the only thing I don't like about the Expedition. I would like to see another "knob" that allows one to at least blend the overhead and floor feature for the rear system.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    I'm not talking about combining the front and back systems, I'm talking strictly about the front system malfunctioning because a blend door isn't closing or opening properly, allowing cold air to flow diluting the hot air.
  • gwjune2001gwjune2001 Member Posts: 1
    Some mornings I can get into our 99'Eb and it starts fine, some mornings. However, sometimes it takes 30 to 40 minutes to get it to idle high enogh to start and not cut off. Yesterday i was in mid-traffic and it just cut off. Today it took 35 minutes to get it to stay started without cutting off. Any suggestions? wanna chunk it,can't afford it!!!!!
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Sounds like it's not starting up in closed loop or the parameters of closed loop operation are not correct. The computer may have a problem, or something related to the closed loop process. You need to have it checked, and it sounds like this should be easy to check.
  • fx4fx4 Member Posts: 72
    It worked out that we have had several new Fords the last few years (due to wife's accident, etc.) I have found that it is nearly impossible to remove the oil filter on 4.6 and 5.4 engines at home. (I usually pick up the excellent 5W-20 synthetic blend Motorcraft oil at Wal-Mart and change my own and recycle the used). When I was ready to change the first time on my 2004 Expedition, the oil filter just would not budge with the tools I had or could buy. After breaking my old favorite Motorcraft style filter wrench, I took the vehicle to a Valvoline quick change place. The manager assured me no problem for their pros. After about 30 minutes of trying every filter wrench they had and the manager getting down in the Valvoline pit to help, they got it off. What are the Ford engine plants doing here? Factory robot impact wrench and dry gasket? Hey FMC, this costs us time and money. And, the Valvoline shop certainly didn't make anything on my first visit due to time wasted.

     

    As an aside, I was surprised that the local Valvoline manager did not have the 5W-20 Ford spec oil. (Honda and a few others use it too). The manager on his own saved one of my empty 5W-20 Motorcraft quart bottles and said he would find out more. Ford has used the 5W-20 in most light duty vehicles except maybe the 4.0L V-6 in Explorer and Ranger since the 2001 model. Honda maybe longer than that. Just a couple of years ago Wal-Mart only had the one Motorcraft selection, but now carries 5W-20 with the Ford, Honda spec in three or four national brands.

     

    Any similar experiences trying to get Ford OEM oil filters to back off?
  • lenrlenr Member Posts: 13
    Your story reminded me of the same problem with my '78 F-150 351. Had a wrench that fit the indents on the end of the filter. The filter was so tight that the side of the can started twisting up. Went to Sears in the other vehicle and bought one of the outside gripper types which I slid down as close to the base as it would go. Then used both wrenches at the same time to break it loose. Have bought 6 Fords since then without having the problem again.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    I had that same problem on a 77 Oldsmobile I bought new once, and also on a 73 Mazda. I don't think it's indemic to only Ford. Any robotic applied new Oil Filter will be applied without a bead of oil on the gasket, and will fry on hard. For the first oil change, take it in to the dealer. Saves a ton of trouble. That's what I do, no matter what the car is.
  • fx4fx4 Member Posts: 72
    That's what I did with her 2001 Explorer Sport and 2003 Explorer 4dr XLT. Provides a Ford dealer record that the first oil change was on time with proper oil and filter.

     

    What did you think about my comment about the 5W-20 spec (don't have the actual spec in front of me). Old habits amongst do-it-yourselfers are hard to change. No need to read the owner's manual, 10W-30 or bust. Ha! I forget to mention that much of the $4.50 and higher per quart 0W-30 or 5W-30 in many brands of full synthetic probably would have the above 5W-20 spec covered.

     

    I just do some work at home to have something to do on the weekends. Have a nice oil lube compressor and impact wrench, floor jack, and stands. Save lots of time and money rotating my three vehicles tires. Avoid all the vehicle drop off and pickup as few tire stores have any kind of fast lane service for rotation only. Also avoid repeated improper lug nut torque settings by Ford dealers and tire stores(also have had missing studs, missing lug nuts, scratched hubcaps, frequent improper tire pressures, and on and on at the dealers and stores). No better at Ford dealers than local tire stores--ongoing problem due to low skill, don't care attitude of new hire types who get stuck with tire rotation. Little or no shop manager quality control anywhere.

     

    Tire store or auto dealer of course is mandatory if any tire rebalancing or tire repair is needed.
  • ford_ownerford_owner Member Posts: 23
    sounds like you may have trouble with what they call a fast idle switch i think. If not that then have the dealer check the computer. not sure what to tell you
  • fitguyfitguy Member Posts: 220
    You forgot to mention the quick-lube places who sometimes over-tighten and strip threads on oil drain plugs. Happened to my friend's Honda; cost $400 to replace the pan and since he used several quick-lube shops couldn't prove which one it was. I also change my own oil- always have, probably always will.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Most mechanics I know laugh at the 5W-20 spec these days, thinking that 10W-40 is still the only oil made. Even if I requested what the car called for, I'm sure they flipped me off when I left and pumped her full of good old 10W-40 when I wasn't looking. LOL
  • ford_ownerford_owner Member Posts: 23
    I was just wondering if anyone else out there has had any problems with continental contitrac suv tires on their expedition? I have had the continental sports before and they were fine, but my newest expediton has the contitracs, and the tire shop found a bad tire on the left rear drivers side. I was going in for a tire balance on all 4 tires when they discovered this one was seperating. You can actually see the seperation and the bulge in the tire. I noticed a slight vibration that was new recently when driving. and this was what they found? I am ordering a new tire to replace. Anyone had this experience before? Has anyone had experience getting the tires replaced under warranty? I am not close(driving distance) to the town where the vehicle was purchased? should I contact the tire manufacturer? any comments would be appreciated, thanks
  • ford 4x4ford 4x4 Member Posts: 3
    4x4 light will not come on in 4auto. not even when there is little traction and the 4x4 is engaged.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    I think everyone has. It happens all the time!
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Sounds like your shift motor is out
  • pastor stevepastor steve Member Posts: 2
    In very cold weather my Expedition when put into 4X4 is now stuck & I can't seem to get it out with the twisting of the in dash knob. The 4X4 light stays on and it appears that the truck is in the low range. What can I do?
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