Ford Expedition Electrical Problems

ednatheexpe · March 2011

Hey dale77, I'm not sure if you still have your Expedition, but I did find out what was causing the problem. I took it to Ford and found out it was the instrument cluster. The instrument cluster basically controls almost everything. They do have to find one with your same mileage on your truck and they have to re program all of your keys to the new cluster. I did look around to search for it a little cheaper, but the only problem was the shops I went to don't have the equipment to program the keys only Ford does. It ran a little over seven hundred and it depends on the mileage on the cluster. Thanks for your help

dale77 · March 2011

Hello ednatheexpe:

Thanks for the note. I was able to isolate the problem to the circuit board behind the instrument panel. See my post #201 with a link to detailed instructions with photos for the fix. By re-soldering the connector pins on the board, all of the problems went away. And it only cost me a couple of hours. The first time, I only re-soldered three of the pins but some of the problems re-surfaced. I repeated the process and this time made sure that the solder on all 9 pins melted and I added a small amount of new solder to each pin.
In addition, I examined the entire back of the circuit board with a magnifying glass and found several other sloppy solders with thin threads of solder bridging circuit board conductors. These could easily cause a short and the type of symptoms I observed. The circuit board also had gobs of rosin around many of the solders. This rosin should have been cleaned with a solvent when the circuit board was manufactured. Old rosin can collect dust and moisture and cause problems. I carefully removed the rosin with an Exacto knife and then cleaned the affected areas with dry-cleaning fluid and a Q-Tip.

I have not experienced problems since.

While I had the instrument panel out of the dash, I also looked for evidence of water leaking in around the windshield because others on this site suggested that this could be a problem. I'm on my 4th windshield on this vehicle and found no evidence of moisture or corrosion anywhere behind or beneath the dash. So this does not seem to be relevant in my case.

If one circuit board has the number of bad/sloppy solders, it suggests bad quality control and it is likely that others have the same problem.

My fix is consistent with your remedy (replacing the unit) only it does not cost anything. I am convinced that many of the electrical problems reported on this site can be traced to bad/sloppy solders on the instrument panel circuit board.

champagne4u · March 2011

I own a 07 Frod Expedition. Purchased brand new. My problem started the first year, my battery keeps going dead. A new battery only last 6 months to a year. I have went to the dealership for them to check out over and over, they put in on the computer and checked it out, everything is fine. it's the battery. WOW you can't make me believe it's the battery over and over again. Has anyone had this same problem with their battery going dead? If, you have and know what's the problem please I am asking please let me know. Thanks. I am at the end of my rope with my suv. starting to think it is trash.

unkhammun · March 2011

Hi. I do too live in Miami and I would greatly appreciate it if you could share that mechanic's # with me. I have an electrical problem with my expo 2002. I had some sucker install tints on my windshield, and it seems that he dumped a lot of water on my dashboard, so it started messing with the dash lights, they would stay on after car had been turned off and key had been removed. After succesfully paying $300 to a [non-permissible content removed] shop, now my car has no power unless i start it, meaning no interior lights, no radio, no dash lights, and the trip odometer and radio reset everytime i turn off the car. I believe my problem will be the GEM most likely, but I cant afford to take it to the dealer. So any help will be greatly appreciated. My e-mail is raed1104@live.com.
Thanks

dale77 · March 2011

I have posted messages #197, 201 and 213 describing dashboard electrical problems and the solution that worked for me. There is also a description with photos of the circuit board that is very helpful at the following link:">link title

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Since re-soldering all nine of the connector pins on the circuit board and cleaning the sloppy solders and rosin from the back of the board, I have driven 1000+miles with no problems whatsoever. This has clearly solved the problem.

jdj5166 · April 2011

Hi I have a 01 Ford expedition and like everyone else I am having the same leak problems. I am a 29 year old woman who is pretty handy when told exactly what to do. I need to know 1. Is it possible to remove the luggage rack without cutting my head liner, and how do i go about sealing it up? 2. i removed the assist handle and would like to know how to go about sealing that also. 3 I would like to know how to seal the cowl. And my last question is what is the best thing to use to seal these areas. Thank you in advance.

alwaysfords2 · April 2011

I'd say the windshield is probably the most likely culprit of the things you've mentioned. Sealing the assist handle does nothing for you - it is not an entry point of water into the vehicle, it is an exit for water already in the a-pillar. By sealing it all you do is prevent the water from entering the cabin at that point, it will just go lower. Take it to a glass shop and have them check the seal on the windshield. With a compressor you can also do it yourself, although not as well as a shop. Do you have a sunroof? If you do you should check that the drains are running free.

jdj5166 · April 2011

I have already had the windshield resealed. There is water that comes into the vehicle thru the assists handle. I do not have a sunroof. But the luggage rack seems to be a common culprit for water leaks and would really like to get that sealed up if I am able to find the easiest way of removing it. I see bolts on top but i am not sure if i have to go thru the headliner to additional hidden bolts.

alwaysfords2 · April 2011

Probably the easiest way to handle the roof rack is to take one screw out at a time, put teflon tape on it and reinstall it. Give it a while and see what happens. You should check the drains at the cowl to make sure that water that rolls down the windshield drains right away and doesn't build up. Try it with a garden hose and the hood open. Again the water coming in through the handle is a symptom, not a cause so sealing it really doesn't help you much.

remixthis · May 2011

Please help! I have a '97 Eddie Bauer Expediiton that I bought used a few months ago. Last week one night when I got in the vehicle after work the interior lights were flashing on and off as soon as I opened the door. When I closed the door they stopped, I started the truck and was on my way.
2 days later the problem was still happening, only now the door locks and windows stopped working. They make a sound like they want to work, but no dice. The door locks actually sound like they're straining to open for some reason, and the windows just make a noise. The radio and heat and a/c work fine. Does anyone have any ideas that can help me? Could this be connected to the anti-theft system at all?? Thanks!!!

need_some_help · May 2011

Did you ever figure the problem out (#214)? I am having a similar issue with my 2003 Expy. Battery went dead would jump instantly but keeps going dead. I have a short in my fuse panel somewhere. Pulling the fuses didn't solve it but figured out which wire it is, wire that sends power to the on-demand dome lights, not the automatic interior lights which should be circuit #24 which also powers the Battery Saver Relay so I'm thinking that may be the problem but I have no idea how to test the relays that are molded to the control board or where I can buy just the control board. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

kd4kmz · May 2011

Rear Wiper assembly stuck has normally caused this issue

kd4kmz · May 2011

Yes I did, but the 2001 and 2003 are different issues, the 2001 is an issue with water getting into the GEM. The 2003 is an issue with solder issues in the instrument, you either search and solder everything or you replace it, I had solder everything and it went away for a while then came back, after finally replacing it, all my electrical issues went away, they are passing the voltage through the instrument panel and not through direct harnes to get to rdio and windows, pretty stupid I know but there you go

need_some_help · May 2011

Did you replace the instrument panel in the dash or the CJB control board in the kick panel? After doing some research today I see the wire I referenced looks as though it goes to an interior lamp relay that appears to be part of the instrument cluster/panel. Can you confirm? I reinstalled the CJB today and I'm getting a slight arch when I connect the positive battery cable. It started, ran to pick the boy up, started there and then back home. Now it won't start, lots of clicking in the CJB, hope I didn't mess that up but its raining now and to far to push to the garage. Any ideas about the sparking or the no start now after it worked fine twice?

tpierce · May 2011

I have a 1999 Expedition. The battery continues to drain as locks on door are up and down clicking. One time I was driving in the rain and the radio would come on when I used the turn signal. I have brought into Ford 3 times they supposely replaced windshield and seal, replace computer (main) under the hood. I don't know what to do. I don't want to bring back to Ford. This happens every time it rains. Please I need some possible solutions.

eddie2004 · June 2011

my 2004 expedition climate control panel no display or controls. I replaced 10 amp fuse and it worked briefly. I rechecked fuse and it's good still no heat or ac. panel is still dead. Alternator replaced a few days afterward not sure if it is related. still no heat or ac. Not sure where to start looking?

ridiculous_1 · July 2011

I have an 05 King Ranch and I replaced my battery and ever since the DVD player will play video but no sound. The wireless headphones will only play the radio even when the DVD is playing....Any ideas or suggestions?

Is this electrical in nature..did I short something..or just a setting I need to re-enable.

berggy · August 2011

There is water in your relay box just above and left of the steering column.
It comes from the leaking windshield.
Look up my photo series and fix on the ford truck enthusiasts web site under electrical insanity.

Oh wait ... I found it:
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/443324-electrical-insanity.html

berggy · August 2011

try this:
There is water in your relay box just above and left of the steering column.
It comes from the leaking windshield.
Look up my photo series and fix on the ford truck enthusiasts web site under electrical insanity.

Oh wait ... I found it:
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/443324-electrical-insanity.html

ktbug0603 · September 2011

i have a 99 EB Expedition. when i shut the car off, take keys out, and open doors, the door dinger still dings, the windows still work, and the a/c still blows. sometimes while im driving the radio will go off and the mileage wont work. i can drive it all day with no problems. but if i let it sit a couple days the battery ends up dying. the other day(it was raining) i heard a clicking noise coming from under the dashboard. i could not isolate exactly where it was coming from. i checked all relays under the dash, and they are all good. also if i hit the brakes really hard, the abs light will come on and stay on until i shut truck off. ive read a lot about this on the forums, but no one has the exact same problems as me. any help is appreciated!

fordschultz09 · October 2011

I have the same problems! Any luck fixing the problem?

dale77 · October 2011

I was able to fix the problem for my '99 Expedition. The problem is caused by water leaking into the dash area from under the windshield's rubber seal on the driver side. Replacing the windshield and resealing it will not solve the problem. To fix:

1. Remove the windshield wipers and exterior trim around the windshield.
2. Remove the interior windshield trim on the driver side
3. Carefully pull out the long rubber seal that extends from the front base of the windshield and which extends across the top of the driver door.

On the inside edge of the groove that seats the rubber seal, there are two steel plates that are spot-welded together. The water seeps under the rubber seal, runs down this groove (which is nothing more than a gutter). The water seeps between these two steel plates and drips onto your electrical components and shorts out the circuit board.

I coated the inside of the groove with a thin coating of silicone sealant and used a thin putty knife to squeeze the sealant between the two steel plates. I also did this on the inside of the windshield for good measure.

Be careful not to put too much silicone into the groove or else the rubber seal won't seat properly back in place. Also, you want to be careful not to "glue" the seal back in or it will be damaged the next time it is removed and it is an expensive part.

After doing this, it took a few days for everything to dry out and I have not had one hiccup since. It completely solved the problem.

fordschultz09 · November 2011

dale was ur 99expeditions battery totally drained after it rains fordschultz

dale77 · November 2011

Battery did not drain. Symptoms were erratic dashboard behavior including instrument gauges pegging out (max and min), entire dash going dead, radio dying and/or screeching, climate control readouts going blank, battery charge light lighting up, 4X4 light coming on.

fordschultz09 · November 2011

my battery drains no remote have to charge battery 4hours do u still recommend doing the work u told me thanks.

alwaysfords2 · November 2011

I would check your rear wiper motor. They are often the cause of phantom battery drain - they essentially wear out and continue to draw power even though the wiper is not moving.

fordschultz09 · November 2011

if i pull the fuse would that work thanks

alwaysfords2 · November 2011

yes

b_t_mom · November 2011

Just replaced the battery in my 2004 EB Expedition. The next day my heat/ac pannel has no power. The dash board keeps flashing 4x4 hi and low randomly but i havent taken the truck out of 2wd. I'm hoping its just a fuse.... PLEASE HELP!!!!!

goldeneaglenet · November 2011

I have a 1999 expedition and am having related issue seen in the current posts. But I have a twist I have not seen and I am needing someone to shed some light on how to fix it.
If I hold down the auto side of the front wiondow switch the other passenger window switches work fine and sometimes the passenger windows will work fine once when vehical is first turned on the drivers window never works I hear the relay kick when you hit the switch but nothing happens.
I have door lock issues as well my rear door passender door will not open must times the locks sometimes work and sometimes do not.
My ABS light is on.
My check engine light as well
My washer fluid light is on.
I have had the dead battery issue but has not happened for some time.

Does the window control operation and door lock control go thru the insturment panel also and could it be the water issue ??
Or is there a relay or such that can be replaced ???

fordschultz09 · November 2011

Alwaysfords2 the back wiper was it pulled fuse it rained truck started it works thanks keep up helpin good luck ford people good luck

alwaysfords2 · November 2011

Glad it worked.

johnny_ktm · December 2011

I had same problems out of my 99 eddie bower. i changed the windshield and had them seal it better ,with no luck. finally i took off the top luggage rack and put clear silicone in every hole then re installed the rack. also sealed under hood where cowl catches the water to keep it out of the engine compartment. but i think the main problem was the luggage rack. every time it rained i had radio playing with no key in the ignition, locks clicking , lights on,battery dead etc... hope this helps johnny.

dale77 · December 2011

Try my fix described in thread #235. This will probably fix the problem.

dale77 · December 2011

Resealing the windshield does not help. The problem is two steel plates under the rubber gasket on the drivers side. See my fix in thread #235. This fixed the problem once and for all. It's been 6 months and the problem completely disappeared.

dale77 · December 2011

Your symptoms are different than mine so I'm not sure if the fix I discovered would work for you. But, it is easy to do and probably worth a try.

drhodes4061 · December 2011

Today I get in the car and the battery was dead, after jumping it, the car went into a frenzy by making the same sound when you try to start the car after it is already started. The cruise light button is flashing. The car runs fine, but when in park for a few minutes it tries to restart - hence making the loud screaching sound until I put it in drive again. Please help with suggestions.

ps. The battery indicator gauge is around 16 and the car start quickly since the battery jump. Any ideas?

dale77 · December 2011

I don't know what to tell you. I was able to figure out the problem I was having from reviewing the blogs here and on other sites and by reviewing solutions to the problems that were very similar to mine. It took a while but I was finally successful. But your problem does not sound like mine at all. Electrical problems are like ghosts. If the problem occurs when the diagnostic computer is connected, you have a good chance of identifying the culprit. I would suggest reviewing more of the postings on this site to find descriptions of problems that closely match your problem and see if anybody has solved it. I did notice on this site that some people had issues with the rear wiper motor that was draining the battery but I'm not sure. If the problem is consistent, and you can count on it occurring when you take it to a mechanic to hook up the diagnostic computer, then I would do this. Good luck.

starresqsup · December 2011

I have a 2005 Expedition, I recently have been experiencing the power cutting out for just a brief second. The time frame for loss of power varies, sometimes not even long enough to kill the engine, other times for 10-20 seconds. The loss of power is to everything across the dashboard including radio and door locks. The battery is good, alternator is good and no sucking noises to indicate fuel problem. Have hooked up computer and no problem codes are coming up, only indication besides loss of power that anything is wrong is check park assist sometimes shows up. The loss of power does reset my clock on the radio. mechanic has no idea what is wrong.

jonathon2 · January 2012

i have a 2000 ford expedition and it has a intermittent PATS no restart and factory radio shut down issue. i can leave key on and jump across starter relay and it will start, but radio wont come back on or wont restart with key for about 20 - 30 min's. IDEAL's ? p.s. it starts when it is cold or has been setting for awhile.

coupe930 · January 2012

I have a 99 Expedition with ABS. A couple of years ago the ABS light would come on and then go off. I finally decided to stay on and I had it checked with a computer. The mechanic said the rear ABS sensor was mal-functioning. No problem, easy to replace. The light stayed on the the ABS in inoperative. Any diagnostic ideas?

Thanks

dale77 · January 2012

I think there are more than one ABS sensor. My ABS sensor was also acting up and the problem was solved by cleaning/repairing the circuit board behind the speedometer console. Please see my posts: #201 and #235.

These two fixes solved my problems.

jubee70p · January 2012

I have an 02 eddie bower edition Expedition. I did a tune up and coil pack in cyl#1 and now I have no windows, interior lights or sun roof. Checked fuses and relays and are good. Got a test part from the junk yard and tried the master switch, no change. Then tried the gem module, no change. I'm at a loss.

jubee70p · January 2012

FOUND A GROUND WIRE IN FUSE PANEL ON LEFT OF STEERING WHEEL THAT WAS BAD FIXED ALL MY ISSUES.

144tap · January 2012

This summer I towed a small trailer to Utah (1000mi) with my 99 E/B. Abs light came on during the trip and has stayed on, brakes seem to work fine. I've read the form, so has anyone had theirs worked on/replaced.

aaronflotte · February 2012

I have a ford Expedition and there are three problems one is the psi (130) and the fire plug (0k) I need help on how to fix it. How can I fix the problems?

esser01 · February 2012

Did you ever figure out the issue?

I have a similar issue with 2004 Expedition except not when the engine is running. The truck was fine. My wife turned it off at the gas station. When she tried to re-start it there was no power - power locks and dash did not work, other than a little dim of dashboard lights occasionally. When I arrived, I tried putting it into Neutral to push it - without hitting the brakes - it would not do anything. When I hit the brakes, I could move it to Neutral and then suddenly all the power turned on. The truck started fine.

I was thinking it may have been in-between gears, but I was not able to re-create it.

mjcondes · March 2012

I have this exact same issue, did you find resolution

zeke101 · March 2012

How was it bad? When I look at mine will it be obvious? If that's my issue would be great.

lhwill · May 2012

2003 Ford Exp Eddie Bauer
Radio and fan controls no longer work on steering wheel controls
Rear vent windows will not open or close
Cd player doesn't work

Are these all fuse issues?

Ford Expedition Electrical Problems

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