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Ford Expedition engine cutting off while driving

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Comments

  • ilopilop Member Posts: 2
    Hi, I have a 2003 Ford Expedition it started stalling on me while I was driving it on the freeway and at low speed. we changed the fuel pump, fuel filter, and a fuel fuse, and we changed the PCN at the Ford Agency and they were just guessing because it keeps doing the same thing. please any ideas.
  • ilopilop Member Posts: 2

    Someone please give me ideas I have spent so much on my truck took it to aamco. ford macombs west and they both said they would have me driving out of there with no problems. Ford said it was the PCN and a bunch of others stuff spent 1900 and never fixed it Aamco picked it up with a wreck because on top of that they messed up the transmission. Aamco charged 2700 for the transmission and electrical work once they saw they couldn't figure it out they said that was something they had not touched so I had to pay on top of that for them to do another diagnostic. We got this truck brand new so its hard when you know you've taken good care of it and you've been the only owner. Please any suggestions.

  • elbergonelbergon Member Posts: 2
    I had the same problem on my 02 expedition after wasting time and money for parts and diagnostics my friend who worked at a ford dealership told me to replace the alternator which solved the problem also the alternator fuse because for some reason it was blown up
  • elbergonelbergon Member Posts: 2
    do anyone know where to get cheap motorcraft tranny fluid
  • hyson1hyson1 Member Posts: 1
    FUEL PUMP DRIVER MODULE TRUST ME!!!

    FNoel  try checking your fuel pump driver module my 2005 expedition died one day started back up then died again I can almost guarantee that this will solve your problem i had no idea that this part even existed let alone that it was malfunctioning. I knew as soon as I took it off that this was the problem it was so corroded there were holes in it mine was behind my driver side rear wheel and u can look on YouTube on how to replace it also when I replaced it I wrapped it in plastic before bolting it on so I don't have to worry about corrosion on the new one also when u replace it check your fuses under the dash on the passenger side I blew one while I was replacing it. Hope this helps good luck 

    ps I kept the old one because ford should do a recall on this part it cost me a little over $100 


  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,745
    Wrapping it in plastic is a bad idea. What causes the module to fail is the road salt getting sprayed on to it during the winter. The plastic wont stay sealed and the water and salt will not only get into the plastic it will be more likely to stay inside the plastic with the module. The fix BTW is to install the studs that Ford sells with the replacement module and then install the module which leaves a space for the water and road salt to pass through and not get trapped between the module and the frame.

    It is a mistake to assume that what repaired one vehicle will have any correlation to another before any real testing is done. With a proper routine the operation of the fuel pump control module is very easy to confirm, it does not have to be replaced on a whim.
  • changshachangsha Member Posts: 1
    A similar thing happened to me. My 2003 Expedition just quit while I was driving on the freeway and the battery light went on, only the battery light. Fortunately I managed to pull to the side. I cranked it a few times and it wouldn't start, but a few minutes later it started and I drove to work. The gauges and lights said everything was OK. The next morning the mechanic at my garage couldn't find a problem. Several days later while I pulled into the parking garage on my way to the airport, the battery light went on. The gauges said everything was OK. When I returned from my trip, the battery was dead. Had it towed to my garage. Although the battery was weak, the main problem was the alternator. Had battery and alternator replaced. No problems since. If you have a similar problem don't believe the gauges, the lights tell the truth.
  • rrwood2127rrwood2127 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2004 expedition and yesterday while driving down the highway it cut off and wouldn't start back up... No oil light or any kind of warning showed before hand or after but my boyfriend got out to check it it out and there was no oil at all which was weird because I always check my fluid regularly ....so he put in 5 quarts and now it will turn over just fine but it won't start ..... Oh and about an hour before it died it did start making a weird noise but the air stopped working a few days before then so I just assumed it was something to do with that ... Does anyone know what this could be? Thanks in advance!!!
  • kakky78kakky78 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2003 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer 5.4 liter. My truck has been dying while driving for about a year now, it does it after it has been parked overnight and it has rained outside. When it dies, everything else works, radio, wipers, lights, heat/air, etc. It will also hesitate if I sit at a stop light with my air conditioning on. It acts like its not getting enough fuel, but it also seems like it has moisture getting in somewhere and shorting something out. I can always usually start it right back up. I have had the fuel pump replaced. The Ford Dealer and various other shops do not know what the problem is. They have thought it might be the fuse box. I have had people put it on the diagnostic machine with it not throwing a code. Any ideas or suggestions?
  • zazupilotzazupilot Member Posts: 1
    tonychef said:
    I have finally fixed my stalling problem in my 2003 ford expedition and wanted to share the repair with you, first of all for the safety of our families, and the cost of everything the mechanics think is wrong (even most ford mechanics are not aware of this fix) I have been lucky and never did the coil packs, fuel pump and new throttle body and valve. I did waste money on the camshaft sensor and IAC control valve; I did keep the old one so I have a back up if I need it in the future. I didn’t try the high octane fuel fix because I heard of this year throwing spark plugs which are big bucks to repair. Putting on this part and looking at the old one makes me think I didn’t even need a new one, but didn’t know what to expect when I bought it. The bracket connects the alternator to the positive terminal on your battery. If you start at the battery + terminal it has 2 red wires coming out of it. They are both usually red and about the same thickness. One of them goes into a long black rectangle clip that says “fusable Link” or something like that. Then comes out the other side and goes to the alternator. Past the fusable link box there will be 2 wires that split off of this wire. If you are in front of the truck one wire runs towards you and is pretty short. It plugs into another wire. The second wire is longer and it runs away from you THIS IS the wire you need to follow. It runs back towards the battery into a plug under it. Follow this wire from where it comes off of the big wire. You will find it resting on a silver/aluminum tube (its an AC pipe) Flip the wire over where it is touching this pipe, you will find the wire is rubbed down to the bare metal!!! It is randomly shorting out your engine and you will STALL. If I didn’t by the part I would try to tape it up, tape the pipe it rests on as well or get some foam tubing for the pipe, if the wires are too worn, looks like you could always use a wire nut. Your Are WELCOME
    Boy was this good advice from Tony. Our 2006 Expy XLT 4X4 up and died while in motion today - freaked my wife out big time. Immediately I am thinking this is a 5-figure repair job, but sure enough - Tony was right. I traced the wire from the positive lead and BINGO - the mesh sheath protecting the wire had worn to the point that it arced with the AC pipe it had been resting on for the past 150K miles.. A little electrical tape and a reroute of the wire and the Expy is driving like a champ. THANK YOU TONY!



  • boltmarineboltmarine Member Posts: 1
    cpitkin said:

    My 2003 5.4 Expedition Eddie Bauer was losing power and stalling intermittently for about a year. Same kind of issue as described here on this thread, stalling and restarting almost right away. It would be fine for a couple months and then stall out frequently, then it would be ok for awhile. No codes, no check engine light.
    I replaced the battery cable so many have mentioned which was rubbing on the AC pipe. The replacement cable from the dealer has a braided anti-chafe cable so that is a good part to replace regardless.. I also had the PCM programed by the dealer and yet it kept stalling.

    This month it started to stall on a much more regular basis and I was able to get it to happen on my mechanic's watch. He had a fuel pressure gauge hooked up and it was losing pressure at stall. He figured it was the pressure regulator or part of the entire fuel pump assembly. There is no fuel pump control module as in newer models, the PCM controls the fuel pump from what I understand. So he replaced the fuel pump assembly in the fuel tank., but the next day it hesitated at highway speeds twice and then stalled out at low speeds twice. uhg!

    Upon looking into the fuel issue more I came across these two threads...one with a complete no-run and one with an intermittent.
    http://www.sparkys-answers.com/2011/03/2003-ford-expedition-no-run-no-fuel.html
    http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1149113-help-fuse-box-replacement-2003-eddie-b- - auer-expedition.html

    Both authors describe a bad fuse box design, either from a windshield seal allowing moisture into the box or a bad circuit board design. I ordered an OEM fuse box from here:
    http://www.autopartscheaper.com/2003-Ford-Expedition-Fuse-Central-Junction-Box-j- - un-p/3l1z-14a068-aa.htm

    They had it in stock and $60 less than dealer price. The part came in a Ford Factory sealed box with all new fuses and relays installed. Installation took less than 30 minutes. I didn't take the time to disassemble the box to get to the relay. I'm guessing though that since I have yet to have the truck stall again and have replaced every other part in the fuel system I finally have found the issue. My mechanic did believe that the fuel pump assembly may have been the root cause of the relay overheating. Saying that if it was drawing too many amps and the relay was soldered on it could have been the reason for it to lose connectivity. I guess that plausible. I would have the amperage draw tested before replacing the fuse box just to ensure the fuel pump assembly is OK and that you don't blow another $300 fuse box.

    I have a 2004 Lincoln Navigator 4x4. The above post absolutely NAILED my problem. Anyone with this problem should definitely follow the above link to the "Sparky's Answers" forum as I used that as a guide for removing my fuse box. When I did, I found no water damage, but the EXACT same post of the exact same relay had burned, which makes me think this is an almost inevitable failure for 2003-2004 Expeditions and Navigators.

    My symptoms were as described by others before, though I had only 4 failures total over about 3 months time. The truck would stall, twice while under full power on the freeway, which necessitated coasting to the shoulder. But then it would start right back up and act like it never happened...making you question your sanity. For me, it would work great for a few weeks before doing it again. I have a VERY good mechanic and he went though the whole rigmarole of checking the fuel system and all of the vacuum lines, finally replacing a filthy fuel filter. But it happened again just two weeks later, shattering the false sense of security.

    The Sparky's post is a good guide for getting at the fuse box, though there are some details about removal that he did not mention, but they may be specific to Navigators. Getting the cover off of the battery cable connection was a bear for me. I had to do it last after I had everything else disconnected and the box freed from the body so I could twist it around to get a good look at it. There are two places where the cover clips on that are impossible to get at with adult fingers until the box is free. I wouldn't try it before that unless you have a five year old daughter with enough grip strength to crush a walnut in one hand.

    Also, though there is only one bolt holding the box in place, there are two other sort of pyramid shaped posts that anchor the box to the body. These each have a horizontal, plastic tongue that goes through a square hole and then clips to the body when the box is slid toward the firewall. These will require a twisting/sliding/lifting motion to free them. They cannot just be pulled straight away from the body.

    Anyway, if you have these symptoms, I would be sure you don't have the battery wire arcing on the AC pipe first, as that is easy to check. But after that, it will be well worth pulling the fuse box and checking. It will take about an hour to pull and then dis-assemble. Be sure to use your phone to take a photo of the fuses before you remove them, because they have to come out before you can pull the circuit board to see the solder joints of the relays.

    Good Luck and, yes, this should DEFINITELY have been a recall!!!
  • cs_browncs_brown Member Posts: 1
    cpitkin said:

    My 2003 5.4 Expedition Eddie Bauer was losing power and stalling intermittently for about a year. Same kind of issue as described here on this thread, stalling and restarting almost right away. It would be fine for a couple months and then stall out frequently, then it would be ok for awhile. No codes, no check engine light.
    I replaced the battery cable so many have mentioned which was rubbing on the AC pipe. The replacement cable from the dealer has a braided anti-chafe cable so that is a good part to replace regardless.. I also had the PCM programed by the dealer and yet it kept stalling.

    This month it started to stall on a much more regular basis and I was able to get it to happen on my mechanic's watch. He had a fuel pressure gauge hooked up and it was losing pressure at stall. He figured it was the pressure regulator or part of the entire fuel pump assembly. There is no fuel pump control module as in newer models, the PCM controls the fuel pump from what I understand. So he replaced the fuel pump assembly in the fuel tank., but the next day it hesitated at highway speeds twice and then stalled out at low speeds twice. uhg!

    Upon looking into the fuel issue more I came across these two threads...one with a complete no-run and one with an intermittent.
    http://www.sparkys-answers.com/2011/03/2003-ford-expedition-no-run-no-fuel.html
    http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1149113-help-fuse-box-replacement-2003-eddie-b- - auer-expedition.html

    Both authors describe a bad fuse box design, either from a windshield seal allowing moisture into the box or a bad circuit board design. I ordered an OEM fuse box from here:
    http://www.autopartscheaper.com/2003-Ford-Expedition-Fuse-Central-Junction-Box-j- - un-p/3l1z-14a068-aa.htm

    They had it in stock and $60 less than dealer price. The part came in a Ford Factory sealed box with all new fuses and relays installed. Installation took less than 30 minutes. I didn't take the time to disassemble the box to get to the relay. I'm guessing though that since I have yet to have the truck stall again and have replaced every other part in the fuel system I finally have found the issue. My mechanic did believe that the fuel pump assembly may have been the root cause of the relay overheating. Saying that if it was drawing too many amps and the relay was soldered on it could have been the reason for it to lose connectivity. I guess that plausible. I would have the amperage draw tested before replacing the fuse box just to ensure the fuel pump assembly is OK and that you don't blow another $300 fuse box.

    Experienced similar problems with my 2003 5.4 Eddie Bauer Expedition. Bought truck new in '03 and have 170k miles. Has performed well until recently. Truck stalled in heavy Interstate traffic twice in the last six months. Luckily was able to coast to emergency lane and restart the truck after a few minutes. Unnerving to say the least. My wife also experienced it stalling during in-town driving once, but truck began running before she coasted to a stop.

    I have replaced the alternator harness to eliminate the grounding issue to the AC pipe under the hood with no success as it stalled on the interstate.

    These sites mentioned in the above post were EXTREMELY helpful to diagnose the problem. My fuse panel has an intermittent operating fuel pump relay that has begun melting the outer case.

    Will be replacing the fuse panel. Eventhough the Expedition has performed pretty flawlessly for nearly 13 years, i am disappointed in the design of such an important function of the vehicle. Again, it was very unnerving to have the vehicle stall in heavy Interstate traffic.

    Thanks to those who posted comments and pics of the panel replacement and pics of the damaged relay.
  • fla_ford_ownerfla_ford_owner Member Posts: 1
    My problem was solved based on this post. Thank you. I want to share the story to benefit others.

    I too have a 2003 Expedition, 209000 miles. The engine stalled 9 times over 11 months; 2x waiting at a traffic light, 4x at 70MPH on the interstate, 3x at residential speeds, a couple other random times. Full fuel tank, half full tank, nearly empty tank - didn't make a difference. Fuel filter was new/replaced. Essentially an un-diagnosable problem. Until I read this forum.

    The first item I checked was the wire and taped it up ("You will find it resting on a silver/aluminum tube (its an AC pipe) Flip the wire over where it is touching this pipe, you will find the wire is rubbed down to the bare metal!!! It is randomly shorting out your engine and you will STALL")

    That was not the cause of my problem.

    During my Thanksgiving 2015 trip the expedition stalled 9 times and would not restart and had to be towed. Fortunately.
    I insisted the mechanic go straight to the inside fuse box at the passenger side of the truck. The relay was fried, from dripping / leaking water from the windshield. He also said the heater core seemed like it might have been dripping at one point as well, onto the fuse box. He gave me the old fuse box for inspection. Either way, we replaced the fuse box (put a cover of loose plastic over the fuse box). No problems for 50+ days. (as I write this it is now 1/14/16).
  • imdanteimdante Member Posts: 4
    FIXED

    My 03 Eddie Bauer Expedition just started shutting off on me (three times). Tonychef's post about the wire shorting out the truck seems to be the answer to my problem. So far I have gone over 70 miles without any problems! Thanks to Tony

    MY SITUATION 

    My Expedition stalled out on me three times:

    Once on the freeway, I put it in neutral, restarted the truck immediately and then back to drive.

    Again about 15 minutes later stopped at light. That time the truck would not restart quite as fast, took about 3-5 minutes.

    The last time was after having the fuel filter replaced bringing the truck back home and it died on me as I was turning into my driveway. That time the truck took about 2-3 mins before it would restart.

    After retaping the wire with electrical tape and moving it so it no longer rests on the AC pipe, Ive had zero problems after 70 miles of normal street and freeway driving! I'll post again if I the truck stalls out.
  • alexrojasalexrojas Member Posts: 5
    desertrider said:
    I just wanted to say thanks for the info. My 2003 ford Expedition was shutting off randomly and I could not find the problem - nethier could the ford dealer - I gave them one try. I read the forums and decided to check the electrical wires that are on top of the aluminum tube that is next to the battery. As I was checking the wire, I felt the copper strands poking my finger. That was it!. This must be a common problem that is not very noticable by looking under the hood. I just wanted to say thanks. You saved me a lot of time and money.

  • alexrojasalexrojas Member Posts: 5
    Hey i still cant find what hes talking about the wire over the aluminum tube i dont see it and i have a strong feeling thats it plz help
  • alexrojasalexrojas Member Posts: 5
    Somebody help me find this wire i dont see it
  • alexrojasalexrojas Member Posts: 5
    tonychef said:
    I have finally fixed my stalling problem in my 2003 ford expedition and wanted to share the repair with you, first of all for the safety of our families, and the cost of everything the mechanics think is wrong (even most ford mechanics are not aware of this fix) I have been lucky and never did the coil packs, fuel pump and new throttle body and valve. I did waste money on the camshaft sensor and IAC control valve; I did keep the old one so I have a back up if I need it in the future. I didn’t try the high octane fuel fix because I heard of this year throwing spark plugs which are big bucks to repair. Putting on this part and looking at the old one makes me think I didn’t even need a new one, but didn’t know what to expect when I bought it. The bracket connects the alternator to the positive terminal on your battery. If you start at the battery + terminal it has 2 red wires coming out of it. They are both usually red and about the same thickness. One of them goes into a long black rectangle clip that says “fusable Link” or something like that. Then comes out the other side and goes to the alternator. Past the fusable link box there will be 2 wires that split off of this wire. If you are in front of the truck one wire runs towards you and is pretty short. It plugs into another wire. The second wire is longer and it runs away from you THIS IS the wire you need to follow. It runs back towards the battery into a plug under it. Follow this wire from where it comes off of the big wire. You will find it resting on a silver/aluminum tube (its an AC pipe) Flip the wire over where it is touching this pipe, you will find the wire is rubbed down to the bare metal!!! It is randomly shorting out your engine and you will STALL. If I didn’t by the part I would try to tape it up, tape the pipe it rests on as well or get some foam tubing for the pipe, if the wires are too worn, looks like you could always use a wire nut. Your Are WELCOME

  • alexrojasalexrojas Member Posts: 5
    I cant find this wire fml i feel so dumb plz help!! 
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    What are the symptoms of your truck's problem? What is happening and when does it happen?
  • abwhginabwhgin Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2001 ford expedition. while driving the electrical system shut down. some of the interior lights were still on. After pulling over with little steering, we then tried to crank the engine. there was no sound at all and the rest of the lights stopped working. After getting a tow home we tried the following things so far:
    we checked the battery-working fine
    we changed the starter relay-did not fix the problem
    checked for burnt fuses- found only one burnt going to the running board lights
    had the alternator checked-was working fine

    still does not turn over. no sound of any kind. occasionally some interior lights will start working, but will stop if you try to crank it. we are out of ideas.
  • BabeMataBabeMata Member Posts: 4
    Hi guys,
    I am desperate for help here! My 04 Expedition Eddie Bauer stalls on us just like what's been described. Anytime, anyplace, any speed, no rhyme or reason. The engine will just shut off, everything electrical stays on, restarts immediately or at least within 30 sec. I have read through this entire thread of posts and nothing suggested has been the issue. Fixed the wire on the AC pipe, checked for leaking windshield, fuses look fine, fuel levels are good, and it does not produce any codes when it stalls. I have left it with a experienced trusted mechanic for over a week and it, of course, has not stalled for them. I am unwilling to spend money on expensive guesses. So if any of this fits your scenario and your problem has been solved. Please let me know! 
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well, unless diagnostic equipment is hooked up at the time of failure, then it's always going to be expensive guesses in trying to track down a "ghost" like this. There's a whole list the size of your arm regarding what might cause a car to stall out, unfortunately.

    When you say "does not produce any codes when it stalls", do you mean that no engine light came on, or that a professional scan tool did not find a stored "fault".

    If there's no stored code, then you either have to wait for the code to appear permanently, or perhaps the mechanic can go about testing suspected components that he thinks might be out of spec--but that of course, is a form of guessing.
  • McowderMcowder Member Posts: 1
    My 05 expedition has had a misfire for awhile, check engine light will flash from time to time as well. We've changed coil packs and spark plugs. Few says ago truck died while driving, started up a few minutes later. Died today while driving and would not start back up. Tried changing battery still would not turn over
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well in a way this is a good thing, because now you can diagnose a no-start condition rather than chase an elusive misfire. So you'll need a spark tester, a fuel pressure gauge and a NOID light, for starters. You'll be checking for loss of spark, loss of fuel or fuel pressure, and loss of fuel injector pulse.

    Once you've figured out which of those you are missing, you'll know in general terms why the truck isn't starting. Then you'll have to drill down into each system (spark, fuel, pulse) to see what has failed. Even wiring or bad connectors can come into play here.

    BTW--you should avoid driving the truck any time you see a flashing CEL. Such a condition can easily damage the catalytic converter (s).
  • BabeMataBabeMata Member Posts: 4
    Mr_Shiftright said:
    Well, unless diagnostic equipment is hooked up at the time of failure, then it's always going to be expensive guesses in trying to track down a "ghost" like this. There's a whole list the size of your arm regarding what might cause a car to stall out, unfortunately. When you say "does not produce any codes when it stalls", do you mean that no engine light came on, or that a professional scan tool did not find a stored "fault". If there's no stored code, then you either have to wait for the code to appear permanently, or perhaps the mechanic can go about testing suspected components that he thinks might be out of spec--but that of course, is a form of guessing.
    By producing codes I mean no check engine light and their professional equipment didnt get anything either. We cleaned the MAF sensor went 3 months without stalling. Started stalling again then replaced the MAF sensor which has fixed the problem for about another 3 months but its started cutting out again. Any ideas?
  • BabeMataBabeMata Member Posts: 4
    Is there anything that would make the MAF sensor to keep failing?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    You aren't running one of those "freel-flow" air filters that you have to oil, are you, like K&N?
  • BabeMataBabeMata Member Posts: 4
    Don't think so I will have to double check
  • BamaBritBamaBrit Member Posts: 1
    I have experienced the same issue that most described here, and although I am female, please don't disregard the solution I share. Its true Ford should have done a recall, but they did not. My issue was the PCM relay and I purchased several at anywhere from $8-$20 each when i first got mine 2 years ago. It was shorting out and melting the middle prong on the relay each time. However mine would make a ticking noise from the fuse box area in passenger floor board area when turned key on. I purchased several relays from OReillys, and Advanced Auto before i went to AUTO ZONE. The guy there told me they were giving a lifetime warranty on that particular relay, due to FORD NOT ISSUING the recall. The relay i purchased from him was obviously made with a slightly different rubber or plastic housing and once i installed the one from them, my problem resolved!!! However, i am still going to check that wire against a/c tube so many spoke about, just to prevent that issue in the future. I also went to junk yard BEFORE Auto Zone told me about warranty and bought seven relays for $7 to keep in glove box she prevent being stranded on the side of the road.

    Hope i have helped someone in fixing their issues.

    I still love my FORD.

  • 2003_Expedition_Guy2003_Expedition_Guy Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2003 Expedition Eddie Bauer 5.4L. It just started randomly stalling while driving. Sometimes it would be every mile sometimes it would be longer. Never had a check engine light come on. Thought it was bad fuel because it started right after filling up. Added Sea Foam and the problem only got worse with time. After reading this forum and many others, I began looking into the fuse panel. It ended up being relay R303. I had to remove the fuse panel because this relay is on the circuit board inside the fuse panel. (Make sure you take pictures as you go to help when you put it back together) Once the panel was out, I found R303 was burnt and slightly melted on one side. It was $13 for a pack of 2 on Amazon. I used a soldering iron to get the burnt one out and soldered the new one in. I also replaced the R203 relay (just a plug in) $7 on Amazon. This is for the PCM for the fuel pump. After I re-assembled the panel and re-installed it, I had no more problems. No stalling and no hesitation. It would have been at least $350 for a new fuse panel if I did it on my own and much more if I took it to a mechanic. This fix was time consuming but the cost was very little and the savings was well worth the time. Happy to have my baby running healthy again!!
  • MichellecMichellec Member Posts: 1
    BabeMata said:

    Hi guys,
    I am desperate for help here! My 04 Expedition Eddie Bauer stalls on us just like what's been described. Anytime, anyplace, any speed, no rhyme or reason. The engine will just shut off, everything electrical stays on, restarts immediately or at least within 30 sec. I have read through this entire thread of posts and nothing suggested has been the issue. Fixed the wire on the AC pipe, checked for leaking windshield, fuses look fine, fuel levels are good, and it does not produce any codes when it stalls. I have left it with a experienced trusted mechanic for over a week and it, of course, has not stalled for them. I am unwilling to spend money on expensive guesses. So if any of this fits your scenario and your problem has been solved. Please let me know! 

    BabeMata said:

    Hi guys,
    I am desperate for help here! My 04 Expedition Eddie Bauer stalls on us just like what's been described. Anytime, anyplace, any speed, no rhyme or reason. The engine will just shut off, everything electrical stays on, restarts immediately or at least within 30 sec. I have read through this entire thread of posts and nothing suggested has been the issue. Fixed the wire on the AC pipe, checked for leaking windshield, fuses look fine, fuel levels are good, and it does not produce any codes when it stalls. I have left it with a experienced trusted mechanic for over a week and it, of course, has not stalled for them. I am unwilling to spend money on expensive guesses. So if any of this fits your scenario and your problem has been solved. Please let me know! 

    I have a 04 expedition I’ve have problems of it stalling while driving for months now. I have replaced lots of parts with no luck. I pulled off the fuse box and the fuel pump relay is burnt. New fuse box on the way. Hopefully it will solve the problem.
  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,745
    This is something that I have written about numerous times through the years. There are ways to test and prove what is wrong but it takes a lot of training and experience. You have a good chance of being right when you find something like you did and replace the part(s). There is also an equal chance that was "A" problem but not "THE" problem, you will only know the answer to which by the car quitting on you again. The car not quitting on you will start to give you some confidence that you have actually solved the problem but for most drivers they only know that it hasn't happened again, yet.
  • DBODBO Member Posts: 1
    I had that problem also. Stalling out and my wife talking major crap to me everytime it happened for almost 12 months. Usually happened after filling up tank. Sometimes we roll around with low gas. And then she gets paid and fills it. Next day it would always happen but start back up. Finally one day it would not start back up. Had about 4 mechanics come and look at it and they swore it was a fuel pump because they could not hear any life coming from the tank however I did some research and found out that one test that we could not run was a fuel pump relay. And that's because 03 to 06 is "non servicable". And....it is in the fuse box. So unless u were able to solder it on. You would have to replace the whole box. I took a chance we were homeless and stuck me and her and our 6 kids. And i found a parting out expedition owned by some youngster about 30 miles away from me who told me 40$ for the fuse box he said I'm too far so I offered him 75$ and he brought it to me. I asked him a few questions to make sure his ride wasn't being parted out for the same problem I had. (So I dont buy a blown fuse box.) He came to me but I was lagging it on pulling my fuse box off but when I did. And he was there I was like darn...I should of checked it first but when It came off it had the burnt area around the relay placement. And you can actually smell around the fuse box area. But it fixed the problem like perfect. I was proud. The mechanics were stumped and my lady looked at me and said baby tonight we pretending it's your birthday baby! I now have more issues so I'm back in here searching for info. I won't buy from big auto parts any longer unless an aftermarket part just dont work. I got myself an advanced obd2 scanner and I'm gonna know what's what from now on. Oh and I also will be committing to basic maintenance which I believe is a real man's responsibility. How dare I roll around with disgusting filters and sludgy oil. That's bs so I'm changing my ways.
  • adamtuliperadamtuliper Member Posts: 1
    In my case I was driving and lost power. I smelled gas when I turned it over. I had it towed back to the house and tried it a couple days later with the same result. Then I noticed a stain on the ground which led me to the cause. One of the fuel filter lines came unplugged and was leaking gas and caused the loss of power. Plugged it back on tightly and the car finally started.
  • OldnbobOldnbob Member Posts: 1
    Early build 2003 Expedition - engine randomly quits - problem and symptom fixed.

    As with many others my Expedition would randomly quit running, then start again shortly thereafter. I followed the advice from this Forum and removed the fuse box and dismantled (see You Tube) it to get to the printed circuit board within. There are 5 Osram relays soldered to the board, the middle one, as suspected, was slightly melted adjacent to the “ power in, power out” pins and the back of the board showed signs of being hot. This relay supplies power to the fuel pump and the pins are obviously the lightest part of the circuit and get hot under load, but the draw is not enough to blow a fuse.

    The Osram relay, and two from other clone manufacturers, are obsolete and no longer available. I went to my local wrecking yard and removed the fuse box from another 2003 and a 2005 ($20 each). Although the 2005 box looks identical, it is different inside and cannot be used as a replacement. I dismantled the 2003 box and it showed the exact issues as my box. It too was melted, but was obviously from a running unit as it was in the yard due to a wreck, not towed in because it would not run.

    I used my solder gun and my “ solder sucker” to carefully remove the 4 good relays from the wrecker box, removed the melted one from my board and replaced it with a wrecker relay. Re-assembled my box and she started right up. Keep in mind that my Expedition was running and I drove it into my garage for the repairs, the problem was intermittent.

    Question: what was causing the heavy current draw on the fuel pump circuit to cause the heating at the relay pin?

    Answer: the fuel pump is failing, causing a heavy draw, OR the fuel filter is plugged causing the fuel pump to work harder to provide required fuel pressure to the injection system. I removed the filter and it was plugged, not enough to stop the engine, but enough to cause the pump to require a heavy current draw. I replaced the filter BEFORE I drove the vehicle after the relay replacement.

    Notes:

    - replacement fuse box from Ford: $865.00 + tax in Canadian dollars ( if you can find one)
    - Wrecker box: $20 (and I still have 3 replacement relays if ever required)
    - Tools required to remove box:
    - 10 mm socket, 6” extension or remove hot wire nut.
    - 11mm DEEP socket (or pliers, ask me how I know…) to remove the one box mounting nut
    - The hardest part of removing the box is removing the plastic cover over the hot wire nut. It simply snaps on, but is not designed to snap off easily. The two tabs are hard to get a grip on and need to be pulled away further than expected. I trimmed the tabs on the box before I replaced the cover to make it easier to remove again if ever required.
    - When dismantling the box about 14 small “female to female / socket” pin extensions need to be removed to access the circuit board. Make note (take a photo?) of the way they are aligned. They must be replaced EXACTLY the way they were so they align correctly for the sockets to be in the correct position to accept the pins when replacing the relays removed during disassembly.
    - I found YouTube videos of how to remove the box and dismantle the box, but not how to repair the box, as the fellow who dismantled the box said it could not be repaired. But it can, just requires a bit of skill and knowledge and a replacement relay.
    - Be careful when removing the relays from the board, it is a fine line between liquifying the solder to “suck it” and overheating the pin and melting it in the relay
    - I opened up the relay I removed, the “power in, power out” pins showed signs of heating, and the case was slightly melted, but the points were OK and it was obviously working correctly when I drove into the garage. It is a very small relay, and has tight tolerances. I suspect that the intermittent problem was caused by the relay getting hot, and slightly changing shape, causing the very small pints to open, resulting in immediate fuel pressure / supply loss. Engine quits, points are open, current stops, relay cools, points close and engine can be re-started and runs AOK until the relay gets just a little bit too hot again.
    - When you remove all the fuses and relays when dismantling the box, set them aside on something out of the way in the same layout for ease in replacing.

    Hope this helps.
  • winner_1winner_1 Member Posts: 1
    I owned a Cadillac Deville that did the same thing,
    It ended up being an intermittent electrical short to the car's frame.
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