Hi,
I'm new to the forum, but not new to Expeditions. I just traded a 97 for the
2003. I'm getting comfortable with the new vehicle and have some questions
about noises. The most annoying is a rumbling noise when slowing from 20mph down to about 5mph. I have been told that it is the tires, and not drivetrain. The tires are Toyo Proxes S/T 305/50 R20. I am currently searching for OEM rims and plan to put Michelin LTX M/S 2 tires on it as I'm
sure the Toyo's will rob me of some gas mileage.

The second noise is a very noticeable sound when accelerating from 30 mph to about 40 mph. It is almost a whine and moderately loud.

Are the noises a standard with this year Expedition or do I need to pay a visit to my favorite mechanic?

Thanks,
CapitanRon

 

We have a 2003 with the 5.4L engine, 2wd, 136k and do not have those types of noises.
It is actually a fairly quiet ride with no rumblings or whines.
It does have a clunk sometimes when going over dips with the wheels turned at slow speed which seems like something in the steering/front suspension is worn.
It has American Racing 18" rims (previous owner installed) with Goodyear Eagle GTs on front and Sumitomos on the rear (Goodyear doesn't make the Eagle GT in 18" anymore).
We get 14 to 16 mpg.

 

My 03 only has 71000, so I'm somewhat disappointed in the noises I am experiencing. The ride at freeway cruising speeds is quiet and there is no
vibrations at any of the speeds mentioned in my original post. My 97 had some noises and vibrations but it had 157000 on it. Partly my reason
for trading, plus the independent rear suspension. I also own a 2002 Explorer and have been very pleased with the independent rear suspension
on it. I do a considerable amount of mountain driving and the improved handling of the 02 Explorer over the 94 Explorer it replaced was very noticeable.

My mileage on the 97 Expedition was about 16 mpg and it was 4wd. That was an average on numerous trips over the Cascades, Blues and Rockies and driving 70-75 MPH in Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado usually with four passengers or loaded with five or six hundred pounds of cargo.

I'll keep driving it and will probably learn to tune out the unwelcome noises and stay alert for vibrations which could indicate serious trouble. I'm holding out some hope that the wheel and tire swap will be of some help.

 

We also have a 4wd 92 Explorer that still runs fairly well. It has 220k and is still almost all original - engine, trans, cat. It still passes smog checks and the kids are learning to drive in it, so we'll keep it a bit longer. It came from a family member in Chicago and the whole undercarriage is quite rusty. It only gets 12-14 mpg. It was our family car while the kids were little. The 03 Expedition was a huge upgrade for us. The independent rear suspension & rack/pinion steering provide great handling for a car that size. The front brakes finally needed replacing at 122k. Replaced the plugs and COPs at 112k after is started misfiring which took out the CATs. Replaced the CATs and it's running great. A rock took out the A/C condenser which now has a screen in front of it. Other than fan belt, battery, filters, fluids and tires we haven't replaced anything else. Definitely wait for the new tires. I've had some strange noises with tires (on other cars), too.

 

We traded the 94 Explorer for the 02 mainly for the independent rear suspension. The 94 had 144K and only had a few minor issues with it most occurred during warranty period (AC compressor self-destructed). The o2 has had transmission problems. Went out at 50k and was replaced, Ford dealership helped out with reduced price which included extended powertrain warranty to 100k. It didn't even make it out of the parking lot when my wife called and said it has loud clunking noises. Drove it back into the service bay. One hour later the shop foreman said the transfer case had failed. I said I guess it is covered by the warranty. He hung his head and said, "Yes it is" . My guess is the mechanic failed to align something when he installed the new transmission.

I will definitely wait for the new tires on the Expedition. You would think OEM wheels would be fairly easy to find in the Puget Sound region. Haven't had much luck so far. I've been checking Craigslist for the last few days.
Caoitan Ron

 

Found a nice set of OEM wheels on fleabay, just waiting for delivery and then off to Costco for a set of Michelin LTX M/S 2 tires. Hopefully that will eliminate my noise problems. I had an earlier generation of the Michelins on my 97 Expedition with 76k miles and still 5/32 tread remaining when I traded for the 03.

 

New wheels and tires installed, much better ride and handling, but the noise (Whine, howl) in the 30 to 40 mph range is still present. Researching TSB's and found several that may relate. Can only read the summary and not the full text, so have an appointment on Wednesday with my favorite mechanic for an evaluation and a look at the TSB's. The low speed rumble si no longer detectable, so I guess the tires helped some.

 

My new to me 03 XLT 4X4 has the same howl at 164,000 miles. Previous owner said it has done that since he bought it at 20,000 miles.

 

Oil changed in front and rear differentials today. No change to noises whatsoever. It is an LSD and the friction modifier was added. Used car 30 day/1000 mile warranty won't cover replacement as it is not a complete breakdown. So now I guess I learn to live with it or cough up a couple of thousand for the repair. Hopefully it won't result in a breakdown without giving plenty of warning with a noticeable noise increase.

 

Sounds like the same exact issue as mine. Hope you get it worked out and when you do please post the fix so I can fix mine too!

 

I have both an 03 and 04 Expedition and they both make what I call a "howl" between 30 -35, but only when it's cold outside. When the 03 was new took it in and it was diagnosed as a noisy pulley. It was replaced and the noise went away for about a month and returned. 04 has had the noise since day one. It doesn't really bother me or effect performance and it's only when it's cold outside and the noise goes away after the engine is completely warmed up.

 

If mine only howled when cold I would be a relatively "happy camper" unfortunately the howl gets more pronounced as I drive. After a 20 mile run on the interstate and exiting to a surface street with 35-45 mph speed limits it is much louder. I guess the answer is stay on the interstate and off the surface streets.

 

It could also be your ring and pinion. My 03 made a humming noise, it was more noticeable when accelerating at low speeds, and it was the ring and pinion gears in the rear end. Strange thing is that it sounded like it was coming from the front end, and I checked about everything in the front axle before I got it figured out.

 

Posts on this forum and consultation with my mechanic who went on a test drive pretty much confirm the ring and pinion as the culprit. Going to the dealership for the TSB 05-23-3 kit and installation would be very costly ($2K plus) and no assurance it would fix the problem. I'm not sure how long Ford will warrant such repairs or if they would even cover the issue of noise vice failure.

Going the route of non-dealer repair would be less expensive but even less warranty or none at all. Of course trade is certainly an option but overall I am really happy the vehicle. I'm making a short trip this week (350 miles) so I'll let that experience determine my course of action.

 

Local guy that did mine charged just over $500 for everything. According to him it "would have went forever" just been noisy doing it.