Last Saturday I drove home from work (20 miles, all highway, cruise set on 72, not using A/C) and noticed smoke coming up from under the hood. It didn't look like steam and smelled like burning oil and was a light brown in color. It was originating somewhere at the back, passenger side of the motor. I had my wife get in and start it up and the smoke stopped. When she shut it down it started to smoke again. We got in and I drove it about 3 miles, went into Subway for dinner, and left my wife in the Expy with the motor running. There was no smoke and no smell. When I got home from Subway I shut it down and there was no smoke, just the residual smell coming out of hte vents.
I checked the Ford site and there were no open recalls for my VIN (thinking about the crusie control issue). Could this be caused by a pinhole leak in the heater core? I'm thinking that the reason for the smell may have been hot water on a dirty engine. It hasn't happened again in the last 2 days, but it's still in the back of my mind that something isn't quite right. I tried searching the threads and didn't find this issue. ANy ideas?
Rear passanger side is where mine leaked when they had to put head gaskets on. It could sure be a valve cover gasket also. You can see if it is the head gasket or not by getting under the truck and see where the leak is coming from. Mine leaked right on the starter. If yours is and it sounds like it is leaking on to the exhaust manifold it could be the valve cover gasket.
A notorius place for an Expy to leak is at the heater hose junction at the fire wall on the passenger side of the engine bay, there is rubber hoses connected to a plastic junction, just a thought.
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1999 Eddie Bauer Expedition
aka "the hog"
A notorius place for an Expy to leak is at the heater hose junction at the fire wall on the passenger side of the engine bay, there is rubber hoses connected to a plastic junction, just a thought.
That is what it smelled like. While the headgasket may be leaking, I do not have any oil spots on the driveway, and this is the only vehicle that parks there. I would much rather it be a heater hose than a head gasket!!!
Sounds like either a head gasket or valve cover gasket leaking a little oil onto the intake or the exhaust manifold. You could try putting some dye in it and using the dye pinpoint where the leak is coming from. They sell dye at most parts stores and online, most dye kits come with some type of black light to light help locate where the dye is coming from. This is the quickest and easiest way to find your leak.
You can drain 5 qts out of a 5.4 without any spots on the ground (I know from experience) The classic head leak on this motor is where you describe seeing the smoke. The biggest issue around the time frame yours was made was a problem in the head machining. I've done two of them - one at 50k, one 65k.
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2003 Expedition EB 5.4, 4x4 now @ 121k miles on our 6th anniversary
2004 Expedition EB Premium 5.4, 4x4 now @ 64k miles
Gone but not forgotten;
1995 Bronco XLT 5.0, 4x4, 15k miles
1996 Explorer XLT 5.0, AWD, 75k miles
1999 Expedition EB 5.4, 4x4, 95k miles
Okay... Stupid reply, I know.. but I have an 04 Expedition and I get the entire thing detailed (including the engine compartment) about once a month. They put dressing on all the hoses and plastic covers, ect... After they detail it the dressing they use on the hoses, belts, ect.. causes an oily smelling smoke for about 2 days after. Last time they spilt some on the exhaust manifold and it smoked for almost a week.
You didnt happen to have it detailed right around the time frame you had the issue, did you? :P Just the only other thing I can think of BESIDES high dollar repairs like head/valve cover gaskets...
Okay... Stupid reply, I know.. but I have an 04 Expedition and I get the entire thing detailed (including the engine compartment) about once a month. They put dressing on all the hoses and plastic covers, ect... After they detail it the dressing they use on the hoses, belts, ect.. causes an oily smelling smoke for about 2 days after. Last time they spilt some on the exhaust manifold and it smoked for almost a week.
You didnt happen to have it detailed right around the time frame you had the issue, did you? :P Just the only other thing I can think of BESIDES high dollar repairs like head/valve cover gaskets...
Wes~
HA! I wish! I haven't had an opportunity to hardly wash it, much less detail it! But that is something to definitely keep in mind should I ever get that done. When I get mine detailed I don't allow them to use ArmorAll or anything like that because I don't like the way it feels. I could sure use a steam clean though...
I haven't had a lot of time to check it out since the original post. I'm leaning toward the heater hose though because it only "smokes" after I have run either the heater or defroster with the heat setting past the middle of the temp settings. I don't have any oil leaking out around the heads, at least not yet....
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But that is something to definitely keep in mind should I ever get that done. When I get mine detailed I don't allow them to use ArmorAll or anything like that because I don't like the way it feels. I could sure use a steam clean though...
