Just got a 5.4L Expedition earlier today ( 60K miles )- noticed it has a bit of a miss at idle and noticeable miss above idle. The check engine light flashed quickly and then stayed lit. Any ideas or common things to check for & how do you retrieve the error codes?

I don't know if it had the miss before I washed the engine compartment - although I did have the truck running when I was cleaning. Everything is dry in there now.

Thx

Vlad
98 Expedition
99.5 Super Duty Diesel

 

Take it to your repair shop and have engine diagnosis run. Could just be a faulty TPS (throttle position sensor) or vacumn hose.


I believe you can buy the computer disks, wiring harness and connector that help crack the codes if you are do-it yourselfer.You will also have to buy a laptop pc if you don't have one already.

Try fordmotorsports.com or your local dealer.

The diagnostic test or engine scope may me your best best.

Good luck!

 

You will need a scan tool to axcess codes. If the engine is no longer missing since it has dried out you might just want to disconnect the battery cable for ten seconds to clear the memory and see if it resets.


2000 XLT Flare Supercab Sport 5.4-Auto-355LS-Tow pkg-Bedrug-Xtang Tonneau

 

From what I understand from reading posting in the past, it really is not all that good to wash the engine. I would say that 95% of the people that have washed there 5.4 engines experienced a miss afterwards. The coil packs that attach to the spark plugs can act up after a washing. I would check them out. Good luck.

Jakegypsum // Ford fleet, soup to nuts.

 

This is true, my 99 Eddie Bauer had a problem with cylinder misfires, turned out to be a known problem - coolant leaking from a faulty seal onto #4 cylinder coil. Perhaps drowning all 8 plugs isn't such a good idea. Get a technician to check it out.

 

p.237 of the Expedition manual says to NEVER wash the engine with it running and gives very explicit instruction on how to do it.

If you haven't availed yourself of the feature, the glove box manual can be downloaded from ownerconnection.com...cool feature!

 

>Just got a 5.4L Expedition earlier
>today ( 60K miles )-
>noticed it has a bit
>of a miss at idle
>and noticeable miss above idle.
> The check engine light
>flashed quickly and
>then stayed lit. Any
>ideas or common things to
>check for & how do
>you retrieve the error codes?
>
>
>I don't know if it had
>the miss before I washed
>the engine compartment -
> although I did have
>the truck running when I
>was cleaning. Everything is
>dry in there now.
>
>Thx
>
>Vlad
>98 Expedition
>99.5 Super Duty Diesel

 

I recently also purchased a '98 Expedition / 5.4 Triton, with 61K miles that developed the symptom of missing/running rough about 500 miles after the purchase. The problem turned out to be the coil for the #4 cylinder (passenger side rear). The part costs around $95.00 from Ford (yes thats only one of eight). The symptoms resembled a problem with plug wires I've had in the past on my Suburban so closely, I decided to go right to the spark. I was a bit lost looking for plug wires that don't exist. After a trip to the local auto parts store and purchasing a Haynes tear-down manual I now am familiar enough with the engine compartment to recognize most of the components, some of which are the Coil-On-Plug assemblies. These small coil modules fit over each spark plug located around the perimeter of the topside of the block adjacent to the injectors. To find the bad one I just disconnected and re-connected the connectors from each one until I found one that had no effect (sometimes it actually smooths when a good one is disconnected).
The #4 coil had three cracks on the underside of the main body closest to the block so I surmise there was a bit of arcing from there to the block. Wet weather here probably made it show up, since the cracks looked quite old.
Removing #4 is difficult, but made easier if you use straps or rope to gently pull the hoses and wire bundles out of the way enough to gain more access back there. Even then it's a tight squeeze. Remove the Main Battery Fuse panel cover and the air intake cover also. I tied twine to the ratchet and taped the socket to the extension so as not to lose it in the valley. Replacement only took about 15 minutes. Sounds like a real backyard mechanic bunch of tricks but oh well, sh__ happens.
And for my next trick -spark plugs, sort of like the old hemi's, buried in the head and #4 is the worst. Now I know why they went to the 100K mile platinums.
The vehicle runs great now though, and I'm looking forward to boatin' season when the wx warms up.
Good Luck.

 

Yes. I bought a brand New Expedition (5.4L V8) Oct '97. I have 56,472 miles on it now and I had been having trouble with it running rough. My Check engine light came on and the dealer could not find a problem (Nov 2000). I had the problem again (Feb 2000) and the check engine light came on and they again could not find the problem. Two weeks ago it would not start at all. The dealer is now breaking down the engine to check for a leaking head gasket. My neighbor has the same vehicle/same engine. His head gasket had to be replaced also ($3000). E-mail me. I would love to find out if anyone else is experiencing this problem. My Vehicle has been in the shop going on two weeks now. I was lucky enough to have bought an extended warranty (at 56,250 miles) two weeks prior. :0) I like the vehicle, but would like to know if there is a problem. I plan to buy another one.

 

I had the same problem with my '97 Expy. The check engine light would come on every once in a while, and the vehicle would sputter and miss a lot. They finally figured out that the problem was actually an O2 sensor. Supposedly, the sensor are pretty sensitive and break easy onthe Expy's. I would have this checked out. It is easy for Ford to tell on their diagnostics.