Hi-

I have a 2001 EB Expy 5.4L and ran into a weird problem today. It rained like heck on the way to work this morning, and when I got to work, I had to park the truck at a slight downward angle. When I returned this afternoon, it wouldn't start. I tried to crank it over, and all of the dash lights came on, but it wouldn't start. Not even a click, click click. I tried it 5 or 6 times, each time nothing. I put the key in accy and the radio came on ok. I then tried putting it in neutral, and it cranked over without a problem.

Has anyone else ever seen this problem? Was it just a matter of water and the angle I parked? Or is it more serious and it needs a dealer's attention. I've only had it for 2 weeks, and it has about 1500 miles on it.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Eric

 

Take it back to the dealer. The way I look at it, it's their baby. It is probably something simple but since it is brand new, I would let them check it out completely. Good luck.

Jakegypsum // Ford fleet, soup to nuts.

 

I believe when you parked down hill the transmission interlock (for park) missed the mark. I bet if you go to the same place, engage the parking brake FIRST then put it in park you'll have no trouble.

I have a brand new 2001 eb (700 miles) seems like a great truck so far.

 

thanks jake and woodmen. i took jake's advice and let the dealer look at it today and he said exactly the same thing. he said it will sometimes roll out of lock if parked on a slope which will keep the truck from starting in park. he suggested setting the parking brake to keep it from happening.

i couldn't agree with you more woodmen, it's a great truck. by the way, what kind of gas mileage are you seeing? i get about 14 on the highway, 13.6 with mixed mileage. it has about 1800 miles on it now, and doesn't seem to be improving much.

thanks again to you both.

eric

 

'Mornin -

Glad your '01 didn't need something serious. Sometimes its hard to have the same warm fuzzy feelings after a major problem.

My on-board computer indicates I get about 18 at 70-80 and from 12.5 to 13.5 around town. I am in San Antonio, go Spurs, Texas, and the traffic here is always heavy, and the roads under construction. I have the 5.4 engine.

Personally, while I hate the high gas prices, I will pay it to have the performance when I want to hit it. Bear in mind that it was full of fuel when it left the dealership, and I've only fueled up one time. (Its 30 to empty) The one time I fueled up, I put 26.5 gallons in, and the book indicates a 26 gallon tank, and I was still running. It had 14 miles on it when I got it, and assuming the dealership put all 14 on after they gassed it up, I am ranging over 350 miles per tank of fuel.

Fuel here is a buck 29 to a buck 35, better than a lot of places.

When I get to 5-8000 miles I'll install synthetic oil, and that really makes a difference. (Big time on our Mountaineer and my Suzuki 4wd Sidekick). I used Amsoil for a couple of years, but since I could not "mentally" allow oil to stay in the car for 35,000 miles I switched to Mobil 1 which is half the price, and change it about every 7-8000 miles. I use a K&N oil filter.

I would be curious to know what oil others are using. The book calls for 20wt, man that sure seems light, especially for South Texas.

Well, didn't mean to write a book - glad your underway.

 

thanks again. the warm and fuzzies were definitely in jeopardy with the non-start and the intermittent rear sensor problems, but both are ok now.

we're paying somewhere in the low to mid $1.80s for mid-grade here in the bay area - and with a 30 gallon tank i've been able to sneak out about 425 miles with mixed driving on an almost empty tank.

i will definitely switch to mobil 1 which is what i used in my 99 explorer. i've never used amsoil, is it a premium synthetic? does it really go 35k between changes? i'm with you, i don't think i could ever let it go that long.

eric

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 03-Mar-01 AT 07:52 PM (EST)[/font][p]Hi Eric,

you can check out Amsoil at their web site www.amsoil.com. They ran an 18 wheeler 407,000 without an actual change - but they did change filters - and we all know that when you change a filter you're gonna have to replinish the oil that was in the filter. Over that length of time, you'd change it all several times.

Amsoil probably does have the best oil, but how good can protection be? One thing I will say is that I put it in too early in the Suzuki, and it took about 18000 miles just to get the engine broken in.

The thing that swayed me back to Mobil 1 was that Chevrolet specifies it in the Corvette, and that engine makes plenty of power - and heat.

On another (but related) subject, I learned a couple of years ago that if one would drop the transmission oil pan, take it to a welding shop, and have a drain plug installed - the transmission will run forever if the fluid is changed about 3 times a year. I have a friend with about 270,000 mils on a ford van (which runs hot anyway) and he has the original transmission.

Chuck