im looking at a 2000 expedition 5.4 4x4 with 167K miles

the owner says one (or more) of the coils is starting to go bad but the computer hasnt figured out which one it is yet

also the owner said there is something draining the battery

idk if its just an old battery or what until i go see the truck in person

she wants $2,000 for it and says its close to needing new tires

what do you all think?

 

About $800 for tires and another $110 for set of 8 new COPs and spark plugs puts you just under $3K which makes it a good deal. Assuming you'd be changing the COPs and spark plugs yourself.

 

I believe it is an excellent deal if it drives alright. The battery draining could be linked to leakage around the front windshield - several 2000 expys did not come with the windshield properly sealed from the factory. Ask the PO whether the glass was replaced; if not get it tested and replaced, if needed (<$250). I have a 2000 EB 4WD with 110K and a rare 3.73 for that year, and would never consider selling it that low. I have not been following the market values however.

 

The rear wiper motor is notorious for draining batteries.

 

ok thank you all for the replies and yes id be changing all the coils myself

where are you getting the coils for $110? thats cheap lol like half price of the ones i looked at at autozone

is the windshield something i can seal myself without removing it? i can get the little tool to remove the trim around it and get some 3m weather strip and gasket maker or something similar if thats the issue

i plan on going and looking at it sometime today or tomorrow ill take some pics

 

Ford Expedition Ignition Coil (SET of 8) - AM Autoparts

are these the ones i need?

 

The expy is worth somewhere around $5k. Even if you put $1500 on it you are still ahead of the game. Also, take a good look at the trailing arms on the rear axle to frame. The lowers are notorious for rusting & breaking.$$$$$ How does she know the coils are bad without any codes being given. Never assume something is bad or going bad unless you are sure. Start throwing parts at it and you mise well flush it down the toilet. If you are handy with repairing vehicles, it won't be hard to figure out why the battery is draining. Still, it's a great price. Worth buying.

 

Actually I was figuring the COPs, the spark plugs, a tube of dielectric grease, and a set of injector o-rings for the $110.

The set of 8 is $70 if you don't mind them coming from overseas...
SET OF 8 NEW IGNITION COILS FOR 1997-2011 FORD DG508 - eBay (item 250722193250 end time Feb-03-11 01:18:45 PST)

or $85 if you do...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/IGNIT...Q5fAccessories

 

yea i am kinda skeptical that its a coil because ive known them to missfire once and throw a code

im just going by what ive been told

ill look at the trailing arms and ill try to grab some pics... she emailed me some but id like to post some that i know are up to date

 

yeah i just bought a 2000 expo for 2k as well. the po said it was the head gasket cause it blew whitish smoke on start up. never had it checked and just didn't want to spend the cash on it. turns out it was just the condesation in the exhaust, and it only needs a tune up. i got the cop's on ebay for 100 shipped. and i also sprung for new injectors as well 130 shipped. it's a good thing cause three of the injectors had cracked tips.

 

Also when you test drive it feel for the shift into OD to see if there is a shudder or get on it good and see if there is one between shifts. If so it will need some trans service.

 

it did have a shudder to it... the woman said her "mechanic" said it was one of the coils....

she said it use to only do it around 40ish but it done it while driving at slower speed with me but when i got the rpms up it stoped so if its the transmission whats the fix?

it done it at low rpms... i think the battery drain problem is the everstart being made back in 06

it has a coolant leak around the small hose going into the intake... but i think thats a clamp problem

it has a blowmaster on there... i dont really like it but i can change it later if i get it...

she said it needs to be cleaned and i replied " i have a quart of armorall windex a shop vac and 3 days before school" lol

let me know what u think

 

A shudder in the trans means a rebuild. A good quality rebuild could be around $2500 give or take a few bucks. But it could need a transmission service. Draining and replacing all the trans fluid. The best way is to have a shop that does transmission flushes. A machine hooks up to the trans cooling lines and as old fluid is drawn out, new is put in. Machine does it all. Sometimes, old fluid can cause shutter. My Bronco did it, I dropped pan, replaced fluid, added an inline transmission filter and the shutter disappeared after a few days. Mine was 3-4 upshift/downshift. That worked for me. I have a feeling she knows more than what she is telling you. Why else is she 3-4k under book. Her mechanic "THINKS" it's a coil. Well, a misfire will trigger CEL immediately. The question is, does the Service Engine Soon light even come on when you first start it. It is on the left side right next the 1/2 mark on the fuel guage. Make sure when you first fire it up that turns on then goes off. This all happens in the matter of a few seconds so be watching for it. Bulb might be burned out. Also, it wouldn't hurt to take it to a mechanic you trust and have a once over done. Might be worth $50. Ask her to be upfront with you, it won't hurt. You just want to know what is wrong with it. Also, the coolant leak could be dripping onto one of the coil packs and causing an issue. This was a notorious FORD problem when these first came out. There are plenty of threads here about it. Still, for $2k, good deal but you could be sticking money in it. Just depends what you can afford. If $2k is all you got, well, you won't be able to fix it, then not such a good deal. But if you have a cash reserve for repairs, well go to town.

 

the coolant was puddled up around the front injector on the passenger side

and it done the shuddering when i was pulling out of the parking place and down the road that the trailer park...

and when i pulled out on the road then when the rpms got up around 2k it smoothed out

idled good... and all the lights worked in the dash lol i saw everyone of them because the battery was dead and had to jump it off with my truck so i got a good look at them

is it possible for the COPs to cause this without throwing the light?

 

does anyone here use carfax or something that can get me a history report