So I have the craziest question and want to see if anyone has experienced this. I have a 2007 Ford Expedition EL Limited 4x4. My wife and I purchased about 2 years ago.

Well back last Oct we jumped in, put the key in and all the lights came on, seat pulled up and turned the key and nothing happened. Car never turned over, started or anything.

So I kept checking the transmission in park etc. Well after about 20 mins and fiddling with it, bam put the key in and it started no prob.

Well over the past 9 months this has gone on about 2 times a month. We might start it 20-40 times and it works perfectly, then all of a sudden is strands us. Its consistent for about 15-25 mins every single time.

This is hard to track down, because it is intermittent and no one can check it. I have had the dealer and mechanic friend and nothing. Its really aggravating as at this point I just want it to break so we can get it fixed.

Well this week it did this for like an hour, had to get the vehicle towed to Ford, backed it off the truck and started right up like nothing. Crap!!!

Here is what I have done thus far...

Replaced the battery- Feared it was a dead cell.
Did it once at home - So i got under and took a screw driver off the starter solenoid and it sparked and turned over. No crank
Purchased an ignition switch today - Have not put it in yet.

Here are my possible thoughts -
1. Starter and or Solenoid going bad
2. Ignition Switch going out
3. Neutral safety switch going out
4. Las but not least, a bad PCM/ECM module
5. Maybe a PATs theft issue?

I am about to start tossing these parts at it to fix. This is soooo aggravating. Has this happened to anyone else? Is there anything else it could be?

I dont know what to do?

Thanks for any help.

 

Unfortunately, I can't really offer you any assistance, but I can empathize. I had the exact same problem with my 1996 Ford Probe GT many years ago. I took it to several dealerships and independent mechanics and no one could find the problem. It still had the issue when I sold it. Everyone's best guess at the time (including mine) was that it was an electrical short somewhere. Diagnostics for that type of thing can get out of hand quickly in terms of cost though.

 

Dead cells don't heal themselves. A battery works or it doesn't, it will not cause an intermittent problem.
I don't understand this one. Turning over and cranking are the same thing. Do you mean it turned over but didn't start?
Most likely a waste of money.

1. Not likely
2. Almost certainly not the problem
3. Could be
4. 99% certain this is not it.
5. Maybe, but these problems are usually not intermittent.

I think it is a problem getting the trans fully into park. When it happens will it start in neutral?

Try crawling under the dash and look back up the steering column. There are two #30 Torx bolts that hold the shift cable bracket to the shift tube. They are famous for loosening and causing this problem. When they are loose even though you have the shift handle all the way into park, the shift cable doesn't travel the full amount and the TRS (what you called the neutral safety switch) doesn't read park and you don't start.

 

On the Starter Solenoid, I jumped it from their and it sparked and turned over, but nothing started. Figured it was getting power there.

So ignition switch and neutral safety switch would both you think be a waste?

I am going to lay under this tomorrow and check these bolts. Not heard this yet, so going to try it.

Will keep you posted and thank you so much.

This is such a pain.

 

I agree with the loose bolt diagnosis. Very common, and it prevents the shifter from properly hitting the neutral safety switch. When it wouldn't start in P did you try N?

 

Hey guys here are the pictures I took under my dash looking for these#30 Torqu screws that adjust the linkage.

I dont think mine is the same as the one in the prior pics. I did see a couple Torqu on the second pic, but they were very tight.

I tried to attach 2 pics here.

It has not acted up all weekend. It did start in P and N as normal BTW.

 

Also I dont have a brake pedal cutt off switch on mine, as it will start without the break pedal being pressed

 

I don't see the shift cable in your photos. Did you find it? It's attached to a bracket. This bracket bolts to the shift tube with the two 330 Torx bolts that we're talking about.

 

I found the 2 Torque bolts. They were very tight. I looked everywhere and just looked again. I cannot find a cable? I even had someone shift the shifter back and forth to see if anything moved and nothing did at all underneath the steering column.

 

The cable is above the steering column. If there is no cable then the trans will stay in park all the time.

 

I will look again to see where the cable could be. I looked in around and above it. Mine doesn't have the shift on the column, it has the shifter down below on the right side close to the console.

Does that make a difference?

 

That would have been nice to know. As hard as I try I can't see your truck. Yes, that makes a difference. Why would the cable go to the column if the shifter isn't there?

 

Where would the cable be located on the shifter next to the console? Underneath?

Thanks,

 

Most likely. I've never had one of the consoles opened.

 

I wonder if you have the Code Systems remote start/alarm system installed on it. Maybe that system is acting up. I know they have Bronze and Gold versions of it. Bronze is remote start only, but Gold includes other options like alarm etc. I wonder if something is tripping it up? I'm probably way off, just a thought. Mine is installed under the driver side dash on the left.