FortyFords, You mentioned that Ford knows about the delay with the 04 drive by wire. Funny because I took my truck to my dealer for that exact same delay problem. They couldn't understand what I was talking about. Mine isn't the transmission because the RPM doesn't change right away. After a short delay it tends to lunge.

I hope someone posts when Ford comes up with a solution for the drive by wire delay so that I can take mine back to the clueless dealer.

 

Me again. Two dealers have now told me about the drive by wire delay and both say in essence, that's the way it works, get used to it. Apparently, the F-150's do the same thing. Of course, as I'm considering my contingency plans here, I drove a Honda Pilot the other day which also has drive by wire and it had no lag or delay. I'm looking forward to this solenoid replacement this week and would like to know more about the "master" whatever also mentioned. It's a little disheartening that of all the people who've posted saying, "Yeah, mine does that too." Nobody has really said that they've had theirs fixed and what was done. I hope I'll be the first.

 

I have never noticed any delay in my 04. I'm pretty heavy on the gas though..

 

2004 Expedition Lemon

<HR style="COLOR: #666666" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->First off let me say that I have owned Fords for years and have loved them all. I have given Ford Motor Company a lot of money and support. I now have a 2004 Expedition EB nightmare and they have left me out in the cold.
At 3,000 miles we heard and felt vibration and growling at 20, and 50mph. It really makes the noise while going up a small incline. So far the dealer has replaced the ring and pinion three times and the drive line once. They put 120 wt. oil in the rear end to get it to quiet down. Of course on the final attempt to fix the car the Ford rep said the noise was with in specs. Who's specs I don't know.
They offered to pay my next months bill and upgrade my warranty if I would go away. (That's not going to happen)
Now I have the problems with the air conditioner rattle when first starting the car and the mold smell. I have Continental tires that are so out of shape and causing noise. I also have brake problems. They are saying that I have to have new rotors because if they turn them they won't be under the specs. The pads have 2 c's left.
My car at this point has 24,000 miles on it and I am going to go through with the lemon law proceedings and see what happens.
The Ford Company sends faxes on a regular basis to the dealers about the ring and pinion problem. The parts are a new item from a new manufaturer. The brakes are also a "new thing." I know this because the mechanic and the service manager told me.
Does anyone out there have similar stories. If so please share them with me.
Thank you,
Debbie

 

#34 Today, 08:12 PM
debbiejolly
New User Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 3

2004 Expedition Lemon

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2004 Expedition Lemon


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First off let me say that I have owned Fords for years and have loved them all. I have given Ford Motor Company a lot of money and support. I now have a 2004 Expedition EB nightmare and they have left me out in the cold.
At 3,000 miles we heard and felt vibration and growling at 20, and 50mph. It really makes the noise while going up a small incline. So far the dealer has replaced the ring and pinion three times and the drive line once. They put 120 wt. oil in the rear end to get it to quiet down. Of course on the final attempt to fix the car the Ford rep said the noise was with in specs. Who's specs I don't know.
They offered to pay my next months bill and upgrade my warranty" target="_blank">warranty if I would go away. (That's not going to happen)
Now I have the problems with the air conditioner rattle when first starting the car and the mold smell. I have Continental tires that are so out of shape and causing noise. I also have brake problems. They are saying that I have to have new rotor" target="_blank">rotors because if they turn them they won't be under the specs. The pads have 2 c's left.
My car at this point has 24,000 miles on it and I am going to go through with the lemon law proceedings and see what happens.
The Ford Company sends faxes on a regular basis to the dealers about the ring and pinion problem. The parts are a new item from a new manufaturer. The brakes are also a "new thing." I know this because the mechanic and the service manager told me.
Does anyone out there have similar stories. If so please share them with me.
Thank you,
Debbie

 

I am the original poster on this thread and I am cautiously optimistic that I may finally have it fixed. See my new thread on the subject. Thanks to all who joined in.

 

Attention all 2004 and 2005 Ford Explorer owners, and owners of other FoMoCo vehicles having abnormal automatic transmission operation, driveline problems traceable to the transmission and the vehicle is still under warranty.

If your vehicle was subject to the Ford Motor Company recall (TSB) 04B22, to install additive to "doctor" up incorrect transmission fluid installed at the time of manufacture.

If your transmission is not operating smoothly with consistency whether on the highway, or, when the vehicle is at a complete standstill and is being shifted from drive to reverse, reverse to drive, or park to reverse. If your transmission either harshly or violently engages, has an unusual delay in engaging or does not engage until the accelerator is depressed, it is a certainty that other driveline components are being damaged and the transmission is being further damaged.

If you are getting the runaround from Ford Motor Company, I am, and they will not authorize your dealer to do any further transmission corrective work under warranty and contacting FoMoCo's Customer Relationship Center has not corrected your situation, I suggest that you write a letter addressed to:


Board of Directors
Ford Motor Company
P.O. Box 685
Dearborn, MI 48126-0685
U.S.A.

More information can be found about this at:
www://ford.com/en/company/corporateGovernance/boardOfDirectors
When the home page comes on screen, click on "Contact Information" in the left margin. Also, of interest is James J. Padilla, president and chief operating officer of Ford Motor Company. "Padilla joined Ford in 1966 as a quality control engineer"....

I had asked the CRC more than once if I could have the address for the president or board of directors and I was told it was not available, everything had to go through the CRC, others say everything has to go through the dealer.

Many of us know that the Boss is usually the last to know; it is now time they know how some of their faithful customers are being treated by their subordinates. If you put your return address on your correspondence they will acknowledge receipt of all communications sent to the above address.

The problem is not that a mistake has been made; the problem is how Ford Motor Company is addressing their mistake.

The more letters the better, I plan to send them a copy of my complete file by certified mail/return receipt.

 

John, Your original description of the operation of the transmission when backing out of a parking space and putting it in drive is exactly what mine does, much more often when going into reverse from drive, when you touch the accelerator it engages violently. Ford Motor Company's spin is that this is normal for this transmission-of course it is normal for this transmission because it either has a design defect or the installation of incorrect transmission fluid by FoMoCo has damaged it; The point is: no knowledgable person having integrity would represent that this is normal operation for any automatic transmission-no matter who manufactured it. Please tell us how you managed to get FoMoCo to fix yours; they refuse to authorize any further warranty work on mine, and it seems, quite a few others. Good luck with yours

 

Ticked Off 2; Send me a private message and i'll look up what they did. I've had so many other problems, I'm really fed up. Mine is at the dealer right now because they did the 'clutch pack" replacement to take care of the shudder problem and a month or two later it started making rear end noises, they had the whole rear end torn out for two weeks then put it back together wrong so that the differential was leaking and the ABS light was on all the time.Everyone should be aware of a website called www.infotraxx.com where for $12.95 you can download all the technical service bulletins that apply to your car

 

John, made four attempts to send you a private response, it is blocked, can't get through. I hope that they really fix your vehicle, I understand the frustration, I may be gaining some movement toward FoMoCo fixing my Explorer, when I know something definite I will post it. Please don't spend any time digging up the records you mentioned, for now. Thank you and good luck,tickedoff2.

 

As I recall, the delayed engagement going from Reverse to Drive was fixed with the transmission additive. That also fixed the rough erratic shifting in traffic. The bucking while turning tightly in parking lots was fixed by the "clutch pack" repair to the differential. However, within a month or two , I started being aware of the driveline while cruising. Sort of like they had taken all of the sound insulation out of the floorboard. My guess is they didn't do the clutch pack repair properly because if you read the TSB on it, there are all these admonitions about "be sure you do this" and "be sure not to do this". I'm thinking, what are the chances that evrything went back together just right. Plus the TSB says to tell the driver "not to tow anything for 500 miles". I don't remember them mentioning anything about towing.
So the next thing you know my car is on a lift for two weeks with the whole rear end torn out because they claim they can no longer get entire rear end assemblies from Ford "anymore". They have to repair them. I get it back, the whole car smells like differential fluid. All the way home my ABS light is on and my 4X4 High light flickers on and off. I crawl under the car when I get home and the differential is leaking fluid. I take it back and they tell me Ford didn't tell them they were supposed to use some newly designed seals and a different ABS sensor module than the original one. I takes them a week to get a new module but it's "OK to drive in the meantime". So for a week I have the ABS light on and the flickering 4X4 High light problem. PLUS, PLUS everytime when I get in the car to drive it, the ABS light is off for the first two or three blocks and until it comes on, everytime you hit the brakes, there is this horrible grinding feeling in the pedal. Not a typical ABS shudder but a grinding. I called them back on that and their answer was that that was to be expected until the new module is inspected. Had enough??? I have. God knows what the lifespan of my rearend is now that they have been in and out of it a coupla times. My guess is it will lunch itself at 36,001 miles.

 

Guys,
I just received mail from Ford Canada outlining this problem. They have release a service notice here in Canada. The service notice number is : 04B22

states wrong tranny fluid was used at the factory in certain 04 and 05 vehicles equipped with 5R55S, 5R55E amd 5R44E trannys. Attend the dealership ASAP for service...

Keep in mind this is a notice from Ford CANADA. I am not to sure about the US.

Regards,

 

I have had all these issues too, EXACTLY.........My ABS light is now on and it is flickering 4X4. I haven't had a chance to get it over to the dealership... What did they tell you was wrong ???

 

2004 Explorer, The same TSB numbers apply in the U.S.A.-same problem. My recollection is it came out about six-months ago. Good luck, you will need it if you are having problems with your Explorer transmission; my experience, and others, has been that FoMoCo is not responding to the problem very well at all. I suggest you write a letter to William Clay Ford, Jr. CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors; Ford Motor Company; P.O. Box 685; Dearborn, MI 48126-0685; U.S.A. For more info, see my post dated 07-07-2005. Again, good luck.

Tickedoff2

 

I can't find this TSB on Infotraxx. There are 4-24 TSB's but none with a letter in them.As for the ABS light problem, I picked up my car yesterday after they had installed a new ABS module and test drove it myself before accepting it. Drove it about 2-3 miles, no problem with the ABS which heretofore came on immediately. Turned in my rental car headed up the road, got about 7-8 miles and the ABS light comes back on with the flickering 4X4High light again. Would have turned right around but I had to meet someone. Last night I drove the car twice, first time it took 5 miles before the light came on. Second time it took 11 miles before the light came on. Took it back to the dealer this morning and it took 11-12 miles before light came on and before it did, I started to get the grinding in the front brakes again. They act like they don't know why the module didn't fix the problem. My guess is Ford has some bad modules in the parts pipeline and they'll just use them up hoping some will work. They did that once on some bad fuel tank sending units. Don't know if it's related but my throttle lag problem seems worse again- the drive by wire problem. There are 2 or 3 TSB's on that which talk about resetting the computer but all end by saying it may not totally fix the problem. Have been driving a V6 rental 2005 Explorer though which has much smoother throttle response than my 2004 V8. I think I want a Toyota 4-Runner but with all these damned "employee discounts" a new XLT costs almost what the NADA retail is on mine with 29,000 miles and Toyota is still holding out for top dollar, no employee discounts there, not yet anyway. If anyone else has info on the ABS problem or the Throttle lag, let us know. Frankly the transmission additive fix is old news.