Notices
1997 - 2006 Expedition & Navigator 1997 - 2002 and 2003 - 2006 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator Discussion

Engine hesitation under easy acceleration

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jul 29, 2009 | 07:13 PM
  #1  
jds872's Avatar
jds872
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Engine hesitation under easy acceleration

I noticed about 3 days ago that under easy acceleration the truck would hesitate; almost jerk three or four times and then would accelerate normally. It progressively got worse to where it now does it in idle. The spark plugs are only about three months old. What is aggrevateing is that when I went to lunch today it drove fine then when I came home from work it resumed the hesitation. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
Reply
Old Jul 29, 2009 | 11:45 PM
  #2  
97ExpGuy's Avatar
97ExpGuy
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 491
Likes: 4
From: Southern Illinois
Just a friendly reminder, always list a your year of your Expedition, engine, and any other possibly helpful information. It helps us in figuring out your problem.

Anyway, I had a similar problem except I threw a check engine light and it narrowed down the problem to the exact cylinder. I would say it's a dying COP (coil over plug as we say it around here). The coil is the "black cap" that sits over each spark plug well. Anyhow its that or a bad wire - the wire that connects the coil to the spark plug. Push the car hard enough and you will get a CEL and be able to have it scanned and find out where the problem is.

Welcome to FTE. Stick around and read and you will learn loads of info for your Expy.
 
Reply
Old Jul 30, 2009 | 07:59 AM
  #3  
jds872's Avatar
jds872
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Thank you. It is a 98 expedition.
 
Reply
Old Jul 30, 2009 | 09:24 AM
  #4  
97ExpGuy's Avatar
97ExpGuy
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 491
Likes: 4
From: Southern Illinois
Originally Posted by jds872
Thank you. It is a 98 expedition.
5.4L or 4.6L engine? You said that the plugs were changed not too long back - do you know if any thing else was done during the tune up? The general consensus is to change plugs, use new rubber boots and wires, and use 8 new COPs. The reason in doing this is because the job is such a PIA, it makes sense just to do it all so one doesn't have to go back and tear into the engine compartment. On top of this, it's not a bad idea to pull the fuel rail and inspect the tips of the injectors. The stock ones can crack resulting in fuel not being sprayed directly into the cylinder and causing hesitation/jerking because the engine is being starved of fuel. When I did my tune up back in March, 3 of my injectors were cracked. It's a pricey job if you do it all, but always worth it. Did you install the plugs or have someone do it (just curious)? Lastly, you are welcome. Hang around here and get educated!
 
Reply
Old Jul 30, 2009 | 12:54 PM
  #5  
PerfDistIgnition's Avatar
PerfDistIgnition
FTE Sponsor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 755
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by jds872
I noticed about 3 days ago that under easy acceleration the truck would hesitate; almost jerk three or four times and then would accelerate normally. It progressively got worse to where it now does it in idle. The spark plugs are only about three months old. What is aggrevateing is that when I went to lunch today it drove fine then when I came home from work it resumed the hesitation. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I would lean towards it being a bad coil since you only changed plugs 3 months ago.


Our new Ford COP’s, the Sultans of Spark(S.O.S.), have
been designed with both durability and performance in mind.
Please see them at:

http://www.performancedistributors.com/soscoils.htm

Quality was the main feature we stressed when we went to the
drawing board on these coils.

By the way, for those of you who only need to replace a defective coil,
our SOS Coils are available separately.
 
__________________
FTE Sponsor
Performance Distributors
www.PerformanceDistributors.com
Reply
Old Jul 30, 2009 | 01:22 PM
  #6  
jds872's Avatar
jds872
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Thanks for the great info. It is a 5.4L and I changed them myself. Extreme pain in the butt!!
 
Reply
Old Jul 30, 2009 | 01:23 PM
  #7  
luvmyexpy's Avatar
luvmyexpy
New User
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
i am having the same issue , i had one go bad 5 months ago and that threw a check engine light, but , now the problem resumed, and no CEL, i am waiting to see where this thread goes. i am also having other issues too now. dont worry i am not hijacking this thread.
 
Reply
Old Jul 30, 2009 | 04:59 PM
  #8  
bnovak's Avatar
bnovak
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 336
Likes: 0
I'm putting my money on the injectors. That would be where I would start since it only takes about an hour to check them, and if they are cracked, you know it's the issue.

I would go through and pull them off / inspect, before throwing money at new coils.
 
Reply
FTE Stories

Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts

story-0

Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained

 Brett Foote
story-1

10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-2

10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-3

Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

 Brett Foote
story-6

Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

 Joe Kucinski
story-7

AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make

 Brett Foote
story-8

Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-9

Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Oct 15, 2010 | 09:45 AM
  #9  
tokenm's Avatar
tokenm
New User
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
ford expedition 2006 85000 miles

MY FORD EXPEDITION IS JERKING GOING UP HILLS AND GOING OVER 45 MILES AN HOUR. I THINK ITS FROM NOT SHIFTING CORRECTLY. SOMEONE TOLD ME TO CHANGE THE TRANS FLUIDS FILTER AND PAN. IS THAT A GOOD IDEA?
 
Reply
Old Oct 15, 2010 | 10:12 AM
  #10  
Ken00Exp's Avatar
Ken00Exp
New User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Sounds like COP to me. If the plugs has been changed and it's still doing it then the COP would be my choice. Sometimes it throws a code and sometimes it does not.
 
Reply
Old Oct 15, 2010 | 10:54 AM
  #11  
dirtmonkey11's Avatar
dirtmonkey11
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 263
Likes: 0
I would replace the plugs for sure, and the boots on the COPs, I would also check to see if the coils are in good working condition.
 
Reply
Old Aug 12, 2015 | 01:11 PM
  #12  
Na8daGr8's Avatar
Na8daGr8
New User
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Ford truck easy acceleration hesitation forward and reverse

Originally Posted by jds872
I noticed about 3 days ago that under easy acceleration the truck would hesitate; almost jerk three or four times and then would accelerate normally. It progressively got worse to where it now does it in idle. The spark plugs are only about three months old. What is aggrevateing is that when I went to lunch today it drove fine then when I came home from work it resumed the hesitation. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Yes I might be some help I got a 2007 Ford F150 5.4 Triton I was having hesitation at real light acceleration forward and reverse and all I did was put a new fuel filter on and it fixed my problem hope this works for you too
 
Reply
Old Aug 12, 2015 | 01:15 PM
  #13  
Skauber's Avatar
Skauber
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 1,792
Likes: 3
After 6 years, I'd be surprised if he even has the truck anymore...
 
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
ocomas16
1997 - 2003 F150
2
Mar 16, 2016 05:26 PM
wattspd
1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks
20
Mar 13, 2016 09:29 PM
daniele
1983 - 2012 Ranger & B-Series
13
Oct 19, 2011 03:36 PM
ravens fan
1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks
7
Aug 14, 2011 04:09 PM
Gregs Toyz
2004 - 2008 F150
0
May 24, 2011 03:26 PM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:08 PM.

story-0
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained

Here's everything you need to know about every Ford engine available for the 2026 model year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-05 12:58:01


VIEW MORE
story-1
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Ford trucks that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 09:51:16


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: the best gifts for dads & grads

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:58


VIEW MORE
story-3
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-03 11:38:36


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

Slideshow: 10 most expensive Ford trucks ever sold on Bring a Trailer.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:24:34


VIEW MORE
story-5
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

Here's everything that has changed for the latest model year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-27 16:17:28


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

Slideshow: Top 10 Ford truck tragedies.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-18 19:34:33


VIEW MORE
story-7
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make

And it might be even better than that.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-18 19:26:42


VIEW MORE
story-8
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!

Slideshow: Does lowering an F-150 Lobo RUIN the ride quality?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-05-18 19:20:37


VIEW MORE
story-9
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home

Slideshow: Ford's bizarre fishing-themed Explorer concept has resurfaced after spending decades largely forgotten.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:07:46


VIEW MORE