hey all, this is my 1st post here, so i guess this is my intro also. hello...lol
so the wife picked up an 03 expo EB AS-IS from a dealership today. an hour away, the "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" light comes on...went to autozone and was told there was a P0300 code... some type of multi-misfire or something like that... guy at autozone recommended a tune-up.. plugs, wires, coils etc...

i'm new to the whole SUV thing, still the proud owner of a 2001 impala, and previous owner of a 96 caprice... both didn't a tach, so i really couldn't tell the RPM's while driving. on this expedition though, it seemed a bit sluggish. 90mph @ approx 2300RPM. is that right? i tried getting a few short sprints on the way home, flooring it, and there seemd to be a bit of a delay from flooring the throttle to actually feeling a response.. and the response was not really impressive... this suv has approx 110k, any thoughts anyone?

i will do a search after posting this on this forum and any others i can find, and i've also got a few electrical problems, and the cruise controls seems to not want to activate...

any and all comments welcome!

 

A P0300 code means that more than one cylinder is misfiring. Between that and the cruise control not working, and the sluggish response of the gas pedal it could mean you have a vacuum leak.

90MPH/2300RPM sounds about right with the OD engaged.

 

roger that...so here's a dumb question, how do i take the OD off, and what type of difference should i expect.

**still searching**

n thanks

 

There's a button on the end of the shift lever that turns off the OD. It will stay off until you press the button again, or turn off then restart the engine.

An OD reduces RPMs by 30%. So using the same 90 MPH, your RPMs will jump up to about 3300.

 

Probably don't need to say this, but apart from a cylinder misfiring and possible vacuum leak, don't expect your Expy to have the nimbleness of your Impala or Caprice. This is a truck we're talking about after all!

Also, you're probably due for a plug change as that should be done ~100,000 miles. It's a bitch, not your typical routine change, so be forewarned - there are countless threads dedicated to the Triton engine plug change. And, you're pretty close to the 120,000 mile tune-up milestone. I'm venturing to guess that if you bought the truck as-is, then the previous owner probably unloaded it because he/she knew that the maintenance bill was about to add up, especially considering the poor throttle response.

Welcome to forum!

 

lol.. i definitely understand that its a truck, was just hoping for a bit more. almost asked a guy today to allow me to ride along in his expedition, so i may be able to compare the differences...i chose not too though. as far as what you said about the previous owner knowingly trading in to avoid the maintenance bill, i can completely understand that. i have found a few more problems also. i'm not sure how many power outlets are in the expo, but i know at least 3 do not work.my wife said that when she initailly plugged in her car charger, the light on her charger lit up for a split second and that was it. also, the 6 disc cd changer has an error, so it is not allowing me to load/eject anything. so far i have been unable to activate the cruise control also.

in general, this car has an electical problem that is just annoying.. i'm no electrician, but i am willing to learn, and will try to get this all fixed.

unfortunately, i have found alot of threads about this engine, after buying this vehicle..and that just sux. i think i am gonna attemp to change the plugs myself, basically try to slowly get the maintenance up to date. i am trying to get a list on what i need. suggestions anyone?

 

The spark plug issue is really the only smudge on the general Expy report. I suppose every manufacturer has at least one quirk with each of their products, but it is unfortunate.

If you don't have any maintenance records, then you might want to do the standards for some mind over matter -- transmission fluid, cooling system, maybe a fuel injection decarbon service. If your 03 is like my 06 (they are the same generation at least), your transmission line will be a closed system so you can't completely flush it, which has its pros I suppose as far as non-leaky gaskets go. But, that was a first for me.

Of course, I suppose you need to address your throttle problem first. And, too bad about the electrical system. To me, that's the most confusing and frustrating part of any automotive these days. Hopefully others more knowledgable about that can chime in - I barely get by as a routine maintenance mechanic. Maybe try taking it to the dealer to see what their diagnosis is.

Expeditions really are good trucks. I feel bad that you have gotten an initial bad taste in your mouth. Mine is at 114,000 miles (it's an 06 Eddie Bauer) and still running like new. Just sunk about $2,000 in a whole new front end, but that's to be expected with the cross-country miles it has on it. She'll run easily another 100,000 from what I hear. Good luck.