Is there another company BESIDES Fordfusebox.com that refurbs these and upgrades to the 20-amp relay for the fuel pump? The guy at Fordfusebox is kind of an @$$.
Here's the backstory: I'm looking for an 03-04 Expy because, while my 18 Expy Limited is a wonderful vehicle, it sits in the driveway 5 days a week since I have a company car and I just can't justify the payment. I've lurked on this forum for years as I've now owned each generation of Expedition. I read this thread before buying the truck and I saw no signs of heat on the adjacent relays. Yesterday, on my third day of ownership, I'm out inside of it with the heater on "high" after shampooing the carpet while cleaning the years of filth off of every surface. Sure enough, the engine sputters and dies. I have a crank/no start with it and let it sit for about 3 minutes and it will start back up.
I checked the fuse box and it was physically very warm. I realize I had been running the heater on the floor setting for quite a while and it probably contributed to the relay overheating. I subscribe to the "an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure" notion, so I'm going to go ahead and replace it. So, I contact Fordfusebox.com to see if they upgrade the F8VF-BA 15-amp relay to the 20-amp G8QN relay. The reply comes back that they use original OMRON relays. I ask again for which part number they use and I tell him why I'm asking, and I get this reply:
"we install ORIGINAL omron relays. they will work in the next 20 years.
the only problem is to find ORIGINAL OMRON relays in the sea of counterfeighted [sic] OMRON relays on the market
DO NOT READ INTERNET"
From a common sense standpoint, I don't think Ford used counterfeit relays from the factory. Those 15-relays overheat and fail. Ford later changed to a 20-amp relay. So, I don't think "the internet" is the problem and that guy is an @$$ who won't get a dime from me.
I've never been good at soldering and I like the idea of having the whole fuse box gone through by someone who knows what they are doing, what are my other options because Google hasn't been any help?