My first Expedition, have a few questions and comments!

[cavakilla]

All input and feedback are welcomed!

First, i have been a mechanic for 20 years so i have a pretty good understanding of things, but you guys have experience with this particular vehicle and i appreciate the help.

Well to start its a 98. I have replaced the water tube under the intake, the heater core, one coil pack, all 8 plugs, valve cover gaskets, upper control arms, lower ball joints tie rod ends and had an alignment.

Then i moved inside... the radio was removed or stolen when i bought it. there was a lot of aftermarket wiring ran all over the place, miles of it. so after removal and the fiasco of finding an amp bypass harness i have the radio installed. the thing is it shuts on and off randomly. i have checked my wiring and everything is good. (solder and shrink wrap).

I have read that the power is controlled by the gauge cluster and it may need to be repaired or replaced? is this true on this model?

Then tonight i try to program two key fobs and the truck won't respond to ignition cycling.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[walnuts4x4]

don't know much about the radio... but if the fobs wont respond to the ignition cycling... do the locks move up and down? if not it is probably the brain to the PATS unit.... when I bought my expy mine wasn't working... I changed out the PATS brain under the dash with one out of a ford taurus that my parents were trading in during the "cash for clunkers" and it solved my problem...

 

[cavakilla]

the power locks do respond to the switch but not to the cycling...

 

[walnuts4x4]

i would bet you have a bad PATS brain... when mine went my power locks worked but my keypad and keyless entry wouldn't, also when cycling my key to "program" the fobs it would not do anything... I replaced the brain and everything worked....

 

[Explor2Exped]

The radio could be defective. I've heard this happening a lot with defective radios. Try switching it out.

 

[cavakilla]

pulled the pad or tad ecu out of a taurus today hoping it will fit...lol the pats ecu controls the security system key reader that parts working fine. the sucky part is i soldered in the radio harness.... oh well i guess i need to do it... will let you guys know the outcome. thanks for the input

 

[supermario]

A little off topic from what you asked BUT if I were you, i wouild order a set of Accels COP's and change them all at once. Becus the coil packs (or coil on plugs) will just keep going out. Its best to buy all at once and replace. My brother has had 2 Expys and I have one and thats what we do so we dont have to worry about another cop going out while we on a trip.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ACC-140032-8/

If you try to buy individualy, you will spend $100 more! This is a great price for the set.

 

[cavakilla]

I know from experience that i should have replaced them all... i just ran out of funds... LOL have good spare used one in truck just in case! i had not seen that you could buy the whole set from accel, thanks for the tip!

 

[jacks3am]

hell, theres a girl at my highschool with an expy and shes good lookin!

 

[BigDaddy]

A little off topic from what you asked BUT if I were you, i wouild order a set of Accels COP's and change them all at once. Becus the coil packs (or coil on plugs) will just keep going out. Its best to buy all at once and replace. My brother has had 2 Expys and I have one and thats what we do so we dont have to worry about another cop going out while we on a trip.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ACC-140032-8/

If you try to buy individualy, you will spend $100 more! This is a great price for the set.

And Amazon beats that price by $40. I picked mine up there a few weeks ago and installed them. They work great!

Accel COPs