03 5.4L Eddie Bauer - P1285 code and others

[Eric M]

Here is the brief backstory:
- We live in area with cold climate in the winter. In December and January, our 03 would occasionally throw a P0301 (cyl 1 misfire) along with a 0316 (engine misfire on start up). I would clear the codes and they would not return for some days.
- I replaced the cyl 1 coil with an extra one I had an the problem disappeared until about a week ago
- While I was away, my wife drove it and said a variety of warning lights appeared (check engine, oil pressure, etc) yet the temp gauge remained exactly where it should be.
- I hooked up the OBD II and saw the codes mentioned above *AND* a 1285 code (cyl head temp overheat).
- I inspected the engine and found that a significant amount of coolant had escaped from the coolant overflow tank cap and pooled in the area around it. The overflow tank did have coolant left in it but was fairly low.

Other info: The coils and plugs were done under 5k miles ago

Thanks in advance for any suggestions for how I should proceed to deal with this problem!

 

[Hamfisted]

Classic blown head gasket. It's over-pressurizing your coolant system and the reservoir cap is relieving the pressure the only way it can. Smell your coolant reservoir, it probably smells like exhaust gases. When you pull the heads you'll probably see a path between the cylinder wall and the coolant jacket around cylinder #1. Air getting into the coolant passages in the cylinder head will trigger a cylinder head over-temp. If you can't smell exhaust gasses in your reservoir there are test kits available to confirm the presence of hydrocarbons in the coolant. Left unrepaired will result in ruptured heater cores, blown hoses, engine damage ....


Combustion chamber leak ( Blown Head Gasket ) test kit on Amazon






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[Eric M]

Thanks very much for your input. I was hoping it wasn't that. I will check it out more closely. Pulling the heads on this particular vehicle seems like not the funnest job in the world, given how far back everything sits.....Thanks again.

 

[Vincent Vega]

@Eric M see FordTechMakuloco's video on youtube. The engine is far back, as you said, so he removed the grille and radiator to get better access. Totally doable but yeah it is a big job, probably more work that swapping the engine but less cost. Keep in mind there are several other things to replace if you go that deep, such as timing gear and possibly the intake manifold. And you would probably want to rebuild the heads while they are out.

 

[Eric M]

Thanks. I appreciate the info.

 

[Eric M]

Classic blown head gasket. It's over-pressurizing your coolant system and the reservoir cap is relieving the pressure the only way it can. Smell your coolant reservoir, it probably smells like exhaust gases. When you pull the heads you'll probably see a path between the cylinder wall and the coolant jacket around cylinder #1. Air getting into the coolant passages in the cylinder head will trigger a cylinder head over-temp. If you can't smell exhaust gasses in your reservoir there are test kits available to confirm the presence of hydrocarbons in the coolant. Left unrepaired will result in ruptured heater cores, blown hoses, engine damage ....


Combustion chamber leak ( Blown Head Gasket ) test kit on Amazon






.

Thanks a lot for recommending the block tester kit! Worked like a charm to definitively diagnose the blown head gasket on the Expedition. It also helped me to realize that my '91 Volvo 740 did NOT have a blown head gasket, when I was convinced it did have one.

 

[Hamfisted]

Thanks a lot for recommending the block tester kit! Worked like a charm to definitively diagnose the blown head gasket on the Expedition. It also helped me to realize that my '91 Volvo 740 did NOT have a blown head gasket, when I was convinced it did have one.

Well, sounds like you gotta partial win anyway .... what's your Volvo doing that you suspected a blown head gasket ? The Volvo would've certainly been easier than the Expy to repair ...






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[Eric M]

Well, sounds like you gotta partial win anyway .... what's your Volvo doing that you suspected a blown head gasket ? The Volvo would've certainly been easier than the Expy to repair ...



On the Volvo, I noticed coolant consistently weeping from between the head and the block (motor has 298K and still purrs). Upon closer inspection, it was weeping from above (thermostat seal) and leaking down. I didn't examine it closely enough before using the block tester, which showed me that I was wrong about the head gasket and had to look elsewhere for the problem.

I have decide to do the Expedition head gaskets myself. You will see a post on that (seeking advice) soon enough....

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