Expedition speakers cutting out and crackling. Just bought.

[Serth21]

Good afternoon,

I just bought a used 2020 Expedition limited with 60 thousand miles from a Ford dealer. During the test drive the speakers operated fine... I think. On the drive home it started raining and I started to notice that every 10-15 minutes the speakers would cut out for a quarter second and resume normally. I figured it maybe was an issue with Android auto audio. Eventually during the drive it stopped raining and I get back to the house and I load up some stuff for a drive and 1 hour later I start the truck. All the speakers in the truck start taking turns crackling and popping and the entire speaker system starts cutting out for a few seconds at a time. I unplugged my phone and tuned into FM radio and it was still the same issue. Turned off the truck and let it reset and still the same issue... I drove off because I had to leave and the issue persisted for another minute or so and at first got worse (longer audio silences) and eventually started improving. About 4 minutes into the ride the audio acted perfectly fine for the next 20 minutes.... Does anyone have an idea of what could be going on? Is this something that is going to keep happening? I texted the salesman who sold me the truck and he said "I'll see what I can do about it tomorrow..." For 35k~ish, dollars I was hoping to not have these issues...

It's hard to say but maybe I did hear the audio cutting out for a quarter second during the test drive... I really can't say if I did or not I was really listening for other things...


Also also I wonder if anyone else experienced a mechanical thump sound when going below or above 18mph. And sometimes a hard shift while decelerating at 8mph....

 

[SyndicateZ]

Good afternoon,

I just bought a used 2020 Expedition limited with 60 thousand miles from a Ford dealer. During the test drive the speakers operated fine... I think. On the drive home it started raining and I started to notice that every 10-15 minutes the speakers would cut out for a quarter second and resume normally. I figured it maybe was an issue with Android auto audio. Eventually during the drive it stopped raining and I get back to the house and I load up some stuff for a drive and 1 hour later I start the truck. All the speakers in the truck start taking turns crackling and popping and the entire speaker system starts cutting out for a few seconds at a time. I unplugged my phone and tuned into FM radio and it was still the same issue. Turned off the truck and let it reset and still the same issue... I drove off because I had to leave and the issue persisted for another minute or so and at first got worse (longer audio silences) and eventually started improving. About 4 minutes into the ride the audio acted perfectly fine for the next 20 minutes.... Does anyone have an idea of what could be going on? Is this something that is going to keep happening? I texted the salesman who sold me the truck and he said "I'll see what I can do about it tomorrow..." For 35k~ish, dollars I was hoping to not have these issues...

It's hard to say but maybe I did hear the audio cutting out for a quarter second during the test drive... I really can't say if I did or not I was really listening for other things...


Also also I wonder if anyone else experienced a mechanical thump sound when going below or above 18mph. And sometimes a hard shift while decelerating at 8mph....

Your transmission needs a rebuild

 

[Serth21]

Your transmission needs a rebuild

That's excellent news to hear day one... I supposedly have full drivetrain warranty... Have you had that issue before? I wonder how resistant Ford would be to do doing that.

 

[SyndicateZ]

That's excellent news to hear day one... I supposedly have full drivetrain warranty... Have you had that issue before? I wonder how resistant Ford would be to do doing that.

Yea, the harsh transmissions shifts, etc are a common issue with these transmissions and the fix is a new updated CDF drum normally. Ford is well aware of this and they have developed a fix for it. Many threads on this in this forum as well. If you have powertrain warranty or Ford extended service plan, you are covered.

 

[Serth21]

Yea, the harsh transmissions shifts, etc are a common issue with these transmissions and the fix is a new updated CDF drum normally. Ford is well aware of this and they have developed a fix for it. Many threads on this in this forum as well. If you have powertrain warranty or Ford extended service plan, you are covered.

I guess I will just drive it over the weekend and see if it was just a fluke since it only happened twice in sport mode within like 3 hours of driving, maybe it was trying to exhaust break or was the weird auto learning issue... It'll be a bit before I can bring it in as well.

You sound really knowledgeable, do you think you have any idea what the issue with the speakers are? I doubt Ford will cover it.

 

[Bmac1955]

To stay on topic. Perhaps googling a incar factory reset to the computers in vehicle. I am not sure of the procedures that are entailed in the process. Although, I did see one for a freezing of info on the screen. Not sure what model years this would include. Although, any reboot to the computers in these vehicles may be helpful. This is to stay on topic. Also, any statements to say said vehicle needs a Trans o'haul without symptoms is outside of the box. Perhaps someday it may but perhaps it way done before you purchased it. I would suggest inquiring about work done on file. That would be helpful for you.

 

[SilverStealth]

I had an older car where the speakers would cut out. I never figured out the exact cause, but I ended up cleaning up the ground contacts, reran new wiring and put in new speakers. This solved the problem. The old wiring was pretty beat up and the grounds definitely needed to be cleaned up.

 

[Serth21]

To stay on topic. Perhaps googling a incar factory reset to the computers in vehicle. I am not sure of the procedures that are entailed in the process. Although, I did see one for a freezing of info on the screen. Not sure what model years this would include. Although, any reboot to the computers in these vehicles may be helpful. This is to stay on topic. Also, any statements to say said vehicle needs a Trans o'haul without symptoms is outside of the box. Perhaps someday it may but perhaps it way done before you purchased it. I would suggest inquiring about work done on file. That would be helpful for you.

Thank you. I will mention that to Ford. Luckily the salesman said he will have his service dept look at it Tuesday. About the trans and the speakers. The screens and everything work fine it seems the issue is isolated to the speakers so maybe a reset would still be helpful for it...? I feel as if it could be water intrusion or bad ground/wiring... I doubt they can't find anything thought if it's going to be intermittent... And I doubt they'll care about the transmission until it blows or starts actually slipping..

Thank you for making me feel a little better about the trans. I've worked on a lot of things in my older vehicles but I am totally new to the 10-speed and admittedly never had trans issues even in my 20yo trucks so I have no experience with those issues. I will request the service records when I bring my truck. I've heard the 10 speeds act weird but besides the noise at 18mph and the 1 out of 60 times it'll shift slightly hard at 8mph (maybe engine break??) it doesn't slip or anything weird. 60k miles seems so young to repair a transmission... Does those symptoms really sound like a 10 speed on its way out?

 

[Serth21]

I had an older car where the speakers would cut out. I never figured out the exact cause, but I ended up cleaning up the ground contacts, reran new wiring and put in new speakers. This solved the problem. The old wiring was pretty beat up and the grounds definitely needed to be cleaned up.

I've had the same symptoms as this in my 2006 f250 when the driver side speaker was wired by the previous lunatics. Wrapping just the copper around the termination on the speaker. It would crackle and pop and turn off all of the speakers until I kicked it hard as hell with my work boot. Then they'd all work for a while. It was ALWAYS worse in the rain... Always was too lazy to put a female spade on it though lol...

But that's what makes me think this could possibly be a similar issue? I bought this expedition for a not insignificant price, yesterday, 60k miles and it's 5 years old lol. I really don't want to run all new wires in it or start beating the paneling like it owes me money lol. It just seems so young to be having these issues if wired correctly from the factory ...

 

[Bmac1955]

An apparent issue is when cold and driving off. If there is a lull in shift ( flat spot or hesitation ) between 3 and 5 inwhich mine did it was o hauled.