2002 expy showing it's age?

[Les Reed]

Hey all, over the last year the repairs on my 1st gen expy have been mounting up and i'm having trouble knowing when to say when. The truck is in great shape and has received all the TLC it has required. Just got it back from my mechanic for a water pump, tensioner pulley, and idler. For the second time he flushed the heater core in an attempt to get more heat. On the way home it started stuttering and had a hard time staying up to speed. The check engine light came on. Mechanic stopped by and ran the codes as cylinder 2 misfire. He felt there may be some water in the pack so he removed it from the plug and cleaned it up. Took it out for a pretty good ride and it seemed to get better but what I noticed was at a stop light the idle would get choppy almost to the point of stalling. The engine light did not come back on but when he read the code it also showed that there was a cylinder 8 issue pending. Never heard of a pending code before. The truck has about 194k on it and a major issue could certainly be coming. I'd love some input and suggestions. I've had a lot of fun with this truck since I purchased it almost three years ago and would love to keep it a lot longer. It's a 2002 xlt, auto with the 5.4

 

[71Rcode]

They choppy idle sounds fairly minor (may need new COPs on several/all of your cylinders). How long has it been since you've changed all the COPs versus cleaning them? You may do that as a next step to rule out any COP-related misfires. After I changed my intake manifold gasket (passenger side plug wells were filling with engine oil due to leaking valve cover gasket), I was experiencing choppy idle (COPs have probably 20k on them) and I'd forgotten to reconnect one of the injector plugs... so little things like will affect the idle.

Also, did your mechanic have any opinions to the source of the moisture in that cylinder causing the misfire? Had you gone offroad or washed the engine compartment? Hoping it's not related to a coolant leak. You might ask him.

 

[Machete]

Knowing when to say when on these ole gals is tough.

I just did fuel pump, fuel filter, spark plugs and boots. Did my normal trip Illinois to Florida and back approximately 2000 miles and got a P0442 code which is EVAP leak.

Pissed me off.

So happens fuel vent rubber hose was disintegrated and small vapor leak.

My coil n shock kit to replace my air ride needs replacement and there’s another $500-$600.

So the question is when is a $500 mo payment better?

 

[Plati]

Knowing when to say when on these ole gals is tough.

I just did fuel pump, fuel filter, spark plugs and boots. Did my normal trip Illinois to Florida and back approximately 2000 miles and got a P0442 code which is EVAP leak.

Pissed me off.

So happens fuel vent rubber hose was disintegrated and small vapor leak.

My coil n shock kit to replace my air ride needs replacement and there’s another $500-$600.

So the question is when is a $500 mo payment better?

My 2003 … is averaging $800/year in repairs … and I could easily sell for $1500.
But it's not just a ca$h question.

I like having 2 vehicles, the 2003 is my BEATER, and I loan it out to friends as needed.
I can haul manure in it and not worry if someone dings it in a parking lot.
I use it for short trips in the salt bath & avoid wear & tear on my 2014EL.

I stopped fixing things that I can live without (like quarter panels).
Blower only runs on high.
Rear diff has slow leak so I top it off every 1000 miles.
It might run for years like this? Its kind of an experiment.

The next mandatory $1000 repair bill … it goes to the junkyard.

 

[Machete]

Yup. But mine is a cream puff. No dings, no body rust, maintained w open check book. Original paint that shines like it came out of the assembly plant.

 

[Machete]

 

[Vancouver Bob]

They choppy idle sounds fairly minor (may need new COPs on several/all of your cylinders). How long has it been since you've changed all the COPs versus cleaning them? You may do that as a next step to rule out any COP-related misfires. After I changed my intake manifold gasket (passenger side plug wells were filling with engine oil due to leaking valve cover gasket), I was experiencing choppy idle (COPs have probably 20k on them) and I'd forgotten to reconnect one of the injector plugs... so little things like will affect the idle.

Also, did your mechanic have any opinions to the source of the moisture in that cylinder causing the misfire? Had you gone offroad or washed the engine compartment? Hoping it's not related to a coolant leak. You might ask him.

+1 on the COP replacement. I had similar symptoms and finally replaced all COP's and plugs. I think I had close to 200K on the originals so figured it was overdue. I was a little intimidated by the stories I read about plugs breaking and a couple being a bear to get to but the job actually wasn't too bad. Ran great afterward.

 

[Killer Ride]

Also check to see if it has a clogged cats.
Take it to an exhaust guy and have him do a back pressure test. When codes start jumping around like that it could be time to replace them. You could just take the top 2 out instead of replacing all four

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Killer Ride]

Unless you in California

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Les Reed]

Hi All, thanks for the great feedback!! The moisture was caused when he flushed the heater core foe the second time. All 8 plugs were changed within the last 10k miles but the packs have been replaced as needed. My mechanic just picked up all new packs and will replace them all at once

 

[Les Reed]

My exhaust system is like new with no issues

 

[ExplorerTom]

So the question is when is a $500 mo payment better?

I have a spreadsheet where I was looking at it from a “money out of my pocket per month” standpoint back when gas cost a little more. I wanted to know if staying with the same size vehicle but getting one that got better MPGs would be a good idea. My 2000 is paid for and gets 12.5-14 mpg and I assumed a $30,000 loan at 5% for 5 years for a vehicle that got 17-20 mpg. I factored in maintenance on the 2000 vs none on the newer. Higher registration costs of the newer. Higher insurance on the newer..... I felt it was a pretty comprehensive comparison. What I found was that the price of gas would have to be nearly $20/gal driving my 2000 to break even on the newer truck getting better mileage at the price of gas when I did the comparison.

So, similarly, it would have to take a lot of repairs to justify a new(er) vehicle. Your mileage may vary.

 

[rjdelp7]

The new car honeymoon ends around the 3rd payment. No one really gives a rip about other people vehicles. So you are the only one to worry about. A old car breaking down on a regular basis, in not fun either. Keep the Expedition. Rust is the only major thing that kills them.

 

[71Rcode]

Well said!

 

[Machete]

Yup. Your spreadsheet calculation is spot on. I’ve seen the same analysis for diesel vs gas. Cost of gas or the savings thereof never equates to financial justification.

 

[Modelcarguy]

2019 was a pretty rough year for my 2008 too. Knowing when to say when can be complicated, but I go with this thought every time -

if there is no rust in the body, or you can keep the tin worm at bay for a low cost, there is no reason to not keep up maintenance on the truck if it fills your needs.

take the blue book values of your truck and subtract it from the cost of a new one with the same features. (In my case a limited with 4x4 and all the bells and whistles) and you will know how much a replacement will cost in terms of maintaining your existing ride.

the trick here is this do you like your current truck? Can you live with driving an older model? Are you willing to drive it (double the current mileage) into the future? If so spend the time to maintain your lovable beast.

 

[Wegner44]

The cost of basic repairs versus payments is huge. Keeping up on general items that wear out is much more cost effective. Even if you had to replace the engine, it would basically be worth 1 year of payments. Do the math on a new or newer used Expedition and you will see how much that would cost annually.

If your Expy is in good shape, keep up with the repairs and be proud of how nice your older model is. I am. The only way I am getting rid of mine is if it gets into a accident and the insurance company wants to total it. Otherwise, drive the wheels off of it!

 

[Ulver]

I'm 30 years old and have been doing most of my repairs on my own the past 10 years, and I'll say that the pay off for the experience I now have for my Expy is many times over versus buying a brand new vehicle. And that I'm grateful for. Last year I bought my 2001 in very bad condition, and after a year I can say that it's restored closer to the original driving condition with no codes, and no rust. Only a trans first gear issue on cold. It was hard work at times but it has paid off. I still have a student loan I'm paying for, and my debt-to-income percentage still needs work, so another monthly payment on something else is a no go.

 

[ExplorerTom]

Otherwise, drive the wheels off of it!

And then put the wheels back on and keep driving it.

 

[Philbio2k]

The only thing I would add to all of these great comments is to keep driving it until you feasibly can’t anymore and stay a member on here. I’m the original owner of a 2003 XLT 2WD with over 295,000 miles on it. Several years ago, wait no more like a decade ago it started idling rough and that’s when I found this Expedition Forum because someone had posted on here that while it was idling rough, run your fingers along the black rubber hose that goes to the back of the intake and if you feel a rough spot seal it up with your fingers and if the rough idling smooths out, a vacuum leak is the problem. Since then I have been a fan and a member of this site and all you awesome people!