Expediton cutting out while driving?

[gdgood]

My 2003 Expedition keeps stalling out while driving. At first no check engine light but now service engine light comes on and stays on. Always restarts no problem and i can drive another mile or so but out of nowhere it will stall out again. When it's running it seems perfect but will suddenly turn off while going down the road. Very strange but don't know what to think. Any ideas or experiences would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Marc]

Is it just while driving, what if you just let it sit there and idle/run, will it end up dying as well?

I have a thread a few down titled "Newbie With Big Problems" mine's having the same symtoms and then some, but I never really tryed and to drive it far.

It's at the Ford dealer now, they said my alt. is not charging, which I already new that and told them that the 1st day. I guess he didn't understand me, I told him I garuantee it is not the alt.
And since the pcm doesn't have anything to do with the alt. (atleast on a 98) it has to be somewhere between the alt and ignition.

May not have helped at all but maybe my outcome will help as soon as find out I'll post.


Marc

 

[gdgood]

engine cutting out

yes all three times while driving. had it scanned to day by local mechanic and the code comes up a "ignition/distributor engine speed input circuit malfunction". he says it's kind of a head scratcher because it does not give a specific problem like a particular 02 sensor or any other sensors in the truck. he could tell me everything including how fast i was going when it turned itself off but cannot specify the exact reason for the shutdown. he reset the code and told me to drive it local for a few days and if it comes up again bring it in and he will try to get a better read. so far he has not charged me so i feel he is trustworthy. i just don't trus the car to drive to work or put my kids in, etc. any more input is greatly appreciated. thanks agian.

 

[GAINMOB]

did either of you put on a new intake or took off/placed back on the intake? that was my problem...some how the intake came loose and was sucking in a lot of air behind the MAF sensor...it would die out at idle and while driving...ensure everything was tight...no probs...

 

[gdgood]

cutting out while driving

didn't even think of checking that. no we did not remove the intake, etc. but like you said it may have come loose. i will check it and see what i find out. also did your throw a code on the dash when it happenned?

 

[GAINMOB]

the check engine light came on everytime when it cut out...im throwing a P1000 code now...i took off the K&N air filter and cleaned it...ELVATO sent me a link on how to fix it...but i dont have a clue...

 

[gdgood]

engine cutting out

Hey marc....what was the outcome of your situation? I think i might have found the solution to my issue. i found a post on a ford site where my symptoms are described and it turned out that the wiring harness to the alternator has a tendency to fail. there was a ford bulletin describing it and there is a new part to replace the original. good news is it's only a $35.00 part at the dealer. for that cheap i am willing to try it and see if it works. picked up part today and will install tomorrow. i will post an update.

 

[Marc]

That's great to hear and at $35 I'd def. try and wouldn't doubt that was the problem.
Believe or not the dealer has yet to call.
You have the part # to that harness as well as the link to the other forum please?
That way I can tell them, I figured since they work on them they would know pretty quick, guess not. lol

 

[Marc]

Any updates??

 

[golfman7621]

Mine is doing the same thing. 2003 with 5.4L engine. Driving down the road and it dies. Would love to hear if anyone has actually solved this problem. Google it and it comes up on a hundred different websites but there are very few actual solutions posted. Let me know if y'all come up with anything.

Rob Riddle

 

[GAINMOB]

Hey marc....what was the outcome of your situation? I think i might have found the solution to my issue. i found a post on a ford site where my symptoms are described and it turned out that the wiring harness to the alternator has a tendency to fail. there was a ford bulletin describing it and there is a new part to replace the original. good news is it's only a $35.00 part at the dealer. for that cheap i am willing to try it and see if it works. picked up part today and will install tomorrow. i will post an update.

i would say message this dude or email if his profile provides that and see

 

[svalencia]

think i have same issue

I posted in the 1st generation forum, mine also stalls but the air pulses and the interior lights dim while driving, do you have a solution?

 

[GAINMOB]

i would check alternator/battery...might have bad diodes or something with the alt which in turn will drain battery

 

[Thermo]

svalencia, check your power wires running between the alternator back to the starter solenoid and the wiring between the battery and the main fuse box. If you have a wire that is damaged and it is starting to short out to the body of the truck, it will cause what you are seeing. It should be fairly obvious if you have damaged wiring as the wiring in a spot will be worn away and may even be discolored/charred due to excessive heat.

 

[rperreta]

Problem Solved and at no cost!

Special thanks to a user on Edmunds that posted this - It saved me and many others a ton of money I'm sure.

SOLUTION:

Find the bracket that connects the alternator to the positive terminal on your battery.

If you start at the battery + terminal it has 2 red wires coming out of it. They are both usually red and about the same thickness. One of them goes into a long black rectangle clip that says "fusable Link" or something like that. Then comes out the other side and goes to the alternator.

Past the fusable link box there will be 2 wires that split off of this wire. If you are in front of the truck one wire runs towards you and is pretty short. It plugs into another wire. The second wire is longer and it runs away from you THIS IS the wire you need to follow. It runs back towards the battery into a plug under it.

Follow this wire from where it comes off of the big wire. You will find it resting on a silver/aluminum tube (its an AC pipe) Flip the wire over where it is touching this pipe, you will find the wire is rubbed down to the bare metal!!! It is randomly shorting out your engine and you will STALL. If I didn't by the part I would try to tape it up, tape the pipe it rests on as well or get some foam tubing for the pipe, if the wires are too worn, looks like you could always use a wire nut.

 

[Fla_ford_owner]

I have a 2003 Expedition, 209000 miles. In 2015 the engine stalled 9 times over 11 months; 2x waiting at a traffic light, 4x at 70MPH on the interstate, 3x at residential speeds, a couple other random times. Turn the key off restart (sometimes it cranked for 15 seconds before starting) but it always restarted. On the interstate I would just put the tranny in Neutral, turn off the key, and restart and continue like nothing happened. Full fuel tank, half full tank, nearly empty tank - didn't make a difference. Fuel filter was new/replaced. Didn't make a difference. No codes. Essentially an un-diagnosable problem. Until I read the forums.

The first item I checked was the wire and taped it up that someone referenced ("You will find it resting on a silver/aluminum tube (its an AC pipe) Flip the wire over where it is touching this pipe, you will find the wire is rubbed down to the bare metal!!! It is randomly shorting out your engine and you will STALL")

That was not the cause of my problem.

During my Thanksgiving 2015 trip the expedition stalled 9 times and would not restart and had to be towed. ....Fortunately.
I insisted the mechanic go straight to the inside fuse box at the passenger side of the truck. The relay was fried, from dripping / leaking water from the windshield. He also said the heater core seemed like it might have been dripping at one point as well, onto the fuse box. Either way - we replaced the fuse box (put a cover of loose plastic cover over the fuse box). He gave me the old fuse box for inspection. No problems for 50+ days. (as I write this it is now 1/14/16). It is important that I share this tip, as the stalling for no reason part has happened to scores of folks.