GONS
Member
A few random repair items after purchasing a 2004 Lincoln Navigator RWD 141k miles.
I purchased a 2004 Lincoln Navigator, RWD, with only background being a handful of pictures at auction. I saw in pictures the Navigator was sitting on its tires, but that was it. I went to the auction house, the Navigator started and smelled real bad. The check suspension was displayed on dash. I drove the Navigator 25 miles home. What a crazy bouncy ride.
Started working on the suspension. Replaced the air compressor, still no air shocks being filled. Did some research and discovered the Navigator needs to see the doors be open and shut to kick on the air compressor. The SUV was not seeing the doors being opened or shut, no auto headlights, and radio would not turn off after exiting the SUV.
The smell was from sitting water. Went to the fuse box, lots of corrosion. Replaced the 2004 fuse box with a 2006 navigator fuse box. Still no auto lights, radio still stays on, etc. Replaced the VSM using a 2006 Navigator as a donor, no improvement. Did some research, found out about the purple wires and the white and read wires in the interior rocker panel splices being corroded. Replaced those splices, solved some of the problems, but not all of them. Still no auto headlights, radio staying on after exiting vehicle, etc.
Replaced the front driver and passenger door sensor switches, no changes. Started to spend time on the purple wires the runs throughout the interior. There are two major purple wire runs. Discovered that when all are hooked up, VDC dropped from 12 VDC to 10 VDC. If I disconnected the purple wire only going to the VSM, but left the rest of the purple wires connected, 12 VDC was maintained.
I checked the keyless entry, which the VSM controls. Keyless entry worked. HMMM. The 2006 VSM still installed, but was dropping the voltage from 12 VDC to 10 VDC. I disconnected all three plugs from the wiring harness to the 2006 VSM, and 12 VDC maintained. For fun, I started the SUV, and found the VSM can be removed and the SUV will still start, run, and drive. With the VSM removed I still had no autolights, radio still stayed on after exiting SUV, etc.
Put the original 2004 VSM back in the SUV, and 12 VDC maintained, and now had autolights functioning, radio turned off after exciting SUV, etc. Good sign. Discovered a 2006 VSM will not work in a 2004. It may be a programming issue, I have no idea. Maybe the 2006 VSM has an error. Had I found the bad wiring instead of replacing the VSM, I would have saved a few days of troubleshooting. Lesson learned, VSM should be replaced only after exhausting every other possibility of electrical issues on a 2004 Navigator.
Air suspension compressor now comes on, but the shocks displayed no sign of filling up. SUV was still sitting on its tires. A few days earlier, I replaced all the suspension ride height sensors, using the 2006 Navigator as the source for sensors. Discovered two things. Although the sensors all have the same part number and visually look exactly the same, the front left, front right, and rear are distinct. I have no idea why. The front right was originally bad. Went back to the pic a part, found a 2003 Navigator, pulled the front right and installed it. Bingo, the shocks are now trying to rise and fill. Want to mention the 2006 Navigator ride height sensors do not have brackets. The 2003-2004 Navigators have brackets. The sensor will mount with or without the bracket. Troubleshooting implied if the sensor had a bracket, the bracket must be used and can’t be bypassed.
Now the air springs are trying to fill, back held pressure. Front still a no go. All the air springs are rotted front and back. Ordered from Arnott new front air springs, they should arrive in a few days. For the rear, I ordered new Gabriel shocks, OEM air springs, and Mevotech rear mounts. I am keeping the air suspension as I will use this SUV for towing and research suggested the coils on the rear end sags with heavier towing loads.
As part of troubleshooting, I installed the air suspension module from the 2006 Navigator into the 2004. What I discovered from this is the Navigator no longer knew it had air suspension. This is important for two reasons, one is the air suspension module from a 2006 to a 2004 can’t be seamlessly swapped (research also implied any air suspension module replacement required Ford dealer calibration). But the bigger discovery- instead of buying a $300 aftermarket module to eliminate air shock error after replacing air shocks with coils, installing a used 2006 Navigator air suspension module in a 2003-2004 Navigator may accomplish the mission in telling the Navigator it no longer has air suspension.
Finally, I lifted up on the gear shift knob and it broke into pieces. Ford discontinued these knobs. One for sale (new) in the USA, $204 USD. One can buy the entire shift assembly at the dealer, which implies it comes with the knob, for retail of $640. Discounter Ford online have the part for around $450. All the used knobs/ assemblies on Ebay look bad to real, real bad….
And an important note. Ford had a lot of fuse box issues with the 2nd generation Expedition/ Navigator. The issues centered on a non-accessible fuel pump relay. One can ship their fuse box to an independent shop to have this issue fixed. Ford fixed this fuse box issue in later built 2005s, and all 2006s. Many suggest a 2006 2nd GEN fuse box won’t work in a earlier 2nd GEN. All indications show that a 2006 2nd GEN fuse box will seamlessly work in a 2004 2nd GEN. A few fuses may needed to be resized, and a relay moved, but I have seen zero signs of non-backward compatibility.
I purchased a 2004 Lincoln Navigator, RWD, with only background being a handful of pictures at auction. I saw in pictures the Navigator was sitting on its tires, but that was it. I went to the auction house, the Navigator started and smelled real bad. The check suspension was displayed on dash. I drove the Navigator 25 miles home. What a crazy bouncy ride.
Started working on the suspension. Replaced the air compressor, still no air shocks being filled. Did some research and discovered the Navigator needs to see the doors be open and shut to kick on the air compressor. The SUV was not seeing the doors being opened or shut, no auto headlights, and radio would not turn off after exiting the SUV.
The smell was from sitting water. Went to the fuse box, lots of corrosion. Replaced the 2004 fuse box with a 2006 navigator fuse box. Still no auto lights, radio still stays on, etc. Replaced the VSM using a 2006 Navigator as a donor, no improvement. Did some research, found out about the purple wires and the white and read wires in the interior rocker panel splices being corroded. Replaced those splices, solved some of the problems, but not all of them. Still no auto headlights, radio staying on after exiting vehicle, etc.
Replaced the front driver and passenger door sensor switches, no changes. Started to spend time on the purple wires the runs throughout the interior. There are two major purple wire runs. Discovered that when all are hooked up, VDC dropped from 12 VDC to 10 VDC. If I disconnected the purple wire only going to the VSM, but left the rest of the purple wires connected, 12 VDC was maintained.
I checked the keyless entry, which the VSM controls. Keyless entry worked. HMMM. The 2006 VSM still installed, but was dropping the voltage from 12 VDC to 10 VDC. I disconnected all three plugs from the wiring harness to the 2006 VSM, and 12 VDC maintained. For fun, I started the SUV, and found the VSM can be removed and the SUV will still start, run, and drive. With the VSM removed I still had no autolights, radio still stayed on after exiting SUV, etc.
Put the original 2004 VSM back in the SUV, and 12 VDC maintained, and now had autolights functioning, radio turned off after exciting SUV, etc. Good sign. Discovered a 2006 VSM will not work in a 2004. It may be a programming issue, I have no idea. Maybe the 2006 VSM has an error. Had I found the bad wiring instead of replacing the VSM, I would have saved a few days of troubleshooting. Lesson learned, VSM should be replaced only after exhausting every other possibility of electrical issues on a 2004 Navigator.
Air suspension compressor now comes on, but the shocks displayed no sign of filling up. SUV was still sitting on its tires. A few days earlier, I replaced all the suspension ride height sensors, using the 2006 Navigator as the source for sensors. Discovered two things. Although the sensors all have the same part number and visually look exactly the same, the front left, front right, and rear are distinct. I have no idea why. The front right was originally bad. Went back to the pic a part, found a 2003 Navigator, pulled the front right and installed it. Bingo, the shocks are now trying to rise and fill. Want to mention the 2006 Navigator ride height sensors do not have brackets. The 2003-2004 Navigators have brackets. The sensor will mount with or without the bracket. Troubleshooting implied if the sensor had a bracket, the bracket must be used and can’t be bypassed.
Now the air springs are trying to fill, back held pressure. Front still a no go. All the air springs are rotted front and back. Ordered from Arnott new front air springs, they should arrive in a few days. For the rear, I ordered new Gabriel shocks, OEM air springs, and Mevotech rear mounts. I am keeping the air suspension as I will use this SUV for towing and research suggested the coils on the rear end sags with heavier towing loads.
As part of troubleshooting, I installed the air suspension module from the 2006 Navigator into the 2004. What I discovered from this is the Navigator no longer knew it had air suspension. This is important for two reasons, one is the air suspension module from a 2006 to a 2004 can’t be seamlessly swapped (research also implied any air suspension module replacement required Ford dealer calibration). But the bigger discovery- instead of buying a $300 aftermarket module to eliminate air shock error after replacing air shocks with coils, installing a used 2006 Navigator air suspension module in a 2003-2004 Navigator may accomplish the mission in telling the Navigator it no longer has air suspension.
Finally, I lifted up on the gear shift knob and it broke into pieces. Ford discontinued these knobs. One for sale (new) in the USA, $204 USD. One can buy the entire shift assembly at the dealer, which implies it comes with the knob, for retail of $640. Discounter Ford online have the part for around $450. All the used knobs/ assemblies on Ebay look bad to real, real bad….
And an important note. Ford had a lot of fuse box issues with the 2nd generation Expedition/ Navigator. The issues centered on a non-accessible fuel pump relay. One can ship their fuse box to an independent shop to have this issue fixed. Ford fixed this fuse box issue in later built 2005s, and all 2006s. Many suggest a 2006 2nd GEN fuse box won’t work in a earlier 2nd GEN. All indications show that a 2006 2nd GEN fuse box will seamlessly work in a 2004 2nd GEN. A few fuses may needed to be resized, and a relay moved, but I have seen zero signs of non-backward compatibility.
