Maintenance questions on just purchased '12 Expedition w/ 102k miles

[texevora]

Just purchased a '12 Expedition Limited 4WD with the 5.4L Triton V8 and 102K miles. Unfortunately it didn't come with any service records other than the very vague Carfax maintenance entries.

Tried searching the forums but couldn't come up with any definitive answers to a few questions:

1. the service intervals in the maintenance section of the manual don't say anything about timing chain replacement. Should I be worried about anything timing chain-related at 105K (or ever, for that matter)?

2. the green text display on the dash is really dim, and barely readable during the daytime (especially in sunlight). Is that just the way these things are, or is there a way to brighten the display? The dash brightness wheel to the left of the steering wheel only adjusts the dash lighting itself, not the display.

Any advice greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

[JExpedition07]

You shouldn’t even be thinking about a timing chain at 105k forget that thought and keep it out of your head lol. Are your headlights on during the day? If the sun load Sensor is covered it will dim the display to nighttime brightness.

 

[Adieu]

I hear you can swap the dash backlights to LED, it's on my to-do list

Timing chains aren't timing belts, and generally only get replaced routinely if they screwed up the design

 

[texevora]

Thanks for the info. So is it accurate to say that the 5.4L Triton has a timing chain that should last the life of the motor?

I keep reading about cam phasing issues and replacing all the timing-related parts. Does the 2012 Expy not have these issues? If I'm not hearing clicking/tapping noises, do I have nothing to worry about?

Adieu, tried searching just for a DIY on converting dash backlighting to LED and came up emptyhanded. If you happen to have a link I'd be interested in reading the thread... The green backlighting makes the car look like it's from the 80s.

 

[deweysmith]

I just did pretty much the same thing in June!

I bought it with 175k km (108k miles) and have since put on about 13k km (cross-country road trips) and I just put about $350 into scheduled maintenance.

• Change air filter
• Change coolant
• Replace spark plugs/boots

I was also due for an oil change, so I put in some Mobil 1 5w-20 and a new Motorcraft filter. These were all the big items that were on the maintenance schedule… air filter at 90k miles, plugs at 97.5k, coolant at 105k. The air filter may have been done as scheduled but it was a piece of junk CarQuest filter, the Motorcraft is way better. Plugs definitely weren't done, and the coolant was looking pretty pinkish, not the dark orange that it is now.

She's ready for another 6000km, which I'm gonna put on her next week!

Of note, I did have a minor phaser sound and some hesitation before I changed the oil. I checked with the mechanic that did the oil last, and they put conventional 5w-20 in instead of synthetic or even synthetic blend! With the new, nice oil, it runs much better and no more phaser sound. It does have REALLY loud injectors, though.

 

[Adieu]

Thanks for the info. So is it accurate to say that the 5.4L Triton has a timing chain that should last the life of the motor?

I keep reading about cam phasing issues and replacing all the timing-related parts. Does the 2012 Expy not have these issues? If I'm not hearing clicking/tapping noises, do I have nothing to worry about?

Adieu, tried searching just for a DIY on converting dash backlighting to LED and came up emptyhanded. If you happen to have a link I'd be interested in reading the thread... The green backlighting makes the car look like it's from the 80s.

1) There's an F150 video and probably Superduty videos too... since the dash on a 3rd gen is a blend of reused F150 and Superduty solutions....

2) Amazon goes so far as to recommend a specific bulb. They're usually (although NOT always) right. I added a packet of em to an order that was short of the $35 to feee shipping and got like 60 LED bulbs (6 colors 10 ea I think?)...for like $8.99 or 12.99

Havent opened up the dash to check if their recommendation was correct yet, though.

This is what they said would fit:

 

[Adieu]

I just did pretty much the same thing in June!

I bought it with 175k km (108k miles) and have since put on about 13k km (cross-country road trips) and I just put about $350 into scheduled maintenance.

• Change air filter
• Change coolant
• Replace spark plugs/boots

I was also due for an oil change, so I put in some Mobil 1 5w-20 and a new Motorcraft filter. These were all the big items that were on the maintenance schedule… air filter at 90k miles, plugs at 97.5k, coolant at 105k. The air filter may have been done as scheduled but it was a piece of junk CarQuest filter, the Motorcraft is way better. Plugs definitely weren't done, and the coolant was looking pretty pinkish, not the dark orange that it is now.

She's ready for another 6000km, which I'm gonna put on her next week!

Of note, I did have a minor phaser sound and some hesitation before I changed the oil. I checked with the mechanic that did the oil last, and they put conventional 5w-20 in instead of synthetic or even synthetic blend! With the new, nice oil, it runs much better and no more phaser sound. It does have REALLY loud injectors, though.

Coolant should be "ford gold" (or zerex g-05), which looks more like urine than "dark orange"...sounds like you got generic in the wrong spec, maybe???

5w20 was reputedly an emmissions-necessitated "choice" of recommendation, at least the "20" part... seems like plenty of people run Full Synth 5w30 and 5w40, as long as it's a 5w.

I've gone with Rotella T6 Diesel 5w40 last couple times, seems to quiet the motor down...possibly at the cost of 0.5mpg

 

[FisherPete]

Same rig I drive. I have 92,000 on mine and it feels like it's just getting broken in. The big service is the 95,000 mile tune up, which includes plugs and solenoids. Make sure that was done as scheduled. I'd bet someone who sold at 102K didn't do that service.

As for the dash LEDs, the little box of lights in the center of the console are two-phase. The bright phase is ok, but the dark phase is awful. I don't know that it's possible to do anything about it that works satisfactorily.

Fluids are weird in the '12. I can't remember exactly, but I think the front differential and the transfer case have synthetic but the rear differential is non-synthetic. It's just weird, but the service interval for those is forever.

Pete

Just purchased a '12 Expedition Limited 4WD with the 5.4L Triton V8 and 102K miles. Unfortunately it didn't come with any service records other than the very vague Carfax maintenance entries.

Tried searching the forums but couldn't come up with any definitive answers to a few questions:

1. the service intervals in the maintenance section of the manual don't say anything about timing chain replacement. Should I be worried about anything timing chain-related at 105K (or ever, for that matter)?

2. the green text display on the dash is really dim, and barely readable during the daytime (especially in sunlight). Is that just the way these things are, or is there a way to brighten the display? The dash brightness wheel to the left of the steering wheel only adjusts the dash lighting itself, not the display.

Any advice greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

[Adieu]

Same rig I drive. I have 92,000 on mine and it feels like it's just getting broken in. The big service is the 95,000 mile tune up, which includes plugs and solenoids. Make sure that was done as scheduled. I'd bet someone who sold at 102K didn't do that service.

As for the dash LEDs, the little box of lights in the center of the console are two-phase. The bright phase is ok, but the dark phase is awful. I don't know that it's possible to do anything about it that works satisfactorily.

Fluids are weird in the '12. I can't remember exactly, but I think the front differential and the transfer case have synthetic but the rear differential is non-synthetic. It's just weird, but the service interval for those is forever.

Pete

Solenoids? What solenoids??

 

[deweysmith]

Fluids are weird in the '12. I can't remember exactly, but I think the front differential and the transfer case have synthetic but the rear differential is non-synthetic. It's just weird, but the service interval for those is forever.

It's just the opposite. The rear diff is synthetic and lubed for life, no service required, unless it's ever submerged in water. The front diff and transfer case are included in the 150k mile service, along with the transmission fluid/filter.

Solenoids? What solenoids??

That's what I was gonna say!

 

[Adieu]

150k tranny = 1st fluid swap or 2nd?

Cuz I got mine @157k, seriously doubt it had the 150k service... now at 175k, wondering if it's worth doing or far too late????

 

[deweysmith]

Coolant should be "ford gold" (or zerex g-05), which looks more like urine than "dark orange"...sounds like you got generic in the wrong spec, maybe???

Nah, service manual and my owners manual both say VC-3-B (WSS-M97B44-D) which is orange. Even the Ford owner website says "change orange coolant" on the maintenance schedule. Bought the Motorcraft concentrate since I couldn't find any generics that met that WSS spec number up here in Canada and shipping 5 gallons of concentrate would have been the same price.

PLUS after all the flushing I had just under half the system capacity of pure water in there, so I added just shy of 10 quarts of concentrate and am topping off with water as it burps over time, so the mix should be perfect.

 

[deweysmith]

150k tranny = 1st fluid swap or 2nd?

The first. Do it up!

 

[lbv150]

Solenoids? What solenoids??

There are 2 cam phaser solenoids. You only need to change them if the cam phasers start ticking. Most times that will quite the cams down. They have tiny oil passages and fine screens that can get plugged with too long intervals of oil changes or oil heavier than 5w-20. The 5w-20 oil and frequent changes are needed in these motors with the small passages in the cam phasers. People can say what they want but I have stuck to 3K oil changes with the recommended viscosity on all our vehicles and never ever had an engine issue.

 

[JExpedition07]

The

150k tranny = 1st fluid swap or 2nd?

Cuz I got mine @157k, seriously doubt it had the 150k service... now at 175k, wondering if it's worth doing or far too late????

It’s never too late.... many people have disposed that myth. Im taking mine to the shop next week for a fluid change

 

[deweysmith]

Yeah, the only thing "late" fluid changes do on a transmission is expose a clutch pack that is so worn that it probably would have started slipping within a few thousand miles, since the friction material suspended in the oil is the only thing keeping it gripping.

 

[mjhicks]

I have the same issue in my '12 with the green information display. Very difficult to read during the day, as it is so dim. If you find a way to brighten them, I'd love to hear it!

 

[theoldwizard1]

First, you can download the Owner's Manual. It will give you the specs on fluids. (FYI - 5W20 is recommended to increase fuel economy.)

For "peace of mind" I would have the transmission fluid AND the 4WD fluid changed AT THE DEALER. I don't trust most other places to use the correct replacement fluid.

Third, timing chain, and all components that is touches or are directly related to it, were still an issue in 2012. There is a TSB out on the VCT solenoids (TSB12-07-10). IF you are planning on keeping the vehicle for a long time and IF you have to have any work done on the ANY of the cam timing components, seriously consider replacing everything; chain, guides, solenoids, phasers and oil pump. This should save a huge amount on labor.

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

Just purchased a '12 Expedition Limited 4WD with the 5.4L Triton V8 and 102K miles. Unfortunately it didn't come with any service records other than the very vague Carfax maintenance entries.

Tried searching the forums but couldn't come up with any definitive answers to a few questions:

1. the service intervals in the maintenance section of the manual don't say anything about timing chain replacement. Should I be worried about anything timing chain-related at 105K (or ever, for that matter)?

2. the green text display on the dash is really dim, and barely readable during the daytime (especially in sunlight). Is that just the way these things are, or is there a way to brighten the display? The dash brightness wheel to the left of the steering wheel only adjusts the dash lighting itself, not the display.

Any advice greatly appreciated, thanks!

Belated congratulations on your purchase. When I bought my 05 in 2013. It had 119,000 miles on it. I had all of the fluids changed because I didn't know the service history and that way I had a baseline. I traded it in for my new 17 and it had 146K on it, with the original timing chain. It was making a ticking sound and the dealer said that I would probably have to do the timing chain and tensioners when it hit 170,000 miles. If I had kept it my plan was to do the Cam Phasers, the tensioners, the guides, timing chains the VCT solenoids and an oil pump. I would have also replaced any rocker arms or anything else that needed replacing while the front and valve covers were off the engine.

I had the same issue with the green LED display. I could never see it in the daylight. I never found a way to make it brighter.

 

[haviland]

I bought my 2011 Expy new and it now has 92k on the clock. I've got some ticking for about 10 seconds or so at start-ups. I tried Lucas at the last couple of oil changes and it hasn't seemed to have done much good.

What are the long term effects of the ticking noise? Should I be concerned?

From what I've been reading on this thread it seems as though I may need to change the 2 cam phaser solenoids. Is this the way to go? Approximate cost?