New to me 2004 Expedition maintenance?

[Al Steel]

Hello team,

I picked up an high mileage (248k) 04 XLT 4WD 4.6L back in August for a real good price. Not in the best shape but the frame, motor, and drivetrain were solid. Have driven it daily to 10k (now 259k), enough to know it's fairly reliable and have decided to hold on to it.

I've done basic maintenance and fixed a few issues:
- 2x Oil changes with MC filters and synthetic
- Coolant flush and fill w/ MC Gold
- Battery
- Fuel filter
- L&R front 4WD actuators
- Serpentine belt, idle pulley & tensioner
- Rocker panel and some other underside rust fixes.
- Running board delete
- A few other minor fixes and a serious interior detail.

I'm at the point now where I'm "in for a penny, in for a pound" and would like to perform at least the Ford recommended maintenance that should have been done to this point.

I have ZERO maintenance history on this truck, but everything works (mostly). So my question is what do you guys recommend that I do to make sure it's "baseline" maintained? And what should I be on the lookout for? I'm good with a wrench and do almost all work myself so don't hold back on the suggestions.

I did run through the Ford recommendations but they pretty much stop at 120k and I'm waaay beyond that point.

Might turn this into a mild overlanding rig if $$$ and time presents itself.

Thanks!

 

[kep5niner]

Service the front and rear end, transfer case, transmission, PS fluid and brake fluid. Drop the pan for the trans and replace the filter. I picked up a similar high-mileage ‘03 Eddie Bauer last year - 260k miles - and when I dropped the pan to service the trans, the tell-tale yellow plug was in there from the factory, so that told me in 20 years, that trans filter had never been changed.

Take a look at the spark plugs for possible replacement. If you’re going through the effort to pull one or more out, might as well go back together with new Motorcraft plugs.

The rubber brake lines deteriorate with age and cause dragging brakes. If you’re bleeding them anyway to replace the fluid, now would be a good time to replace them.

Tires. I’d be concerned with anything older than 5-6 years. Oxygen / UV are the enemies of tires. They fail from the inside out, so otherwise good “looking” tires may be on the verge of leaving you on the side of the road.

This forum is a wealth of knowledge. Good luck.

 

[smith627]

I agree with what kep5niner recommended. I have a 2004 Exp 5.4 2v 4x4 with 280,450 miles with no major repairs. It has been the best vehicle I've ever owned in regards to least amount of repairs. Just routine maintenance and easy driving.
It has been garage kept and I bought it in 2005 with 16,000 miles on it.
Original motor, transmission, fuel pump, water pump, power steering pump, alternator, starter, radiator. Only replaced a few water hoses, serp belt, plugs, coil packs, one taillight bulb, a turn signal indicator, sunglass holder door. No suspension repairs and nothing ever repaired on HVAC at all. Have been very fortunate.....knock on wood. I DIY all regular maintenance including brakes. No oil leaks. I will say I installed a transmission drain plug after removing pan a few times (pain in the ___). Years later I found out that you can purchase a trans pan with a drain plug. Best of luck with your Expy.

 

[BigRed2004]

Like @smith627, I agree with @kep5niner on what to look at next. Replacing the transmission filter should definitely be towards the top. I replaced mine on my ‘04 about 2 years ago (19 years vehicle age) and found the yellow plug as well. It is easy to do on the 2WD models, I believe the 4x4s require you drop a crossmember out of the way to lower the pan.

I would also check all the gas powered lifts for how easily they lift. If they lift to a point and then hold, but you can extend the piston a little more, consider replacing them. Super easy and inexpensive. Colder weather time are better for testing as the gas is less excited.

Final thing I can think of would be some Sea Foam Spray through the intake to remove carbon build up throughout the entire intake/exhaust systems.

For a penny saving hack, if your rear A/C blend door motor dies remove the D/+ shaped shaft from the blend door motor box. If you don’t use the one sided floor vent for the 3rd row, and only use the overhead you can set the blend door to overhead and leave the shaft in place without replacing the motor until you want to.

And for your comment on service intervals you can look at the service manuals change intervals and look at the mileage gap to give you a guideline beyond 120K. If something is changed every 30K just keep it at every 30K and so on.

 

[whtbronco]

It is easy to do on the 2WD models, I believe the 4x4s require you drop a crossmember out of the way to lower the pan.

Nah, a wobble extension helps with getting to the rear pan bolts, but the crossmember does not have to be removed or loosened on a 2004 4WD. I've replaced mine several times and never touched the cross member.

 

[BigRed2004]

Well then I retract my comment. Maybe I’m thinking of a different part on the underside of the 4WD.

 

[kep5niner]

You drop the crossmember to lower the trans

 

[smith627]

Whtbronco is correct in that you don't have to move or drop the crossmember to drop the trans pan. My difficulty/pain was after removing all but two bolts and draining as much fluid as I could, I would always spill some (on the ground and me) trying to keep it level lowering it to the ground. I was worried about the little yellow plug the first time I changed fluid and filter at 35,000 miles thinking a part was broken. Then I did some research and found out it came from the factory, attached to bottom of dipstick, as a visual sign to the workers that the dipstick was installed or something like that. Can't remember if that is exactly correct. I was also impressed that the pan had magnet. All my previous GM Olds (very old models) did not have magnet(s) in the trans pans.

 

[whtbronco]

Man that stinkin' dip stick plug has gotten every one of us freaking out at some point in our lives I suppose.