Hi all. First post, haven't really been active in any Expedition forums, though I have in the past in other make/model cars. I have a 2002 XLT with the 4.6. I've been having a very unusual issue with the gauges, among other things.
First of all: the check engine light came on when I was on the highway a couple of weeks ago, and since the manual said it was emissions-related I haven't gotten it looked at yet.
The main problem is: after a small noise (the sound of which I can't exactly recall) the temperature gauge started wobbling back and forth quickly on its own, and would do so periodically for the next week or so. Now, when I start the engine the temp gauge stays at the bottom of the scale, and even when at what I assume to be normal operating temperature, the gauge reads at about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way to the top. So underheating, not overheating. My heat is also weak, and never gets to what one would consider to be uncomfortably hot air to the touch. In the past it was able to get this hot.
The other thing I noticed, and I noticed this the next time I started the engine after the first time the temp gauge freaked out, was the oil pressure gauge and the battery charging indicator gauge now read about 60-65% of the way up, instead of exactly in the middle. This was not as alarming, but I thought it might be related. I'm concerned with oil pressure considerably more than I am whether the battery is charging, because the latter is generally easier to fix.
So, I know I likely need to get this looked at, as there are multiple problems that are unlikely to all be related to an electrical issue, but I wanted to know if you guys knew of anything like this happening to anyone else and if it's serious enough that I need to go, like now. I made it through a couple of pages of searching, but didn't see anything.
Thanks.
Edit: Also remembered that it usually takes two cranks to start the engine, and when cold-started it idles just rough enough to allow one to feel a slight vibration in the cabin that goes away. If you're talking or listening to music you probably wouldn't even notice, but it's definitely present and goes away relatively quickly.
Also, forgot to mention 2wd, 159k miles on the bottom end, ~80k on the top end and upper gaskets including headgasket.
First of all: the check engine light came on when I was on the highway a couple of weeks ago, and since the manual said it was emissions-related I haven't gotten it looked at yet.
The main problem is: after a small noise (the sound of which I can't exactly recall) the temperature gauge started wobbling back and forth quickly on its own, and would do so periodically for the next week or so. Now, when I start the engine the temp gauge stays at the bottom of the scale, and even when at what I assume to be normal operating temperature, the gauge reads at about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way to the top. So underheating, not overheating. My heat is also weak, and never gets to what one would consider to be uncomfortably hot air to the touch. In the past it was able to get this hot.
The other thing I noticed, and I noticed this the next time I started the engine after the first time the temp gauge freaked out, was the oil pressure gauge and the battery charging indicator gauge now read about 60-65% of the way up, instead of exactly in the middle. This was not as alarming, but I thought it might be related. I'm concerned with oil pressure considerably more than I am whether the battery is charging, because the latter is generally easier to fix.
So, I know I likely need to get this looked at, as there are multiple problems that are unlikely to all be related to an electrical issue, but I wanted to know if you guys knew of anything like this happening to anyone else and if it's serious enough that I need to go, like now. I made it through a couple of pages of searching, but didn't see anything.
Thanks.
Edit: Also remembered that it usually takes two cranks to start the engine, and when cold-started it idles just rough enough to allow one to feel a slight vibration in the cabin that goes away. If you're talking or listening to music you probably wouldn't even notice, but it's definitely present and goes away relatively quickly.
Also, forgot to mention 2wd, 159k miles on the bottom end, ~80k on the top end and upper gaskets including headgasket.
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