Gregg Eshelman
Full Access Members
Since the power folding running boards only came with the fancy entertainment etc package, has anyone managed to install them as an upgrade on a Expedition without sync etc?
Power running board upgrade?
- Thread starter Gregg Eshelman
- Start date
Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.
They suck.
My gator has em and I haaaaate the things
PS and another consideration: they would cost ~$4 - 5k plus labor
Gregg Eshelman
Full Access Members
My labor for projects for myself is free. 
Looking on car-part.com I find them as low as $300, but no indication if they're the standard or long length.
Looking on car-part.com I find them as low as $300, but no indication if they're the standard or long length.My labor for projects for myself is free.
That....is highly unlikely to be functioning.
See, the motors are capricious, and fixes of $1-2k per side are the norm
Gary Waugh
Full Access Members
I am surprised to hear of all the problems, I but my Expy new in 2007 with the retracting running boards, the car has spent 4 years in wet Seattle weather (parked outside) and the rest of the time in Texas (also parked outside) and I have never had any problems, they still work as well today as they did when I first bought the car, i have never done anything to them, I like the tidy appearance that they give the car, Not sure I would spend money to get them fitted after market, but really like that they came with the car.. Car has done just over 140K miles..
Gary
Gary
star-art
Full Access Members
I'd also like to know if anyone has installed these aftermarket. Apparently Ford uses AMP power running boards for OEM equipment (or, at least they used to as the threads I were reading on the subject dated back to 2011).
Gary Waugh
Full Access Members
I would be concerned by the amount of additional wiring that needs to be added. Having said in 10 years I have never had a problem, this weekend the drivers side packed up. I purchased a replacement motor unit form eBay ($70) and installed it, very easy to do and $70 seemed a good price to me, but I noticed there are 5 wires going to each motor unit, so you need to run 10 additional wires (5 to each side of the car) if you fit aftermarket units!! I assume the ford wiring is not present if you didn't have the retracting running boards from new. The eBay motor unit is a lot lighter than the original ford motor unit, but my Expedition is a 2008 model, so Ford may have made the units much lighter in the last 10 years, but the new units are so much quieter than my old units!! I am thinking about changing the passenger side motor unit just because the motors are so much quieter (The passenger side has seen far less use than the drivers side and works perfectly, just the motor unit is mechanically noisy!) but I hate to change something when it still works fine.
Gary
Gary
star-art
Full Access Members
Yes, wiring won't be fun but it's not terrible, either, as evidenced by some installation videos that are available on YouTube. Assuming you install the same quality parts, the only difference between an aftermarket retrofit and getting a truck with OEM units would be the integration of the controls into the vehicle computer network. You would lose things like settings in the instrument cluster (auto vs off). The AMP units come with a module to control them that taps into the Body Control Module (SJB) behind the right kick panel.
Gregg Eshelman
Full Access Members
There must be some end stop switches and obstruction sense feedback in the motor units. Some cheap little microcontroller board like an Arduino ought to be adaptable to interfacing with everything. Use the light switches for the doors as the open/close trigger. Add a disable switch too.
star-art
Full Access Members
Don't tap the lights circuit as you would not get independent control per side. Each door has its own "door ajar" switch. Wiring in parallel with both driver's side door ajar switches (using diodes for isolation) would trigger the left running board. Wiring in parallel with both passenger door ajar switches would trigger the right running board.
I’m disabled and twice now I’ve gotten stuck not being able to get back into my truck. The fixed plastic boards on my 2008 King Ranch Expedition are too high off the ground for me. Sadly it’s not even a 4x4 truck. When I do get myself up onto the board, my head is higher than the door opening. I’ve had 4 spine surgeries and cannot contort my head to get in. Previous owner busted the passenger side board too. Yesterday I was given a pair of 08 Limited power running boards. They were free because he said they stopped working. They are in the deployed position. To me it looks like the power boards hang lower than the plastic ones when deployed. If this isn’t true, I won’t bother to go any further with them. If they do hang lower, then because of my disability, I honestly don’t care if they stay deployed all the time. My question is if they are repairable such as just stuck and need cleaned and lubed, can a AMP controller harnes be purchased to make them work as factory original? I can toggle switch a main control not caring if controlled through the display. They are still in the back of my truck and I haven’t looked at the wire connectors. Can someone tell me which wires to apply voltage to see if the motors try to move? Thank you. 
gergnamenorg
Member
Glad you were given these running boards! I have been looking for some but so far the average price has been $1600 for a pair, and this does not include waring harness or module. I tried some online junkyard and all I found were either very unreputable companies (per reviews and BBB complaints) or just outright scammers.
I am replying to ask if anyone has successfully installed the power retractable? Were there any issues wiring them? is there a factory connection under the truck or do you have to splice into wiring? And has anyone found a reputable source for acquiring them?
Thanks in advance for any help.
gg
I am replying to ask if anyone has successfully installed the power retractable? Were there any issues wiring them? is there a factory connection under the truck or do you have to splice into wiring? And has anyone found a reputable source for acquiring them?
Thanks in advance for any help.
gg
I think you’re asking the same thing I did. Wish someone would answer us. The motors are 5 wire. Two are the motor 12 volt positive and negative wires. The others are for communication with the module. The power boards can be operated manually by reversing polarity on those two main motor wires. After getting the pins soaked with PB Blaster, I applied power and with helping the boards move until fully moving free and operating unassisted. I haven’t committed yet, but my plan is to use reverse polarity switches I found that have EXTEND and RETRACT printed on them. They are sold for RV power leveling jacks and work like power window switches and I’ll mount them in the front door panels. I would rather find an economical source for a controller. Looks like AMP wants $300 for their controller.
Huggyb1972
Member
FWIW. Standard length boards will fit a EL. I am on the 2nd year with ours after I rebuilt them. I bought the set noon operational for$20. The PO tore the originals off all that was left was the part of all the mounts..
My Expedition is a 2008 and these boards came off a 2008 Limited. The passenger side motor is weak and needs help going up. Maybe I’ll ask for motors off eBay for Christmas. Someone mentioned they paid $70 each.
