Thinking of buying a 2003 Eddie Bauer, anything I should watch out for?

[Prince_Polaris]

Here's a pic of a factory '03 Expy EB key FOB: Notice the rear window blue button has a SUV-like vehicle on it ....
The battery can be killed if the rear wiper motor is bad or too weak (or wiper shaft is seized....) to "park" the wiper. It will continue to draw power until it reaches the "park" position. The washer fluid to the rear window is supplied by the same pump motor that supplies the front windshield. So all you are confirming is that the rear washer electrical circuit is functioning (along with the single washer pump...). Meaning, the rear wiper/washer circuitry is functioning correctly. The rear wiper motor can be dorked up, but at least the circuitry is intact. To keep from killing the battery you would need to pull the rear wiper fuse, until you can replace the rear wiper motor or latch/wiper shaft assembly.

https://www.amazon.com/Ford-6L1z17c426a-Hatch-Glass-Striker/dp/B009JMCXE6#customerReviews
-snip-

Thanks, that's good to know! I'll keep the remote with the hatch button then, and that means the circuitry is okay, the wiper just needs lubed.

My dad drives past the dealership on his way to work every day, and he said today it was gone, so they must be repairing the wiper now. Or it's been sold, in which case I suppose it wasn't meant to be.

Y'all don't think the wiper motor could've burned itself out, right...?

 

[Prince_Polaris]

Update! Turns out the dealer has their own website, and the car is on it, so here's some of the details I wasn't sure of!

https://www.nolanautos.com/inventory/details/42872862

 

[Prince_Polaris]

GOTEM!



Rear wiper has been fixed! Dealer said it was $350 cause the motor burnt out, but they didn't try to change the price on it because of that. They couldn't find a mirror control button, so I'll handle that myself, for now I've pushed the mirrors into position on my own, being careful not to strip the gears inside. The seat is fine, I discovered that it only moves a little with each button press, so I got it into place just fine. The front and rear windsheild washer fluid is having problems, and I discovered that the handle for some sort of compartment in the rear floor is broken, so tomorrow I'll be having those fixed too, I'll take it back in the morning and they'll fix it! Boy, it drives so much better than my explorer...

 

[1955moose]

Only 63 posts and we all knew you'd end up with it. You'll have fun learning about your new baby. Most of the little things you'll learn as you go. Most problems are electrical anyway on these Suvs, and that's your calling card anyway! You actually got one of the better early expeditions. Be diligent about oil/fluid changes including transmission, brake fluid, transfer case, and such, listen to our guys, and you may have a 400k example!

Sent from my N9131 using Tapatalk

 

[Prince_Polaris]

Only 63 posts and we all knew you'd end up with it. You'll have fun learning about your new baby. Most of the little things you'll learn as you go. Most problems are electrical anyway on these Suvs, and that's your calling card anyway! You actually got one of the better early expeditions. Be diligent about oil/fluid changes including transmission, brake fluid, transfer case, and such, listen to our guys, and you may have a 400k example!

Sent from my N9131 using Tapatalk

Hah, yeah, everything sure came together, unlike last time where I rushed into it really headstrong... and yeah, I can fix electrics pretty well! The CD changer refuses to load CDs, and I only have one CD anyway, so I'm already considering slapping an aftermarket radio in there, one with bluetooth... how well does the 03 expy handle aftermarket radios? Oh, and I'm gonna make those guys fix the reverse lights too, only one of those work.

Hah, I found out that it has a reverse sensor, and it works too! Gave me quite a ***** when I started reversing into my spot and it started beeping at me outta nowhere, heh. I dunno how good the self-check function is, but the engine, oil, brake fluid, and one other thing all came back 'Ok', except for the washer fluid. I dunno how it goes in the rest of the US, but during the winter here, we cover the roads with as much salt as possible, and if you're driving behind someone, it'll cover your windsheild to where you can't see pretty fast, so that stuff is important!

 

[gregjenny9502]

I put a Jensen double din screen with nav, Bluetooth, back up camera, etc on my 2003 EB for right around $250 including the steering wheel button controller. It is a great upgrade. The radio from sonic electronix came with an install kit for the wiring and trim piece.

Sent from my XT1635-02 using Tapatalk

 

[Prince_Polaris]

I put a Jensen double din screen with nav, Bluetooth, back up camera, etc on my 2003 EB for right around $250 including the steering wheel button controller. It is a great upgrade. The radio from sonic electronix came with an install kit for the wiring and trim piece.

Sent from my XT1635-02 using Tapatalk

That sounds awesome! My dad used to own a Beretta with a full sound system in it, including a huge subwoofer he calls a "boom tube", and though my brother's gonna be putting that all in his 05 caravan (I don't really need all that) dad should be able to help me find and install a headunit no problem. And it's good that I can use the steering wheel controls!

So, I muddled around on crutchfield, and there seems to be a lot of nice double-din radios on there! This one for example looks cool, I don't want anything with a touchscreen in my car despite being an IT guy, I need actual knobs or buttons to hit. So I have something with a CD player, bluetooth, and plenty of LEDs in mind. I know that I can hook the steering wheel controls up to the radio, that sony I linked is one of the ones able to do it, but would an aftermarket stereo be dimmable with all of the other lights in the dash and everywhere else? Well, I doubt I would need that function since I keep the lights at max all the time...

Oh, also, this is unrelated, but there's a hissing sound in the rear of the car when I have the AC on, and it comes and goes. Our AC in our 07 chrysler van does the same thing, so I doubt it's a problem, but what the heck even is it?

 

[johnboneske]

The hissing sound is refrigerant in the lines... Your system works but isn't full. I know that sound well! Adding refrigerant is easy, don't pay a ridiculous amount of money having it filled. Go to Wallyworld and get a few cans of refrigerant, and charge lines with the low side gauge and fill it. Shouldn't have to ad oil since it usually stays put.

I have to top my system off in the summer, and then refill in the spring. Yes, I know mine leaks more than it should. And being certified I am suppose to fix it, but fixing that hole will only create another... So I leave it, and filling it is cheap for me.

 

[trkinspector855]

The hissing sound is refrigerant in the lines... Your system works but isn't full. I know that sound well! Adding refrigerant is easy, don't pay a ridiculous amount of money having it filled. Go to Wallyworld and get a few cans of refrigerant, and charge lines with the low side gauge and fill it. Shouldn't have to ad oil since it usually stays put.

I have to top my system off in the summer, and then refill in the spring. Yes, I know mine leaks more than it should. And being certified I am suppose to fix it, but fixing that hole will only create another... So I leave it, and filling it is cheap for me.

Don't buy anything with sealant or stop leak though. Causes major problems down the road when the system has to be opened.

Sent from my LG-LS998 using Tapatalk

 

[johnboneske]

I agree, don't use stop leak...it sucks.

I am EPA certified for refrigerant, so I can get a good deal LOL

 

[Prince_Polaris]

I agree, don't use stop leak...it sucks.

I am EPA certified for refrigerant, so I can get a good deal LOL

Awesome, and yeah, I don't trust stopleak or any of the other janky AC system things.

There's a few things I'm gonna be fixing myself, and I was gonna ask for any advice on em, but I gotta cook, so I'll either edit this about it or add a new reply..

 

[autoarcheologist]

Congrats on getting the Expedition! Hope it works out for you.

One tip from a dealer. Next time you buy a car make sure you test everything and don't buy anything until you know everything is working. It's different state to state, but here in Oregon unless otherwise specified all sales are As-is and dealers are under no obligation to fix anything after a sale. Plus a dealer is much more likely to agree to fix something before the sale vs after.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

 

[Prince_Polaris]

Congrats on getting the Expedition! Hope it works out for you.

One tip from a dealer. Next time you buy a car make sure you test everything and don't buy anything until you know everything is working. It's different state to state, but here in Oregon unless otherwise specified all sales are As-is and dealers are under no obligation to fix anything after a sale. Plus a dealer is much more likely to agree to fix something before the sale vs after.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

I kinda have respect for those guys, even after we'd bought it, they took the car out and got the windsheild washer system cleaned out. Though, now the car can't decide if the wiper fluid is "Ok" or "LOW FLUID" but at least it works!

Oh, and I found out that I actually don't have air suspension, there's just a panel that says "AIR SUSPENSION SWITCH (if installed)" which I only glanced at earlier.

Even better though, I removed the mirror switch and fiddled around with it, and I got it working too! The mirrors are a bit... unwilling to move however, so I suppose I have a list of minor problems I wanna fix, because I'm **** about it for some reason:

-Find the door code, it doesn't seem to be behind the glovebox and the ford help line was not only completely
-Turn signal on the passenger side mirror is loose, I suppose I need to glue it back in place or something
-Mirrors shudder when moving, can I lube the mirrors somehow? Oh and the DRIVER'S SIDE ONE LOOKS LIKE IT HAS A BEEHIVE IN IT AAAAAAAAAAAAA I mean it seems to be a dead beehive but eeuugghh I hate bees
-CD player is borked, gonna replace it with another headunit, I have a bluetooth to FM adapter anyway
-We put in a new reverse light because the passenger one was out- turns out it rusted the contacts off, rear lights might need sealed?
-Rear wiper works, and works good, but it's a few inches off kilter, when it's in its resting position it's sitting on the back door instead of the glass, how do I fix that one?
-Rear washer fluid seems to come out weird, I'm gonna fiddle with the nozzle
-Front drivers side sprayer sprays the fluid over the windsheild instead of onto it, I'll mess with it too
-There is a pin on the tow hitch but it has a lock on it, I'll just cut it off later, however the hitch is rusty, should I worry about it?
-Someone else mentioned the AC hissing means it needs some coolant, I guess I'll try adding some someday

 

[Expatriot]

Hi, I've enjoyed reading your posts. If the driver's fluid nozzle isn't spraying where it should, you could switch it for the center one, that was a simple fix for me. We have salt up here in Canada and one of our rear hatch hinges let go. If you are at a wrecker, take some penetrating oil and the right socket and see what shape a used hinges is in. You can't tell what your own are like and they often break when your turn the nut so good to have a spare. New I was quoted $125 a hinge but I got an entire rear door with hatch and a bumper for $300 so a wrecker is a good place to shop. Enjoy your ride and keep you positive attitude!

Mike from Saskatchewan

 

[autoarcheologist]

I kinda have respect for those guys, even after we'd bought it, they took the car out and got the windsheild washer system cleaned out. Though, now the car can't decide if the wiper fluid is "Ok" or "LOW FLUID" but at least it works!

Oh, and I found out that I actually don't have air suspension, there's just a panel that says "AIR SUSPENSION SWITCH (if installed)" which I only glanced at earlier.

Even better though, I removed the mirror switch and fiddled around with it, and I got it working too! The mirrors are a bit... unwilling to move however, so I suppose I have a list of minor problems I wanna fix, because I'm **** about it for some reason:

-Find the door code, it doesn't seem to be behind the glovebox and the ford help line was not only completely
-Turn signal on the passenger side mirror is loose, I suppose I need to glue it back in place or something
-Mirrors shudder when moving, can I lube the mirrors somehow? Oh and the DRIVER'S SIDE ONE LOOKS LIKE IT HAS A BEEHIVE IN IT AAAAAAAAAAAAA I mean it seems to be a dead beehive but eeuugghh I hate bees
-CD player is borked, gonna replace it with another headunit, I have a bluetooth to FM adapter anyway
-We put in a new reverse light because the passenger one was out- turns out it rusted the contacts off, rear lights might need sealed?
-Rear wiper works, and works good, but it's a few inches off kilter, when it's in its resting position it's sitting on the back door instead of the glass, how do I fix that one?
-Rear washer fluid seems to come out weird, I'm gonna fiddle with the nozzle
-Front drivers side sprayer sprays the fluid over the windsheild instead of onto it, I'll mess with it too
-There is a pin on the tow hitch but it has a lock on it, I'll just cut it off later, however the hitch is rusty, should I worry about it?
-Someone else mentioned the AC hissing means it needs some coolant, I guess I'll try adding some someday

Good luck finding the door codes. That's one of my favorite features on our Navigator.

For the turn signal if the clips have broken off then glue might be your best bet. Or a good used one. I also noticed that Ford mirror motors don't hold up well, they get jerky and don't work smoothly.

To fix the driver washer nozzle insert a pin into it and you can reposition it. Use the pin to try cleaning out the rear nozzle. You can also just replace the nozzle for $5, ours was missing.

Rear wiper, some are designed to sit on the door when off. I can't remember if the Expy is supposed to. If not just remove the arm and reposition.

Do you plan on using the hitch? You can remove it, brush down the rust and repaint it. They are 1/4" thick steel so pretty solid. Touching it up to look better is an easy project.

Enjoy!

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

 

[Bain64]

-Rear wiper works, and works good, but it's a few inches off kilter, when it's in its resting position it's sitting on the back door instead of the glass, how do I fix that one?

-There is a pin on the tow hitch but it has a lock on it, I'll just cut it off later, however the hitch is rusty, should I worry about it?
-Someone else mentioned the AC hissing means it needs some coolant, I guess I'll try adding some someday

Rear wiper re-positioning is easy (as long as it's not seized, which yours sounds OK) follow the first few steps of this video.
Surface rust on hitch is normal, if the rust is deep or 'boiling' post some pictures, but they all rust on the surface.

 

[Prince_Polaris]

Good luck finding the door codes. That's one of my favorite features on our Navigator.

For the turn signal if the clips have broken off then glue might be your best bet. Or a good used one. I also noticed that Ford mirror motors don't hold up well, they get jerky and don't work smoothly.

To fix the driver washer nozzle insert a pin into it and you can reposition it. Use the pin to try cleaning out the rear nozzle. You can also just replace the nozzle for $5, ours was missing.

Rear wiper, some are designed to sit on the door when off. I can't remember if the Expy is supposed to. If not just remove the arm and reposition.

Do you plan on using the hitch? You can remove it, brush down the rust and repaint it. They are 1/4" thick steel so pretty solid. Touching it up to look better is an easy project.

Enjoy!

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

Yeah, I'd love to get a camper someday, and take a trip or two around the US to visit some of the friends I have online! I just gotta learn how to tow stuff first, would be a horrible idea to just hook up a trailer and run off westward.

On my explorer, it rested against a holder on the door, but on the expedition it's supposed to stay on the glass... on my explorer I was able to take off the front wiper arms and turn them to the right or left a few notches but I dunno how to do it on the rear one on this expy...

Rear wiper re-positioning is easy (as long as it's not seized, which yours sounds OK) follow the first few steps of this video.
Surface rust on hitch is normal, if the rust is deep or 'boiling' post some pictures, but they all rust on the surface.

...however this video sure does! It's raining right now sadly, so I'll have to do it tomorrow, but the gist of it is that I need to adjust the wiper thingy on the back window, not the motor?

 

[1955moose]

If the 2003 is same as 2000, the door code is under dash, drivers side. When I bought mine 3 plus years back, I was at dealer, a mechanic crawled under there, no easy feat for you, or me, and read off 5 digit code, so I could write down. a wire cleaner for cleaning welding nozzles might work for spray nozzle I used a tool for cleaning small motorcycle jets to clean those nozzles in the past. When someone Paints a hood or any item near those nozzles, it gets them clogged!

Sent from my N9131 using Tapatalk

 

[Prince_Polaris]

If the 2003 is same as 2000, the door code is under dash, drivers side. When I bought mine 3 plus years back, I was at dealer, a mechanic crawled under there, no easy feat for you, or me, and read off 5 digit code, so I could write down. a wire cleaner for cleaning welding nozzles might work for spray nozzle I used a tool for cleaning small motorcycle jets to clean those nozzles in the past. When someone Paints a hood or any item near those nozzles, it gets them clogged!

Sent from my N9131 using Tapatalk

I have canned air for cleaning dust out of my computers, you think that would work? If not, I could just poke at it with a knife or something, or this thing I have here on my desk- it's a sharp pointed stick, with a screwdriver handle, it's designed for you to poke a hole in wood with it and then you'll screw a screw into there.

Also, me and my dad and my brother are all too big to get down in there- so I got my mom to do it. She checked in behind the removable fuse panel thing, and back behind the glove box (it opens downwards) and we tried every number she could see down there and none of them worked

The pad works, because I can use it to lock the car, so I guess I could take it to a ford dealer and ask them to get it off the computer... you think they'd charge for it? :/

This was easier in my explorer... heh, it was just a box in the rear drivers side thing, I shoved my phone in there while recording video and eventually got the code on video. I suppose I can try the same trick with the expy, but I dunno how effective it would be since it's a larger space.

I only need the factory code for reprogramming anyway, I'm gonna put in the same code my explorer had, for memory's sake

Edit: Though the system works now, the car yells at me for low wiper fluid every time I start it, and if I run a system check it says it again, but then goes through the list and says "Ok", is there a sensor I can perhaps clean or something I need to do with the computer?

 

[1955moose]

Usually the spray nozzle needs a real skinny wire. Go by the local motorcycle shop, ask if you can borrow one for a second. Also once it's off blow through with air tip and compressor after you unclog with wire. The easiest bet is pull hose from nozzle, make sure it pumps, if so just buy a new nozzle. You need your washer almost daily, especially in winter months. I'll look into the code on mine and report back.

Sent from my N9131 using Tapatalk