06 Expedition wont rev past 3000 RPM

[LVExp]

I know this is the explorer forum but i have spent the better part of 3 hours searching the web and "expedition forums" and have not found anything to help me with my problem and the folks here are always so helpful i figured i would ask.


I am looking at buying a 06 Expedition at auction and went to the preview today and started it up. It clearly needs work on the power steering from the high pitch noise when you turn the steering wheel and im fine with fixing that.

The problem i can't find an answer for is when i step on the gas (floor it even) it will not rev past 3000/3500 RPM. This is the same in P/R/N/D and there are no other noises of issues seen/heard in the car/engine when below 3k RPM (other then power steering). There is no check engine light but i dont know if it was recently erased or not.


Any ideas what might be limiting the RPMs? This is a old police cruiser with only 89k miles on it.

 

[LVExp]

Spoke to a "mechanic" friend and he suggested the following without seeing the truck:

Mass Air Flow Sensor
Clogged Cat

 

[Joe Dirt]

Does it sound like a rev limiter? Does it not climb if you're driving it and floor it? They have built in cut off's to keep the torque convertor from burning up from static high revs...

 

[LVExp]

Does it sound like a rev limiter? Does it not climb if you're driving it and floor it? They have built in cut off's to keep the torque convertor from burning up from static high revs...

Cant say i know what it sounds like when an engine hits the rev limiter. According to the gauge it does not red line till 5k+ RPM and all the other 06 model being auctioned are able to rev to the red line.

Im not able to drive it just start it in the auction yard.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Every Ford with an auto trans I've had newer than a 1990-ish has not been able to rev past that when parked... It automatically pulls either fuel or spark from alternating cylinders to prevent the car from revving past 3,500 for both the trans and also to prevent people from doing serious trans damage by dropping it into drive or neutral by mistake (traffic light thing I guess)

It could be a dirty MAF, plugged cat, bad plug wires (is the Expy a coil on plug?) but the truck under any of those conditions would run like crap. Does it idle ok and up to 3,500 run ok? I really think it's the limiter, all newer vehicles should have them... Are you really standing on the brake in reverse and drive and trying to take the vehicle to redline?? I think it would power through the brake, no?

 

[LVExp]

Every Ford with an auto trans I've had newer than a 1990-ish has not been able to rev past that when parked... It automatically pulls either fuel or spark from alternating cylinders to prevent the car from revving past 3,500 for both the trans and also to prevent people from doing serious trans damage by dropping it into drive or neutral by mistake (traffic light thing I guess)

It could be a dirty MAF, plugged cat, bad plug wires (is the Expy a coil on plug?) but the truck under any of those conditions would run like crap. Does it idle ok and up to 3,500 run ok? I really think it's the limiter, all newer vehicles should have them... Are you really standing on the brake in reverse and drive and trying to take the vehicle to redline?? I think it would power through the brake, no?

Both my 96 an 97 explorer will rev past 3500 when in park, so will the other multiple 93-98 Xs and 2000-2004 Expeditions at the auction. Just not this 06.

It idles and sounds fine till it hits 3100-3500 RPM. I went and looked at the expedition again and noticed black grease/oil in the tail pipe.

 

[Joe Dirt]

K... Walk away from it.

 

[Peluka]

I have the same problem with my son's Expedition (1998)engine runs real nice,no noises,no missing,absolutely quiet,BUT,if you put car in park and step on throttle don't go over 3000 rpm,you step on accelerator pedal all the way to floor and start releasing the pedal really slowly RPM/'s star going up to 3200,NOW,when we drive the car,it drives smooth but when you try to step on pedal ,RPM's stay on top 3000,again we can reach 3500 releasing the pedal from a complete pedal press to the floor releasing it really slowly,again truck runs great, no transmission issues,any ideas,how to test mass air flow sensor or cat,no engine light.no overheating,nothing just the rpm issue,he drive the truck on the city.

Thanks for you help.

 

[Ex Addict]

I really think it's the limiter, all newer vehicles should have them...

-1 that!
What about for the tech attempting diagnosis?
It's a foolish design putting that into the ECM code.