I inherited an Expedition from my in-laws and have been tackling little problems as a project.
The latest issue: I was stuck in stop-and-go traffic going uphill on a slight incline. While stopped, it felt like the engine was shaking side to side—best way I can describe it.
There was no loss of power, and it stopped after accelerating for about 3 seconds. The engine was about 10 minutes into a drive (was picking up family from a football game). On the way home, with similar traffic and inclines, it didn’t happen again.
Anyone know what could be causing this or where I should start looking?
This could be a few things. As someone mentioned, it might be a motor mount. Here’s a quick test: with the car parked, hood open, engine running, and your foot on the brake, cycle through the gears—from R to N to D and down through 1. Have someone watch the engine while you do this. You’re looking for big movements, not small vibrations (those are normal).
It could also be a misfire. This usually happens on slight inclines under light acceleration. If it’s a misfire, you should see a flashing check engine light while it’s happening, which might disappear after the incline. The cause could vary, so if you suspect this, let us know.
Lastly, it could be a torque converter shudder, possibly the lockup solenoid. That’s another area to check.
Could be a loose engine mount. It’s usually a straightforward DIY fix depending on the location. Symptoms like this often show up after startup and go away once the engine warms up. Happened on my 2016 after hitting 100k miles.