Ford Expedition (1997-2023) firing order — diagram & guide
Navigating the Ford Expedition firing order for better performance.
Ever since the late 90s, the Expedition has been Ford’s pinnacle model in the large SUV lineup, and for a good reason. This SUV came after the Bronco so the expectations were high, but Ford tackled these with a flexible palette of engines suitable for every driver’s needs.
So, if you are having troubles with yours or simply wish to do the regular servicing DIY way, we’ve got you covered. This guide on the Ford Expedition (1997-2023) firing order will lay down all the important specs and pieces of information you may need to sort out misfires and successfully replace plugs and coils.
| CAR MODEL YEAR | ENGINE | FIRING ORDER |
|---|---|---|
| 1997-2002 Expedition (1st Gen) | 4.6L V8 | 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8 |
| 5.4L V8 | 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8 | |
| 2003-2006 Expedition (2nd Gen) | 5.4L V8 | 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8 |
| 2007-2018 Expedition (3nd Gen) | 3.5L V6 | 1-4-2-5-3-6 |
| 2018+ Expedition (4th Gen) | 3.5L V6 | 1-4-2-5-3-6 |
First-generation Expedition (1997-2002) firing order
Even though the first generation of the Expedition started its journey back in the late 90s, we’ll still cover these models and engines since it was produced all the way up to the year 2002. The engine options were mostly focused on V8s capable of carrying the heavy chassis, so here’s what it looks like:
Ford Expedition 4.6 firing order
The 4.6-liter V8 is the first engine we’ll discuss in this guide as it was the base option for the first-gen Expedition. So, the key point here is that the Ford Expedition 4.6L firing order is 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8 and the engine features a standard V8 configuration.
In other words, you’ll find cylinders 1, 2, 3, and 4 on the passenger’s side, and cylinders 5, 6, 7, and 8 on the driver’s side, front to rear. If you stand in front of the engine with the hood being raised, the first cylinder is therefore the lower-left one.
Ford Expedition 5.4 firing order
The slightly larger 5.4-liter Triton V8 was an upgraded version of the V8 engine that went into the Expedition. The Ford Expedition 5.4L firing order is 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8, so it’s the same as for the smaller V8 offered in the base version of the Expedition.
The cylinder arrangement is also the same, meaning you have cylinders 1, 2, 3, and 4 placed within the passenger’s side bank and cylinders 5, 6, 7, and 8 within the driver’s side bank.
Second-generation Expedition (2003-2006) firing order
The second generation of the SUV got a significantly improved exterior and interior design, but the engine options remained pretty much the same. Once again drivers could choose between the 4.6-liter and the 5.4-liter V8 and the only addition was the “Three-valve” edition of the 5.4-liter engine that had 24 valves in total.
Still, the Ford Expedition 5.4L firing order 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8 was still in use as it was essentially the same engine, so we’ll move on with the third-gen model.
Third-generation Expedition (2007-2018) firing order
Ever since the third-gen model was introduced back in 2007, the Ford Expedition featured two main engine options once again. The 24-valve 5.4-liter V8 was still in use, but the smaller 4.6-liter one was replaced with a more refined and fuel-efficient 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6.
This one came with a turbocharged induction system that compensated for the capacity loss of the engine and we’ll tell you more about its firing order in a bit.
Ford Expedition 3.5L firing order
The Ford Expedition 3.5L firing order is 1-4-2-5-3-6 and the engine itself features two turbochargers for an increased power output. The cylinders 1, 2, and 3 of the engine are located within the passenger’s side cylinder bank, while cylinders 4, 5, and 6 are on the driver’s side.
Of course, by that, we mean from front to rear and if you are looking at the engine from a mechanic’s perspective, the first cylinder would be the lowest one on your left.
Fourth-generation Expedition (2018-ongoing) firing order
Finally, the current generation of the SUV comes exclusively with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine and that’s a good thing for using the firing order. It’s a simple engine configuration and the firing order is still 1-4-2-5-3-6.
The only difference is that this version only came with the 10-speed automatic transmission, but that doesn’t influence the firing order.
Our take
Well, that settles it for our guide on the Ford Expedition engines and their firing orders. We hope it will be enough to keep your DIY servicing ventures on point.
Make sure to consider all the differences in cylinder arrangement and hopefully, this guide addresses that once and for all.
