If you hear the click then the ignition system is providing power to the starter solenoid and engaging the starter gear with the flywheel ring gear. It takes very little battery power to do that. Then the heavy connections in the solenoid allow full battery power to the starter brushes and armature field to power the starter and turn the engine. So you have: a bad battery, bad connections or bad starter.
Check the battery does not have a bad cell by doing a specific gravity test. All 6 cells should register between 1.275 and 1.3. If one is significantly lower then the cell is effectively dead and the battery must be replaced. A load test on battery will do much the same thing and show a very unsatisfactory battery. If the battery is OK then check the connections to ground and to the starter. If all good and problem persists then starter is problem and needs to be replaced.
A faulty alternator could prevent the battery from being charged. In addition it has been related to speedometers and odometers that operate when key turned to on position. The alternator can generate harmonic electrical waves that mimic the vehicle speed sensor output cycles and cause the odometer/speedometer to operate while vehicle stationary.
I have never heard of a problem causing all gauges to go to max then to idle state. Some vehicles do exercise all their gauges, but I do not know if the '03 Expedition is one of them.
Good luck.
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Art
2000 Taurus SEL Wagon 3.0 Vulcan (daily driver)
1993 Taurus GL Wagon 3.8 Essex
1991 Mercury Grand Marquis LS 5.0
1986 Chevrolet 3/4 ton pickup 4x4 350 with turbo400 and 208 transfer case
1978 Chevrolet 3/4 ton pickup 4x4 custom 6.2 na diesel with turbo400 and 203 transfer case
Planning 2008 Taurus X in a year
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