Ford Explorer Maintenance and Repair

dtownfb · January 2004

In our 1996 Explorer the wheel would get stuck in the "center" (straight) position. It seemed like you had to turn it out of a notch to get the wheel moving. It did this even while driving. Once the vehicle warmed up, it was easier to steer through the "center" position but still very noticable. I had these symptoms for about 20k-30k miles but it was when the powere steerign fluid turned brown that we new we needed a new stering rack. I put on a re-manufactured rack for half the cost of a new one. Plus replaced the power steering fluid.

About a month after I replaced the rack, I had some shaking in the steering. They vacuumed some of the fluid out and replaced about two quarts newand that did.

YOur problem sounds like somethign that went wrong with our 1991 Explorer. We stripped the front hubs when my wife got stuck in a ditch and kept gunning the engine to get out. Of course she didn't tell me until a month later in the middle of a snow storm. But I believe the 4WD drive system is different now. But the same principle still applies. Sounds like you may have had some "binding" going on in susspension. Even if she went around a slight bend in the road she could have caused damage.

Your mechanic shoudl be able to figure it out.

Good luck.

jrc346 · January 2004

Thanks very much for your reply. Though your problem seems to have been different than mine. The steering feels smooth if you move the steering wheel slowly in either direction (while moving), however if you have to move the wheel fast or turn a corner fast you get this stuttering. I am pretty sure it is not 4WD related because I lifted the front end off of the ground and then turned the steering wheel in both directions. While the condition was not as bad, it was clearly still there. I think I may try changing the fluid though. I just can't understand why all of the sudden it would start doing this. The only thing I did was look at the steering fluid level while I changed the oil and it looked good (I didn't smell it, though I will). I put the cap back on, done. The only other thing I can guess is that I may have damaged the rack when I was turning the steering wheel from side to side trying to find where the groaning and bumping was coming from in the front suspension. While I was doing that though the car had at least one wheel off the ground, so I thought that it wouldn't place too much stress on the other components of the front suspension. Who knows? I'd really like to think I know what I am doing with cars, but sometimes my good intentions turn into a mess haha.

Anyway, the Explorer is going in tonight to get looked at and fixed. I figure that if the bumping, moaning sound is the drivers side upper ball joint, I will just have them replace both (drivers side and passengers side). No sense in putting off the inevitable, right?

On a positive note, my wife loves her Explorer, but it has spent a few more days out of service than her previous Honda's. This being about 8 days total in the past year and a half for the Ford. Our last Honda Accord (99) was in for warranty work for about 3 days. Not to bad overall, and understandable, seeing as how our Honda's were only 2 year lease vehicles with only 30,000 miles on them when we were done. Once we get through this minor fault, all should be well again.
Thanks again!
JRC

kappaman1 · January 2004

I own a '99 explorer XLT sohc. Recently started sounding like a diesel one morning. Took it to ford and told that rear timing chain and (casting?) are damaged and engine needs replacing...$5000.00! I took this car in last year because it was loud during cold starts. Told by ford dealer that TSB only covered front timing belts or tensioners. Anybody know anything about this. Has 100k, bought it new.

swschrad · January 2004

the TSB does indeed cover the common (late 90s) failure of nylon cam positioning blocks. it doesn't cover the rest of the timing system unless a cam block caused something to really get munged up.

at that mileage, you can start having randomly-distributed failures. 80,000 exploders of similar age can run to, let's say for argument, 180,000 miles without timing failure. but maybe a couple hundred will start conking out before that. that's statistics distributed on a bell curve. a few engines could go 400,000. but on the tails of the curve, the numbers are so small that they don't count much against the other 80,000 vehicles.

sorry, but you lost the lottery on this one way I see it. the engine could perhaps be rebuilt with a new head and timing components... but at that age, you probably also need a crankshaft refurb and ring job with cleaning up the cylinders... it's a good idea to replace the oil pump and screen on general principles if you have to open the engine up... and with labor, you start getting close to the price of a crate engine real quick. a short block and a head are one option, as is a junkyard engine from something that got T-boned or back-hammered and likely has a lot of miles left.

these days, passenger engine rebuilds just plain don't happen much any more in your local area. kids and low-income folks will work on their own engines, and fleet stuff gets rebuilt regularly until the block is too thin for another cut. but the passenger engine has become another disposable part.

jrc346 · January 2004

Seeing as how the failure was based on a recognized design flaw by Ford, I would dispute this. Either that or just have them put on the new tensioner and chain if thats possible.

This is NOT an isolated incident you have here. I had a 2000 Explorer XLT as a lease vehicle, and while I owned it I had both front and rear tensioners replaced do to the rattling noise. Actually the fronts never went bad while I owned the vehicle, but they replaced them first as that is the thing Ford tells them to do. The noise was still there (under load at about 1,500RPM+). So they had to pull the engine and replace the rear timing chain tensioner. Problem solved, but then I had to turn it in as the end of the lease was up. Yeah I know it was only a lease vehicle, but it was an extra car and I thought I would just get it fixed, so the next person wouldn't have to. My wife's lease on her Honda came up and we turned that in and bought a used 2000 Explorer limited with the SOHC engine. Would you believe that it now has the same rear timing chain noise? However, it isn't nearly as bad, and it only last for the first mile or two of driving, so I don't think much of it. Anyway, the first thing I would do is get a second opinion if at all possible.

swschrad · January 2004

wreck the chain?

they are not necessarily related failures. you might have a casting crack if the rod is whacking something, but the hundreds of posts on this issue back in the wayback of this topic put a picture in my mind that these are stop blocks of nylon or steel-framed nylon at the ends of the overhead rocker shaft that were failing. I'm not at home now, so don't have access to my service CD.

you would have had a hellish amount of top-end noise long before the chain dragged enough on the cracked blocks or on part of the head to be opened up or bent so links jumped the gear... enough to get a deaf man into the shop.

I'd still like to know what casting cracked or was spalled so that the dealer figures he can sell an engine. I'd think worst-case a new or rebuilt head and a timing set can fix this. and that's nowhere near $5000.

I'd be hard to live with for a while if it was my car, but I still think that in the 100,000 miles range, you should start steeling yourself for random failures that could be expensive in any vehicle. it's not unexpected.

jrc346 · January 2004

I think maybe I meant for my title to be relating to the timing chain tensioner. I don't think that in any of these incidences that the timing chain gets ruined.

I think what fails are the nylon clips or something of that nature that hold the tensioner in place. I know that the part was revised in late 2000.

Now that I am thinking twice about it, I am not sure that they replaced the tensioner in the back. I think they replaced the cassette. I don't even recall if there was a tensioner in the back. Is there?

Anyway, sorry if I gave out wrong information. I am somewhat knowledgeable of cars, and this is the interpretation that I remember the dealer giving me a year and a half ago.

I think my aging mind needs a new timing chain tensioner as I hear a lot of rattling up stairs. Or is that the last couple marbles I have rolling around up there? I don't know, I can't remember, haha ;-)

swschrad · January 2004

and it's ...... ahhhhh...... it's...... ummmmm...... what time ya got?

wifemm · January 2004

I had been having staring problems with my wife's MM, it sometimes will not start on the 1st try, it will attempt to, but only after the 3rd try then it eventually starts.

This morning it will not start after repeated attempts. Then, I step and hold on gas pedal and it started with some smoke (probably due to flooded engine from repeated attempts). We stop the engine and it again will not start. Have to hold on to gas pedal again, brought it to the dealer and hopefully they can find something.

Anyone experience this problem before? Someone posted a similar experience on their 2000 V8, but it may not be the same issue.

wifemm · January 2004

Well, the dealer can't duplicate the problem, not surprising. They did however contacted Ford and was instructed to reprogram the PCM (computer in charge of the fuel/air management I suppose). Hopefully everything will be fine from here on.

Still like to hear any similar experience though.

wijoco · January 2004

Well, you can't really "flood" a fuel injected engine since pressing the gas pedal without the engine running does't put any fuel into the engine. If the truck started after pressing the pedal, then it may be an air management problem such as a bad Idle Air Control motor. But that's speculation, hopefully the reprogram fixed it. Good luck.

semooc · January 2004

Several years ago,my Town Car did the same thing. I found out the fuel pump is in the gas tank. If you would turn the key on but not actually hit the starter, you could hear it pump gas to the engine for starting. I started listening,and sure enough,when I didn't hear that sound is when it wouldn't start. The fuel pump was OK, but it was an electrical relay or something that was failing. It didn't cost much to fix it. Maybe it could be something similar?

swschrad · January 2004

that way, the rails are fully pressurized.

smithmedtronic · January 2004

Need some advice from those with a V* EB...

I am trying to decide whether to take the leap on the above vehicle, it's mint inside and out and I believe the price is fair at 22K. Really like the features, ride, etc.

I've got an 01' Pathfinder w/88K carefree miles on it and am concerned about the Explorer's repair history and resale value in 2 years when it's got 90K+ miles.

Any advice?

By the way, being offered 12K for the PF.

nvbanker · January 2004

Yes, I have advice. It's a great design, and I think a great truck. The V-8 is awesome, the 6 is ok too. I recommend it.

jrc346 · January 2004

Yeah, I second nvbanker's sentiments about the latest gen of Explorers. It sounds like a good deal to, but take it on the expressway for a while and make sure it doesn't have any vibration problems or noise from the rear end. By this time it will either have the noise in the rear or not. If not, I say go for it, and if you use Consumer Reports, they seem to think that it's a good buy aswell. Goodluck!

ogbonna · January 2004

Hi Guys/Girls.
I am thinking of buying an Air Compressor and some
tools (wrenches...etc). Sometimes when I am working on my Explorer I have to dump what seems
like a gallon of stuff on some of the nuts and bolts to loosen up things. Does anyone out their
have one of these or a recomendation for one of these or choosing one.
Thanks in advance........

pqschwartz · January 2004

We have a 99 Explorer. Had the same problem. There is a fuel delivery part near the fuel injectors (on top of the engine) that was replaced. My mechanic said this is common in the 5.0 engines. Car has run like a charm ever since. Good luck. If I find the receipt with the exact name of the part, I will repost.

pqschwartz · January 2004

I have a 97 and 99 Explorer. both extremely reliable vehicles with now close to 100000 miles each. Plenty of cargo room and seating room. Both of ours are 5.0 V-8 XLT's with all the options that you listed. I too recommend an extended warranty, and recommend the Explorer to you. Good luck.

xgrove · January 2004

I have a 98 explorer with a 4.0 single overhead cam V 6 engine The dealer has replaced the fuel pump 4 times in the last 6 months. The car is under an extended warranty but the no start is starting to annoy me. Has anyone else had a problem like this ? The dealer thinks its the unleaded ethanol gas sold in this area. It seems to happen more in the cold weather but can happen in the summer also. Two of my friends with explorers are currently experiencing the same problem. Any answers would be appreciated. Thanks

jrc346 · January 2004

Will it start with your foot on the gas? If it will then you probably have a bad IAC valve.

opera_house_wk · January 2004

There is a problem when we get this third person information that we don't know exactly was done. I have not heard of any fuel pump problem like this related to the type of gasoline. If the pumps are going bad, It could be because of a restriction prior to the pressure regulator like a crimp or plastic blocking a tube. This would result in increased pump current. Normal pump current is about 5A and 80% of the fuel is normally returned to the tank. This fuel flow cools the pump. You could block 60% of the fuel flow and the vehicle would still operate normally.

I have my doubts that the pumps are even bad and this is just an intermitant electrical problem that recovers when the wiring is moved.

The "no start" may even have nothing to do with the fuel system and the pump is being replaced to create billing. At least you have warrantee.

xgrove · January 2004

Thanks for the reply- The engine will not start even when my foot is on the gas. Even pushing up and down on accelerator does not help. When the dealer tows the car in , most instances it will not start for the dealer. Since this seems to be an ongoing problem, I'm going to see if I can negotiate a good trade for this no starter since I can get 2.9% and about 3,500 below dealer invoice Hopefully they have solved this problem in the new cars. Too bad because I really liked this Explorer and they have eliminated some of the bells and whistles on the 04's

xgrove · January 2004

I suspect you are right about the billing since there is a 50 deductable they always seem to find another problem so they collect the 50 each time the car is at the dealer. I surprised Ford doesn't insist that it get fixed for good because this has to be costing them a fortune. but then again maybe the dealer isn't billing Ford for the same fix each time. Thanks for the reply. As you can see I may be dumping this Explorer - Hope I'm not going from the frying pan to the fire with even more problem in a new 04 explorer

swschrad · January 2004

if so, change it out.

jrc346 · January 2004

Your welcome! I agree with what swschrad said. Try the relay first, because it's cheap and could very well be your issue. The best of luck :-)

xgrove · January 2004

Don't know if there is a relay but would have thought the dealer would know this. I will check this out but have found that leaving the ignition on for a couple of seconds before hitting starter does seem to make a difference, but not always.
I really appreciate all the input on this problem

Too bad ford doesn't participate, they may find out a thing or two I will let you know how things turn out

nvbanker · January 2004

OH, Ford is lurking around the boards. Hell, Bill Ford could be just about any one of us on here!

scotts1959 · January 2004

I have a '99 explorer SOHC 4.0L about 60k miles due for service shortly. My transmission has been shfting oddly lately. When the transmission shifts at around 30-32 mph, the engine revs and the tachometer spikes abruptly over 3000. If I accelerate slowly, this doesn't happen as much. Is this an early sign of future transmission failure? Will flushing the transmission work since it is due for service anyways.

nvbanker · January 2004

A flush will never hurt the transmission, just make sure they get it all out of the torque converter as well as the transmission, and a power flush is required to do that. It may help, if you have a stuck valve body.

I'm not sure if that's a programmable transmission or not. What you described is corrected in the 02 and beyond models with a reflash, but that may not be applicable with a 99.

I wouldn't be too worried about early failure unless this transmission has towed a lot or been abused somehow, or severly overheated. More like a glitch. My 94 does the same thing, however, it's got 120,000 miles on it and hasn't failed yet.

scotts1959 · January 2004

NVBANKER, thank you for the feedback. I have never towed with it. I'll make sure they do the power flush.

swschrad · January 2004

I have started to experience in this fine cold winter ( http://www.winter-carnival.com/ ) an occasional "dud start" on my exploder. I do hear the fuel pump running up when I turn the key to RUN until the pinball machine stops flashing on the dash and the blower motor starts to run... but occasionally crank without the engine catching.

when this happens, turning it all off, counting to five, and repeating usually gets me started.

so it could be happening for once to me. I figure on getting a relay some time before I die and see if the issue goes away. I had pegged it for fuel from a particular gas station for a while, but cutting them off the list didn't do it.

recently switched to Mac, so haven't installed the Ford manual CD onto my remaining WinSlows machine for the locations. but the printed electrical manual should identify the location. if you have neither, ask the parts counter guy at the dealership where it is. I've found mine to be muy bueno helpful.

enforcer · January 2004

I have the same problem in my 1997 Exploder. No problem with the initial cold start, but if I stop and turn off the engine it occasionaly refuses to restart for a few minutes. Only happens in very cold weather. Just replaced the battery, and the starter and alternator are fine. Really pisses me off, maybe I will have them check the fuel pump relay. On to other matters....

Timesaver, I think a 1999 with 47K miles (not 470K) is a good deal at $12,900. Over the last 3 years, I have put 30K miles on my 1997 Exploder (total now 64K) and haven't had any major problems. Though I would stay away from one that has done major towing...

However, I would highly recommend the extended warranty. I overpaid for mine (almost $1500 for a 6 yr/60K/bumper2bumper) but so far the ins. co has paid $1000 for a number of rather minor repairs including the infamous thermostat replacement, an a/c fix and an alignment issue. I would be surprised if I don't get the remaining $500 + interest back before it expires, but in any case well worth the peace of mind. BTW, I would get a 3rd party one if you can, as I find my local mechanic does a far better job (for less money) than the dealer.

dtownfb · January 2004

I would not get a third party extended warranty. Check out the Warranty board for some nightmare stories about third party warranties. If you think you need an extended warranty for a vehicle, don't buy the vehicle.

/WebX?ed_displayMakeModelRelatedD- iscussions@@.ee9203c!conflimit=Finance%252C- %2520Warranty%2520%2526%2520Insurance&make=CATS&model=War- ranties

pjgirl · January 2004

I had the same problem, display not lighting. Found out as you did it was not cost effective to replace or hardly to fix. Then I searched for Ford radio repair, on the net. hmmmmmmm seems we are keeping two sites in business. I chose the one that cost $100. I believe it was videoservicestop.com at 1-800-838-3394, but check them out for yourself. My husb talked to them, you mail it in and they give you a tracking number. They are quick, and replace that entire board so it doesn't do it again. The board goes bad on the radios. There were two companies on the search I did for a repair place. One charged $100. the other was $150, think they charged for shipping or something. You can remove the radio easily with a $5. tool from pepboys, but read your the info at the repair site, something has to be done to get it to get it to acknowledge the radio again, when it is re-installed. good luck, PJ

swschrad · January 2004

guaranteed. there's a dotcom engineer keeping the heat on through a website in which he sells the details on how to fix it yourself for a suggested donation of $20 that has been mentioned often (and several times by me as well) on this very thread. I had to go into mine three times to find all the scuzzy solder joints, but it's been working almost a year with no issues since the fixes.

because of the detail information from that source, I am not going to spill the beans and omit something. I will tell you that all the through-board connections on the power board need to be redone, all the diode and SM resistor connections need to be redone on the power board, and there will likely also be a number of funky solder joints on the display board that comes off with the radio's front.

I also redid all the joints to the display VF screen to the display board, as several of them looked marginal.

after that was all done, it worked fine. until it was ALL done, the display was dark.

search back a few hundred messages using some sort of search string like "ford radio" or "radio display" and you should get links to the website. it if looks like things you've done in the past, you can fix it if you have 97/3 silver solder or better and a fine tip on a low-wattage soldering iron (like 10 or 17 watts.) a lighted magnifier also helps big time.

otherwise, pay somebody else. you can't use big tools like you'd use for copper roofing on this job.

busman01 · January 2004

I too had a `99 Explorer with the 5-speed auto tranny that developed this same problem at 60k miles. After the dealer plowed over it, the tech told me the tranny was creating too much pressure and in turn was blowing the seals. He rebuilt the tranny and the problem cleared up, but he told me this would happen again over time. Thank goodness we opted for the Ford ESP extended warranty.

mbednorz · February 2004

Question for anyone that has an '02-'04 Eddie Bauer Explorer: are the outside mirror positions supposed to be "memorized" along with the seat and pedal positions??? We just bought an '02 Eddie Bauer, and the mirrors don't move when we hit the memory seat settings.

Thanks in advance!!!

P.S. I searched all the forums for this, checked the TSBs, and even RTFM. No joy.

P.P.S., some posts here have mentioned a separate '02 Explorer forum, but I can't find one. Am I just dense???

mbednorz · February 2004

Just bought an '02 Eddie Bauer Explorer. It has a case of mildew odor in the A/C system. Is this a common problem on '02+ Explorers? Anybody had any luck getting their dealer to clean it under warranty?

I've done the deodorizing before on a couple of Nissans, so I can do it myself if I have to. Just don't want to go through the joy of getting the evaporator box open if I can get the dealer to do it.

Thanks in advance!!!

jrc346 · February 2004

No, the new Explorers DO NOT have memory mirrors. And from the looks of things on these boards, be thankful that you don't. Quite simply, they are a programing nightmare, and half the time your settings won't work without software updates and such.
The A/C odor can happen to any car. It just depends on the type of use that the A/C gets. Once you get it deoderized, then try and get into the habbit of turning off the A/C (but leave the blower on) no less than 5 minutes away from home. It should still blow cool for 3 of those minutes, but this will help dry out the Evap. This has solved all of the issues I had with the A/C odors in my vehicles. Enjoy your new truck!

wgrafer · February 2004

After some heavy S.FL rains this weekend my driver's side headlight looked weird -- all fogged up with moisture and about 1/4" of water in the bottom. The other one is perfectly clear. As the day goes by the heat seems to dry it out. I also notice when I wash the vehicle the same headlight gets fogged. Has anyone else had this happen? Since I'm out of warranty,is there an easy inexpensive fix that doesn't involve a trip to the dealer?

wgrafer · February 2004

The tops of the rear black plastic trim pieces on either side of the rear window on my '02 XLT are both fading and discoloring at the top. Someone told me to just wax or compound them, but it does no good. The tops of the same kind of black plastic trim between the front and rear doors are all having the same problem. I thought mine was just getting old until i parked next to a friend's '03 Mountaineer and we discovered his had the exact same problems! Has anyone else noticed this or discovered a solution?

twinbladesz · February 2004

I'm going to be purchasing new shocks for my 98 4wd Explorer. Its between the Bilstein shocks and the Edlebrock shocks. The diference in price between them is $5. Has anyone installed either of these on thier Explorers? If so how good are they adn which is better if someone has used both brands?

Also some how my driverside foglight got filled with water and is now destroyed. I need to replace it but not sure where to go to buy a replacement OEM one. I'm trying not to go back to the dealer, I've already paid about $700 for other various repairs in the past month and dont need another big bill. If I can replace the fog light myself I'd rather just do that. Any stores or websites I can visit to get the foglight?

jrc346 · February 2004

I puchased Edelbrock shocks for our (mostly my wifes :-) 2000 Explorer. I put them on about 10,000 miles ago. The imeadiate difference is incredible, though the tough bumps and holes still get through to you. It's the smaller bumps and general pavement uneveness that you no longer feel. i.e. the truck will no longer bound all over the road with every change in road contour. I think you will be happy with either brand though. I have heard good things about both brands you are looking at.

Foglight: Have to go to the dealer for that :-(
Or you could try E Bay?
Or how about an auto salvage yard?

Wgrafer:
Look really close at your headlight and see if you can find a crack or something that would let the water in. If you find the source of inlet, then take out the headlight assy and drain out the water. Let it sit in the sun for a while and dry out.

What I did to try and fix this little problem was take glue (one that dries clear) and cover the crack. So far this has worked for about a year now. However the particular fixture keeps getting a new crack every so often. Anyway, give this a quick try. Couldn't hurt.

nvbanker · February 2004

I've had memory mirrors on my Lincolns since 1990 - never had an issue. Now, I hear, the units on the Aviators have been a problem, but I think it's isolated to that particular subcomponent. Nonetheless, the Explorers don't have that feature.

twinbladesz · February 2004

Thanks for the info. The FL isnt really of that much importance to me so I will just wait awhile to replace it.

I am tired of the back end bouncing around going over normal stuff forget about rough patches. I do like the look of the Edelbrocks over the Bilsteins.

stever · February 2004

The active discussions besides this one include:

Ford Explorer/Mercury Mountaineer

and

Ford Explorer/Mercury Mountaineer: Prices Paid & Buying Experience

There's more in the archives that you can find with the search tool on the left, but I don't see one off-hand that dealt exclusively with '02 models.

Steve, Host

mylastford · February 2004

Hey all ... i just got a 2002 explorer about 6 months ago and about 3 weeks ago I heard major noises in the front end of the car and slightly in the back. now Im not sure if it is shocks, struts, etc. But one thing is for sure it sounds like a creaking old mattress. And I also hear a hissing sound coming from the engine when the car is switching between gears. It is almost like a spraying noise ....lol...hard to explain but Im sure someone out there has heard this and maybe can shed some light on my problems...

Thank you,
Frank

gregb5 · February 2004

For your headlight water problem:
If the above solution does not work for you take the headlamp out and drill a small hole in the bottom to allow the water to drain. It'll save you the cost of a new lamp.

nvbanker · February 2004

My wife has 31,000 miles on her 02 Mounty so far, we bought it new the week they first came out back in 01 - it was on the Patio of the dealership. The longer we drive it, the better we like it. Only repair in 2.6 years has been a water pump pully that squeaked. It's quiet as a Rolls Royce (for anybody who was around in 1966, they'll get that comment...). Do you know if yours has ever been bent before you bought it?

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