Ford Explorer Maintenance and Repair

electricdesign · September 2009

I would grease the cable real good at the place it is rusted. That would probably fix it for a while. If this works, it might to be grease once in a while.

electricdesign · September 2009

There is no easy way to replace the instrument cluster incandescent light bulbs. The entire instrument cluster must be removed, not an easy job, requires care and patience.
Once the instrument cluster is removed, I would recommend that you replace ALL the incandescent light bulbs, because it is too much trouble to remove the instrument cluster every time an incandescent bulb burns out.
They should have made those lights out of LED's.

honda110885 · September 2009

hi i have a 1997 ford explorer v8 5.0L awd and i know i need a new battery and alt cause its been tested and there toasted anyways i didnt hook up the jumper pack due to rushing and i tried starting it, and it almost started so i held it and keep trying then it started smoking so i stopped it smelled like burning wires or something and now it just clicks. my question is how do i know if i fried the starter or celinoid or the wires before i go and replace the starter since im so short on money please help if you know what to do thanks steve

jsnyde45 · September 2009

Ok so I have many problem with this vehicle. First the back hatch is
Busted so it won't open or close. This presents a problem because it will not
Shut all the way leaving the door ajar and my interior lights on for half the night
Which obviously drains the battery. Second my security system is all messed up.
My four ways go off for no apparent reason which is s battery drain also, in order
To start the vehicle I need to turn the key like four times to disarm the system.
This is all killing my battery. My brake lights don't work but I still have turn signals
Among other things these are my most serious problems help please!

jazzyman26 · September 2009

If anyone have a diagram on how to replace rear hatch door on a 1997 eddie bauer and what tool is needed?

askdon · October 2009

This maybe the resolution. Thought it might be the switch on the dash which controls the ac and heat and changed it out and that didnt solve it. So, then next thing I tried , I checked the blower motor on the passenger side firewall, underneath the hood and I pulled off the plug to the blower motor to see if it was corroaded and it was not. Then I used a tester to check to see if there was any power to the plug that plugs into the blower motor. There was power in all the positions for your ac and defrost etc. it had power and I turn it to off and it went off. At that time I knew that it wasnt the switch on the dash, and I plugged it back in the blower motor, becareful not to bend the prongs on the motor where the plug snaps in. SO I assumed then that the blower motor may be seized and I tapped on the blower motor and then everything worked. Solved the problem of not any blowing air through the vents. The blower motor may need to be replaced in the future because of corrosion inside. Can swap out the motor at a junk yard.

mitch2225 · October 2009

I have a 2000 Ford Explorer with a 4.0 Liter V6. The engine has approximately 145,000 miles on it. I have had no major problems with the engine until now. I was entering the interstate one day and the engine had no power. The check gauges light came on immediately. I was able to limp it home at about 10 miles an hour. The sound from the engine sounded loud and metallic. When I start the Explorer now it runs and shift like a dream. Even sounds perfect. After about 10 minutes of warming up I start to hear a fast ticking sound. Its quiet and power is normal. Then the check gauge light comes on and the ticking grows in sound and speed. The sound comes directly from the top on the engine. There is plenty of oil but it is very black. When I hit the gas the ticking sound comes on stronger and for a second or two the ticking sounds like it winds down when I release the gas. Can anyone give me an idea of whats going on? I would like to keep this vehicle but I need a place to start on fixing it. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

electricdesign · October 2009

First things first: Go get the engine light read at Autozone of local Auto parts store, They do that for free. Write down the code number(s) They are usually referred to DTC's (Diagnostic Trouble Codes) stored in the computer memory, They will give you a CLUE as what to look for. Sounds like your problem could be in the valve train, Hydrualic Tappets, Rocker Arms, Push Rods, camshaft or timing chain.
Your Oil is too Black, How long did it take to get so black? Change oil and filter right away and monitor it closely. You might need a heavier weight oil or oil additive. Change it every 3000 miles, or sooner if it gets very black. To investigate the noise, you would need to remove the valve covers and check everything you see in there. Rock the engine crankshaft back and forth a little to check to see how much slack there is in the timing chain, Run the engine at idle with the valve covers off and observe to be sure that there is good oil flow to all moving parts, and listen for where the noise is coming from.
Good Luck,
E.D. in Sunny Florida

pwild · October 2009

Evening all, would anyone recommend a shop for the usual wheel bearings and differential repairs in the Brampton, Ontario area.

hammer20 · October 2009

my 04 mountaineer developed a rattling sound in front of engine . sound is intermittent mainly idling at low rpm noise doesnt stop with serpentine belt removed local mechanic not sure . any help greatly appreciated thanx

enricosson · October 2009

I can not get my 99 eddie bauer to switch over to heat. It contiues to blow cold air, I replaced the control unit, now it does nothing. I was told it needs to reset itself????? anyone have any suggestions, thanks

redtail2 · October 2009

I'm having a problem with my defrost vent. I have no problem with having hot or cold air. When I set my vent control to defrost I have no air flow. I have good air flow for the middle vents and the floor vents. I pulled the glove box and watched the arm move when I switch from middle to floor and back, but when I switch to defrost it doesn't move. Any ideas?

vink05 · October 2009

Hello, I am new to this forum and am at wits end with this vehicle. I am hoping someone can help with this.

My parents purchased a 2005 Explorer last year with a V-6. The thing had been having a transmission problem where the transmission wouldn't shift into reverse. That was bad enough.

More recently, it died while driving down the road. It had been bogging down and not accelerating very well prior to this. My mom parked it and when we tried to start it, it made this really loud noise, which I can only describe as being like a jet engine. Currently, it sits at a shop where they really don't know what is wrong with it. It only has about 70,000 miles on it, but I definitely would not buy one.

Thanks in advance. :mad:

jeffncindy · October 2009

We have an explorer doing the exact same thing did you ever get a response or get problem solved?

jeffncindy · October 2009

We have an issue with our explorer. It is a 2003 XLT. If i have the car on and the A/C on and the blower is on 2,3, or 4 the Hazard lights light up on my dash, the radio light dims, the blower will not work and the car will not shift from park. If i shut off the A/C and put the blower back on 1 the radio light goes back to normal, the hazard lights go off and the car will shift from park. This is really starting to bother me. The car seems to do this ever once in a while, but now has been doing it for 2-3 days straight. Anyone had this issue or know what may be causing this? Could a fuse cause all that?

joanna2300 · October 2009

my explorer has 71,000 miles mostly freeway and i am having problems with the front right wheel bearing. i had it towed to the nearest ford dealer and they told me that the bearing has too much free play and causing the sensor to engage the abs braking system. the service dept. told me it would cost $615 to fix it. i called the service department where i purchased the car and they told me it would cost $416. a non-factory part cost $160 and i can go to a local garage to have it installed. WHAT SHOULD I DO???

jeffncindy · October 2009

2003 explorer major electrical problem. Whenever the heater/ac blower motor speed is changed all sorts of things happen such as the headlight brights may come on, the blower motor could be on 1 2 3 or 4 and not blow any air. Sometimes the lights on the radio flash. All the cluster lights and lights in the doors to illuminate the window switches/power lock will come and go just by turning the speed of the blower motor or turning the direction of the air flow such as floor, window, head and so forth. i have no idea what this could be and any help would be appreciated!!

PS.. i was previously told it could be the ac clutch seizing up but i checked it and the clutch seemed to be engaging fine but it didnt stay on consistently. i dont know if thats normal or not but it didnt seem to be bogging down the motor when engaging.

electricdesign · October 2009

I can offer only a small amount of guidance about what to do. What you have is a broken or loose wiring connection on the common wire that connects to the wiring under the dash, or not making a good connection in a connector. This is evidenced by the fact that the radio light flashes and the cluster and door illumination lights blink on and off. The LOAD on the electrical circuit changes as you turn things on and off, and especially when you change the fan speeds. I would suspect that the most common wire to these circuits would be a ground wire or a ground connection from under the dash to the body of the vehicle, or the ground connection passes through a wire to a point under the hood at or near the circuit fuse box or battery. I don't have a wiring drawing for the vehicle, so I can't say for sure. The only way to find it is for someone who knows how to check and trace electrical wiring should trace the wiring under the dash, starting with the ground wiring. Once the grounding circuit is solidly connected, all the circuit voltages should stabilize and return to normal. Check all the ground wires first using a standard 12 volt test light, the wire clip end solidly grounded to a good chasis ground, and use the probe end to check all the ground connections that you can. The ground connections/wires should have NO voltage on them (the light should not light). You can double check the ground wires, by clipping the wire clip on of the standard test light to a "hot" 12 volt power connection and then touching the probe end to the ground connections/wires (in this case the test light should light, indicating that the ground wire is truely grounded).
Good Luck,
E.D. in Sunny Florida

gyates · October 2009

Sounds like the infamous blend door problem. There is another Explorer web site that has great info on ways to "fix" this issue. Look up "blend door". http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/index.php

thebings · October 2009

My '97 5.0 v8 will not start, there is no fuel at the rail. I found the 20amp mini fuse for "fuel system, anti-theft system" blown. I replaced the fuse, still will not start, no fuel. I can not hear the pump run when I turn on the ignition. I checked for voltage at the inertia switch, if I unplug the switch I have voltage at the dark green/yellow wire from the relay. If I plug the switch back in, the voltage at the dg/y wire disappears. I put a jumper wire to the plug between the dg/y wire and the Pink/Black wire to the pump, but can not read voltage to either wire. The 20 amp fuse has not blown again. I am thinking it is the fuel pump but hate to remove the tank if it is not the pump. Any help or suggestions much appreciated.
Don

debango · November 2009

Hi, I'm new to this forum. Anyone with a 2002 Explorer Eddie Bauer Edition (V8) How do you like it? Any problems with it (Major or Minor)? Just bought one used with 81000 miles on it. Please let me know. Thanks.

doodleebug · November 2009

My transmission has a delayed and harsh reverse engagement. this thing literally will clunk into place. It doesn't happen everytime, but enough to take notice. I took to a tranny shop and of course was told I needed the whole thing replaced. It has 54,000 miles, bought used in Feb 09. Does this sound familiar?? Any suggestions??

dave1309 · November 2009

Check your vehicle with the dealership to make sure it has all the updated codes. Ford had significant problems with Explorer transmissions for several years and issued new codes that has to be reloaded. They also has to replace quite a few valve bodies on the trannies too.

98fordblueslol · November 2009

ok the check engine light came on so I scanned my car and i got two codes P01701 and P0174
it also was making a whistling noise but me and my dad solved the problem by fixing the IAC we cleaned it with some electronic cleaner and now it doesnt make the noise.
we also replaced the i think its called dpgfe or egr its a lil part that has two lil tubes it cost about 50 dollars we changed it and the check engine light took off but came back on the next day we also cleaned the MAF part and the light is still on. the car sometimes shakes when im at a red light or at a stop sign then once i press the gas it stops shaking what can it be?

sporter1221 · November 2009

2000 Explorer with cruise control recall parts installed over a year ago. Symptoms: runs fine when cruise is off but when its engaged and under a load like going up a hill the vehicle spits,sputters,jerks, and backfires ????? Seems ok on flats and without cruise on. I had just filled up with gas the evening before but figured it would affect it without cruise also....I'm fearing that its something with what they did with the recall. Nothing of any major importance just wondering if anyone has ever had similar symptoms or knows of them. Don't feel like payin the dealer money to redo what they already did.... Any help is appreciated :confuse: Also no check engine light or any indicators other than seemed like the temp gauge was running cool but it may just be because its getting cooler out.

gyates · December 2009

Probably your upper air intake gaskets. They degrade over time and begin to leak air, causing the lean on both banks code you are getting.

2005bayliner · December 2009

Has anyone experience the road noise with the 2004 Ford Explorer XLT. When I drive I can hear the 2 front wheels contacting the road when the windows are up. It just started to happen recently with all these problems, my suv only has about 62K on it. When i'm cruising at 60mph I hear a high pitch noise too. It it accelerate above or decelerate below that then the noise went away. Any thought or suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

melodys · December 2009

My '05 XLT is doing the same thing. I haven't gotten a response, have you? Have you solved it? What was it? I need some answers; thanks.

mike2464 · December 2009

I just replaced the radiator in my son's 2000 Explorer 4.0 OHC. The replacement went well untill we attempted to refill the coolant. I emptied a gallon of 50/50 coolant into the radiator and about a gallon of water then started the engine and turned the heater on full. The engine was running a little rough at first while I emptied another gallon of 50/50 and then attempted to fill the rest of the system with water. I let the engine run and the heater was blowing hot air. After a small teat drive it appeared that the new radiator was leaking so I shut it down thinking I would be removing it the next morning. This morning I moved the old radiator from the garage where we had set it after removing it and water leaked out. There was a noticable amount of oil in the water the came out of the radiator. After letting the car run for a short while and not finding any leaks I sent my son on another test drive. There was a small puddle where the car was sitting with oil and water. I checked the dip stick and there is no water in the oil. The car is running fine but the heater is intermitent. Also, there is white smoke coming from the exhaust and it smells like antifreeze. Do I have a blown head gasket or is this something else?

kmsandrbs · December 2009

We took our 98 Explorer XLT in to have the air intake problem fixed (needed it fixed for smog reasons).

Mechanic called and wanted us to road test the vehicle for a few hundred miles to make sure the check engine light did not come on.

However, when we picked it up, all of the guages and the lights on the right side of the console were not working (speedometer, tachometer, odometer, battery, and I think oil are on that side, turn signals) Two guages on left side, and lights on left side (the ones that come on at startup) are working. mechanic says not thier problem.

All were working before we took the car in.

So, two questions ...

1) What could be the probable causes of this? Likely just a fuse (have not had time to check these yet)?

2) given the answers to 1) ... is it possible that the mechanic, in testing for smog and repairing the air intake issue, did something to cause the problem?

Thanks for any thoughts.

electricdesign · December 2009

"#6236 of 6245 '97 will not start, no fuel by thebings Oct 23, 2009 (12:33 pm) Save | Reply
My '97 5.0 v8 will not start, there is no fuel at the rail. I found the 20amp mini fuse for "fuel system, anti-theft system" blown. I replaced the fuse, still will not start, no fuel. I can not hear the pump run when I turn on the ignition. I checked for voltage at the inertia switch, if I unplug the switch I have voltage at the dark green/yellow wire from the relay. If I plug the switch back in, the voltage at the dg/y wire disappears. I put a jumper wire to the plug between the dg/y wire and the Pink/Black wire to the pump, but can not read voltage to either wire. The 20 amp fuse has not blown again. I am thinking it is the fuel pump but hate to remove the tank if it is not the pump. Any help or suggestions much appreciated.
Don"

"My '05 XLT is doing the same thing. I haven't gotten a response, have you? Have you solved it? What was it? I need some answers; thanks."

What is said does not make sense, especially the " If I plug the switch back in, the voltage at the dg/y wire disappears". I am doubtful of the troubshooting technique being used. If using a digital multimeter, it may be picking up stray or surface voltages. The best way to trace and test the fuel pump power circuit is using a common 12 Volt light bulb type tester. It has a pointed probe on one end and the other end has a wire with an alligator clip (everyone should have one of these in their car). Connect the alligator clip to grounded metal, and touch the pointed probe to a "hot" wire, and the bulb lights up. Use this tool to check for the presence of voltage coming into and leaving the inertia switch. If you have power leaving the inertia switch, it indicates that power is going to the pump. If this is the case, and the pump still does not run, you will have to lower the fuel tank to check connections to be sure power is going to the electric connector at the pump. If there IS power at the connector, next step is to PULL the pump from the fuel tank and CHECK the pump.
Good Luck,
E.D. in Sunny Florida

teejk7401 · December 2009

what everyone is failing to realize about theses 2 codes is it is a lean code.which could also be a low fuel pressure.im sick of hearing about intake gaskets.please do yourselves a favor and do a simple fuel pressure test.

david200 · December 2009

Whenever it rains heavy, the front passenger door fills with water when the car is parked. You can hear the water sloshing around in the door until you start moving and then it appears to drain out through the drain holes. None of the other 3 doors have this problem. Shortly after this started, my interior lights would randomly come on while driving and then fade out.This occurs everytime I turn my headlights on and several times before it stops. The local dealership says they can not fix the problem unless they can duplicate it. Which they can not. Any one else have this problem? I m extremely frustrated with this>>

electricdesign · December 2009

1. Fix the drainage problem. The drain holes must be partially plugged and draining slow. I would check and unplug the drain holes.

2. Fix the Leak where water is entering the door. Check the seal of the door to the glass, repair or replace the seal.

electricdesign · December 2009

Sorry to say that the symptoms you described do not sound like good news. Oil in the coolant is a bad sign, and the exhaust with white smoke and smell of antifreeze is even worse news. It certainly sounds like a leak between the combustion chamber and the cooling system, most likely a blown head gasket. There are ways to test for this, a cylinder compression test may show a low compression at the leaking cylinder, but only if the leak is significant. Look for signs of coolant on the spark plug or in the cylinder. A cooling system pressure tester can be used to see if the cooling system will hold pressure, a slow leakdown would indicate a problem. You can also test with a combustion gas tester, that indicates the presence of combustion gas in the radiator. Another way to test for the location of the leak is to pressurize each cylinder one at a time through the spark plug hole using an adapter and air hose - the engine crankshaft must be firmly held stationary with the cylinder being tested held at top dead center at the end of the compression stroke. Pressurize with over 100 pounds of air into the cylinder with the radiator cap off and watch for bubbles out the top of the radiator. Do this for all cylinders to find out which one is leaking into the cooling system. Confirmation of the combustion leak will mean the engine head (or heads) must come off, Check heads for cracks, warpage, leaks and replace head gasket with a new one. It is best to have a machine shop check the heads, they can mill the heads to be sure there is no warpage, check the valves and put on new valve seals. Use new gaskets and O-rings when putting everything back together. Torque fasteners in order to factory specifications. Flush the cooling system and install a new thermostat.
Good Luck,
E.D. in Sunny Florida

mckejac72 · December 2009

I was hit in my 2002 Ford Explorer 4x4 in the front, somewhat at an angled head on approach. The car that hit me was a Ford Taurus. It was low enough that it missed the radiator, etc. but the damage is from the front center bumper area and over to the drivers side front & lower. It hit low enough that I had concerns right away about my suspension and driving mechanisms. It was drivable afterwards and to the eye, only appeared to be cosmetic. However, since the accident, I immediately noticed it is loud when I drive. The best example I can give is as though there is no insulation to the interior of the vehicle or as if I had super agressive tires. However, neither is the case. The sound appeared to me to be coming from the same area where I took the impact. Also, when I would make a sharp/hard turn, such as a tight U-turn, it sounded like the wheel was rubbing on something. The bodyshop says a mechanic test drove it and by sound determined it was the rear axel bearings....and not accident related. I don't think this is the case, what front end damage could this be that no one has looked for? I don't think they even put it on a lift and inspected it.

fbpatriot14 · January 2010

I went to ford for a miss fire and they replaced the plugg and discovered antifreeze surounding the plugg it was just external and not internal. They suggested replacing my intake gaskets but that doesnt make sense how water could travel from there all the way down the block into the sparkplug. Is there an assending unit around the number four sparkplug that could be leeking? Or does anyone have any ides on how antifreeze got there?

electricdesign · January 2010

Wash the engine clean. Then carefully check it every day to see if you can see where the antifreeze leak is coming from.

freewheelin2 · January 2010

the rattle you hear is your torque converter in your transmission

fred113 · January 2010

My 94 explorer had the same problems shifting, if you could without turning of the ignition, and had it in to Ford service every 6 months for bleeding.I decided to try something simple and it worked! I removed the cap on the clutch reservoir, made sure the plastic boot was loose, placed the cap om loosely so air could bleed out, depressed the clutch and secured it to the floor with an ice scrape from clutch to seat frame and left it overnight. I also pumprd the clutch pedal during this time frame as fast as I could for about a minute. You could also tape the line, I did not. I tightened the cap the next day, removed the ice scraper and thought at first I had no clutch since it released at the top. Have driven about a year and no problems so far.

kmsandrbs · January 2010

So, to follow up on my own post ...

I checked all the fuses, that was not the issue, so I decided to check behind the dash to see if it was a loose connection or something that i could possibly fix.

When I got in there, I saw that eight of the wires connected to the instrument cluster had been cut ... in two places. :mad: Now, for the life of me, I cannot figure out how those eight wires could be cut in two places (one of which was right at the back of the plug) exactly at the same time (as all the instruments were working before). I fixed the problem (instruments wrk now), but I'm following up with the Bureau of Automotive Repair. I took photos and videos of the damage.

electricdesign · January 2010

I find that absolutely amazing. It certainly seems that it could not be simply a coincidence that the dash lights quit working when you took it in to have the air intake fixed, especially later finding the wires were cut behind the dash. It sounds fishy and suspicious. You did a good thing to document the damage. Hopefully you will get justice for what happened to you.

jan95explorer · January 2010

Yesterday I tried to turn my lights on. When i used the knob to turn them on only the parking lights came on. I checked the fuses and they are fine. What could be the problem?

electricdesign · January 2010

1. Repair or replace faulty or burned out headlamp bulbs.
2, Repair or replace faulty headlight relay.

gasburner1 · February 2010

I have a 99 Explorer with the 5.0L engine, right at 100K. I bought this truck new and it has been a really good vehicle, I plan to hand it down to my teenage son this summer. I have an issue I've had for several years and it appears to be getting a little worse. The engine start just fine when cold, usually within 1 sec. It also starts just fine after warmed up if its started within about 10 min of when it has last been run. However, it I go to start it say between 10 to 45 min of when it was last run, it takes a bit of cranking to start say between 3 to 4 secs. It almost kind of reminds me of a "vapor lock" that I experience with my 2 stroke outboard. Any ideas of what this could be? Any simple things to try? Obviously I don't want to pay someone a bunch of cash to root around to try and figure this out.

electricdesign · February 2010

My 2000 5.0L engine has always acted the same way, bought used in 2005. It now has 175,000 miles. It has never been a problem, it always starts. If you maintain regular scheduled maintenance, such as new spark plugs, new spark plug wires, ect, it should be ok. You could also check for any vacuum leaks or egr problems, if it idles smooth, it is probably fine. My battery died a few months ago, I replaced it with a new powerful battery, rated at 850 CCA. The original battery is rated at 650 CCA. If your charging system is working well and you maintain a powerful battery in your vehicle, you won't have a problem.
Good Luck,
E.D. in Sunny Florida

sohcdonald · February 2010

I have a 2000 Explorer XLT V6 SOHC 4wd which I purchased new in March of 2000, (St. Louis plant mfr.) I have very low mileage (22,100) and I have had no sign of a timing chain tensioner problem. However, after just recently reading this forum about this problem, I am worried that it will happen to me and there will be no warranty. I NEVER RECEIVED A NOTICE from Ford concerning this problem---ever. The only recall I received was for Firestone tires and the speed control problem, which were both resolved. My questions are: Do I have a recourse against Ford if I need to replace the tensioners? Are there any other 2000 Explorers out there that haven't had the tensioner problem with their SOHC engine? When can I expect a problem? Should I have the work done before symptoms show up? What are the risks of extensive engine damage if I wait for the symptoms?

alman08 · March 2010

Hi everyone, need help!

2002 Explorer 4.6L V8.

I'm trying to replace the EGR valve pressure sensor and took me long enough to locate it (it's sitting by the firewall, right in the center). I found it nearly impossible to get to it without removing the black engine cover. I only found 2 nuts to unscrew on the cover (located towards the front of the engine), and after I took the nuts out, I still couldn't remove the cover. There has to be something else holding the cover in place towards the rear on the cover but I couldn't locate it. I didn't want to yank the cover too hard fear that I might break something. Can someone please show me how to remove the engine cover properly? Thanks.

alman08 · March 2010

nevermind the engine cover... I know the setup now. 2 nuts in the front and 2 balls snap-on type in the rear. got the cover off, however, I can't get the old sensor out from the 2 tubes :sick:

tothemaxx2 · March 2010

Has anyone ever added a cabin air filter to a 2006-2010 Explorer? I know it does not come with one.

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