Ford Explorer Mercury Mountaineer 2005 and earlier

fleetwoodsimca

I'd give some attention to the transfer case. I can't give a bullet proof rationale, but I suspect your "chain case" may be the source of the noise on deceleration. Also, consider the universal joints. Over the years I have noted that they can get loud when going out. I had none of these troubles with my 1993 Explorer-- the only Explorer I have owned. I lost the drum in gear number two and that cost me $1100.00. I went from there to a Ranger, and now have a Mountaineer.

nvbanker

This is a chronic issue on all Ford SUVs, not just explorers, and from what I've read on these boards, it has to do with a position adjustment sensor on the motor. Sometimes jiggling will get it started, but that's just temporary. Every Ford built SUV from Mercs to Lincolns have done this, sometimes twice during my ownership. I don't know what they do to fix it, it's always covered, but it's cheap, so probably not much of a big deal. I would demand that it be fixed before I take delivery though. If you're not happy with the XLT, price and all, then keep looking. Explorers are a dime a dozen out there, the right one for you is out there. Don't settle, and stay away from the Orange one that vibrates.....

1badsidekick

I know, it's against your recomendations, but I just can't swing the cost of the XLT. Besides, the XLS is everything I need and want. After driving it again today, I told the dealer that I want the thumping and the vibrating addressed, and was told the car will be going into the garage on Monday for further evaluation. If I didn't mention it before, I took it to my mechanic on Friday (I drove the car all day long) and he noticed a "thump" coming from the rear end as you first take off, and it also happens some times when you accelerate from a steady speed as if to pass or something. I told them I wanted all of this addressed, and fixed if needed before I buy it. The deal stands at $8500 right now, but I offered them $7900 today. The salesman just laughed, and I said "what, did I say something funny?" It broke the ice, and I'll stand firm on that $7900 on Monday or whenever I get back to the dealer. I'm also going to purchase an extended 3 year/36,000 mile "compelete" warranty, that, as the dealer mentioned "is just like a factory warranty. The only items not covered are wear items." He quoted me a price of $1,052. He did not say if there was a deductable or not, I will find out on Monday. The dealer mentioned that the "thumping" and the vibration could be the drive shaft. He said he's seen the same problem NUMEROUS times on Rangers in the age range of 98-01. He said the Explorer may be the same way, and he could fix that no problem. Any other suggestions? You guys have been great so far. I like having this kind of info to throw in their face when I get to the dealership hahaha. Thanks again!

nvbanker

Well, MY Ranger never thumped or vibrated, and it now has 170,000 miles on it. This car sounds like there's a reason it has low mileage on it, and it's not granny driving it to church on sunday. Sounds like this trucks been over the AlCan or something and lost. Buy it if you must, but what I DON'T want to see is an endless tirade on these board from you about how BAD Explorers are because this one scares the hell out of me....

Good luck.

brast69

DO NOT BUY THE WARRANTY FROM THE DEALER...BUY IT DIRECT. It is cheaper and you have your choice of deductables, and you will eliminate the salesmans commision. It is the same exact place where the dealer gets it. Go to the website and look at it. The site is www.fordesp.com. (The ESP stands for Extended Service Plan). I made the mistake of purchasing it from the dealer the first time BUT for my 2nd truck I went directly to the website and purchased it!!!! GOOD LUCK

fineman2

HI,

Has anyone bought a 2003 explorer XLT 4X4 recently in central NJ. I am looking for one and would appreciate any clues about the price.

Thanks,

swschrad

the shafts will just be out of alignment, and that's got a procedure in the manual to follow for getting them back into the groove. but I wouldn't pay a nickel until/unless it rides smoothly.

fleetwoodsimca

Go to Reedman in Langhorn, Pennsylvania. (:o]

I bought a brand new 1990 Dodge Ramcharger there, obviously about 13 years ago. It was a good experience back then. You might pop over there and check it out. They had most every brand of car at the place.

jrc346

I took a stab at doing a home fix on this little problem when it showed up in both my 1999 Expedition and my wifes 2000 Explorer. I found out from reading here that it isn't actually the motor that is to blame, but the bracket that holds it in place. It bends with time and then wont allow the wiper to make contact with the switch that signals that it is in the rest or service position. All I did was get my saw and cut about 1/4 of an inch off of the arm that comes off of the wiper which allows it to rest in the bracket on the door. This allows the wiper to come down far enough to contact the switch and has been working fine for some time now. I guess only more time will tell is this is a permanent fix or not.
Ok, just wanted to pass that on to anyone who is interested ;-)

swschrad

thought about it once, but only had to have the original motor assembly changed. thanks!

nvbanker

Not sure that will be a permanent fix, but please do let us all know.......

lmacmil

Any reason to pick one over the other? I do no off-roading. My 1996 only goes into 4WD a few times each winter after a fresh snowfall.

heintz1

You sound like a good candidate for the AWD then, but whichever version you choose, I highly recommend Michelin Cross Terrains-- I love my set.

nvbanker

You really only want 4WD if you go rock crawling. AWD works fine pretty much the rest of the time.

fleetwoodsimca

Considering I am among the group that no longer have a "need" for low range, I must say that the full time AWD of my '02 Merc Mountie Premier has impressed me this first year of ownership.

nvbanker

I've never bought a 4 or AWD, I buy 2WD. All I need here. Even off road, I stay on "roads" pretty much, and the limited slip & traction control has always done me just fine. We get no snow.

1badsidekick

I picked up the XLS today, and dropped off my [non-permissible content removed] trap. The thumping is still there, and the dealer continues to say he has found nothing. They will see my darkening their doorway every day for a while. I bought the extended warranty, called Costgard, through the dealer. I have $0 deductable if I take it to them, and $50 deductable if I take it elsewhere. If I take it to them, they pass it on to the Ford Dealership, by which they are owned. The warranty cost me $1,041, but the peace of mind is worth it. I had them balance the tires, and that improved the ride greatly. I'm continuing to work on the vibration and thumping. So far, and I know it hasn't had time to get started yet, but the Explorer is such a great improvement over my old Sidekick, it's amazing, but, so far so good. I'll keep ya updated on everything.

swschrad

if the ride cleaned up on rebalancing the tires, for the randy heck of it, cross-rotate them temporarily (the old X-pattern rotation in the days of nylon tires) and see if that affects the thump. if it does (moves it or clears it) all your issues are tires. if not, put 'em back where they were and continue to seek advice.

jrc346

Yeah I second Swschrad's idea to rotate the tires. I have that thumping noise on my Expedition, but I know it's the tire on the passenger front. If you can tell which tire (if it is the tire) that the noise is coming from, you might just want to replace that tire with the spare to see if the noise goes away. Then again the wavy wear condition on the tire that causes this noise may be on more than one tire. I am not sure what causes this condition, but it seems to plague the Goodyear Wrangler line, as I have had 3 Wrangler tires with this problem with the pressure right on. Just a suggestion! Enjoy your new truck!

1badsidekick

If it was the tire, wouldn't the thumping occur all the time, even when slowing down? The thumping I'm noticing only happens when I accelerate fairly heavily, whether from a stop or from say 30 accelerating to 60 in order to pass something. It never does it when I slow down. I had a thump on my old Sidekick that came to be because I slid the tires not long after I had them put on, trying to avoid an accident. So, I know what a flat spot on a tire is like, and this thumping isn't anything like that. Plus, I have floored it and it hasn't done it. I think thats why the dealer never noticed it. I have a theory, as does my mechanic, and several knowledgable friends, that the problem is slack in the driveshaft. I also had another friend say that he had a somewhat similar problem in his Nissan Pathfinder that turned out to be a part of the exhaust system bumping under the car, and was remedied with a new clip. I just started a new job and so far all I've been able to do is go to work, come home, go to bed, get up, go to work, etc. I haven't had any time to get the car back to the dealer for them to look at it again. Let me know what you guys think. I was told that Rangers have a 2 piece drive shaft, and since the Explorer and the Ranger have the same engines, transmissions, etc, I wonder if this might be the case. The dealer told me of the problem with the Ranger's driveshaft, and it was paid for by ford. Is there any truth to this?

swschrad

and if you have two or 3 driveline sections, it just gets worse. it's a characteristic of the beast. but if there is abnormal wear due to a design issue at some point, it's nice to have that recognized and covered.

squirrelly tires mostly tend to start resonating with the chassis stuff over 30 to 40 mph, and it increases from there. drunken placement of belts (slewing sideways, back and forth, like a rattler in sand) and misshapen belts are a couple of the things that could be wrong, as well as odd overlaps and gaps in the assembly of the layers of the tire.

heintz1

I'm the original owner and sole driver of a 2002 V8 4WD XLT with 42,000+ miles, and she's recently developed a problem in which the tranny is briefly shuddering or stuttering when shifting, most noticeably when shifting into O.D. I have had 3 transfer case seal leaks repaired so far, and I am protected by Ford's 100,000 mile extended factory warranty. I religiously maintain this vehicle, and had the tranny fluid changed at 30k. Will have the vehicle inspected very soon, but would like well-informed opinions as to possible causes, etc. Thanks.

nvbanker

I've heard that a trans fluid change helps that problem, but if you just did that........then I don't know.

1badsidekick

I was told not to complain about my explorer, so I shant. I just want to know what some of you with the 4.0 OHV V6 get in average mileage. I know the SOHC probably gets a little different mileage, but give me that too. So far I'm averaging about 16 and 17. I took a trip recently where about 80% was clear highway driving with the cruise control set at 72. When I got home and averaged the milage, it was around 17.5, which I thought was really low considering most of my driving was on the highway. Could the driveline problem cause lower milage ratings? I know this vehicle is EPA rated at what, 16 city and 19 highway or something? Any input is appreciated. Other than that, I'm happy as a lark!

explorerx4

had a '94 explorer with the 4.0 ohv w/at. that mileage seems in the ballpark. i used to get better mileage commuting to work 15 miles each way, than with 4 people plus stuff on a straight highway run. i may have broken the 20 mpg barrier a couple of times with it. you might check the tire pressure. also, find a measured mile, or several, and check your odometer against it.

nvbanker

My wife gets 17.8 MPG in town consistently with her 2002 SOHC V-6. We think this is great mileage! We never take it on the highway, so can't help you there.

jrc346

My wife's 2000 4.0L SOHC is now averaging 20.3 MPG. That is with about 60% Highway driving. This past winter it was averaging 18.6 MPG, but with warmer temps, synthetic oil, and a new air filter it's gone much higher than my expectations.

1badsidekick

Does an air filter affect gas mileage that much? I did notice that when I changed the filter on my old Sidekick that before, I got 300 miles to a tank, and after I got 330 to a tank. However, it had 55k miles on it. This explorer only has 32k on it, but would I be wise to go ahead and replace the filter?

jrc346

The filter was pretty bad haha :-) I just hope that the emissions system is ok. I would take a look at your filter just so you know its condition. If it looks dirty go for a replacement. 10 bucks is a lot cheaper than a check engine light (unless it's a loose gas cap).

opera_house_wk

Don't think the air filter has any effect on mileage. In the old days with carbs, fuel metering was a function of differential air pressures. A clogged filter acted like a choke. With EFI, fuel ratio is controled by the oxygen sensor and the MAF.

nvbanker

That's right, performance will be hampered some with a clogged filter, but mileage would be essentially unaffected as the computer will adjust for the restricted airflow, and restrict the fuel to make the mixture correct.

jrc346

I guess that makes sense. Though wouldn't a very dirty air filter, which restricts air still act like a choke? Meaning that the computer would have to adjust for having less air available and dump more fuel into the engine to get the car to go? I must admit I plea ignorance here lol, but I am just curios. Seems like I heard somewhere, that a badly restricted air filter can be the cause for early catalytic converter failure. Any thoughts on this? Thanks again for the tip ;-)

1badsidekick

With the original stock filter, my '98 Sidekick got 300 miles to a tank, and 300 was PUSHING it...it was on the big E for quite a while. After changing the filter at 52,000 miles, it started getting 330 miles to a tank of gas easy...I probably could have gotten 345 if I had pushed it, because I thought 330 was pushing it from being used to 300. Whatever it does by replacing the filter...it does improve gas mileage.

nvbanker

The computer should not let the mixture get rich due to clogged filters. The mass airflow sensor should cause the fuel mixture to be moderated accordingly - and the car should just slow down.

heintz1

My 2002 V8 XLT's last tank of Shell 87 octane fuel caused the engine to knock rather loudly several times during accelerations, and the knocking then stopped completely. Today, my "service engine soon" light came on, although the engine seems to be running fine. What are the most likely causes of this warning light? (I keep my truck very well maintained, and use Techron every 3000 miles).

opera_house_wk

There are other fuel injection systems that have a MAP sensor to measure manifold vacuum. This could fool the computer at times into thinking the engine was at a higher load and needed a richer mixture.

jrc346

Could it just be a loose gas cap? Had the service engine soon light come on once before because of that. If you want to know what the code is or have the service engine soon light turned off, take it to a local Autozone. They do that for free!

nvbanker

I would check the fault code that the computer should have stored. That will tell you what went wrong.

explorerx4

if you drive in a hilly area less power could cause earlier downshifting, costing you mileage.
hate those downshifts, if you aren't trying to.

1badsidekick

Mine does seem to downshift a lot more than it should. On the slightest hill with the cruise on, it will downshift twice, when it shouldn't be downshifting at all. I tried the same hills (they're on the way to and from work) with the cruise off, and it doesn't downshift as much but it at least goes down 1 gear. I think I'll go ahead and replace the filter, and see if I notice a difference. Does this explorer have the 4 or the 5 speed auto tranny? I'm thinking 4, but with the torque converter and the transmission shifting pretty smoothly, I haven't been able to pick out the number of gears.

opera_house_wk

97 and later have a 5 speed if it is a V6.

swschrad

that's a given with me, OD vehicles, and hills.

stever

"As SUVs go, our long-termer was powerful, relatively nimble and safe with more than enough room for four or five passengers."

Long-Term Test: 2002 Ford Explorer XLT - Wrap-Up

Steve, Host

pete108

Anyone happens to own the '99 BLACK EDITION? Or maybe you could direct me to any sites about this make? I am interested to know in what ways it is better than LIMITED.
Any help is appreciated.

nvbanker

Hmmmmm, never heard of it. I'll see if I can get ANT's attention; he may know....

ANT14

What makes the Black edition, black? Can't remember having such an edition that I'm aware of. Unless there's another name for it, and someone wants to call it black edition, because of whatever tense and purposes it might be all black.

Example: There IS the NBX edition available for 2004, this includes the exterior of the NBX features unique two-tone black front and rear bumpers that coordinate with the black side moldings, wheel lips and step bars.

From the Product overview, it includes: NBX adds to XLT: 17-inch machined aluminum wheels, P245/65R17 all-terrain OWL tires, off-road package, two-tone black front/rear bumper, black cladding, wheel lip moldings, step bars, rubber floor mats, cargo soft liner, storage bag, front tow hooks and unique cloth interior.

That's as close to as what your stating that I can think of, nothing else has hit me yet from way back when....

swschrad

the soft liner aspect sounds good to me. got enough scratches in the typical ABS in back to be a little displeased. IMHO cargo areas should all be lined with carpet, including up the sides, for both reduced eye appeal on the truck and reduced roughing up the cargo itself. I also want some "tow hooks" on the front of my 2000... not to tow, the frame would get tweaked without a front reinforcement, but for attachment of canoe hooks, etc. not willing to hink around and pour or forge my own, that doesn't work out well in an apartment

anybody listening in the design studio? do it!

dcd

Hello. At 6000 miles, my transmission has started making (occasionally) a high-pitched whining noise during up-shifts. Sounds almost like a belt slipping, but I don't think it is. Any ideas as to what it could be? The vehicle is a 2003 V8 4wd and has been babied (no towing).

1badsidekick

"This Explorer" is a '99 XLS with OHV 4.0 V6. I thought it must have had teh 5 speed auto because of how many "perpetual" shifts I felt...or thought I was feeling. Thanks for that info. Also, I know you always get better milage when using O/D, but I take it out of O/D frequently to hold back on hills and to keep it from "hunting" for the right gear. It hasn't done that yet, but it downshifts from O/D to 4th on most hills, and on big hills it goes all the way to 3rd. Thats one good thing about having the O/D switch on the shifter rather than having to shift the lever. I changed the air filter and noticed a HUGE difference. It doesn't downshift as much, and on my last tank (about 1/5 of that tank was with the new filter) I got 17.8 mpg, the best so far. I hope it gets better!

brast69

Well if it is a 5 speed electronic tranny like the 03 Mountaineer, you need to take it to the dealer so they can "reset" it or what ever they do. I had shifting problems and noises from my Mounty and thats all they did.