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Ford Explorer Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • wh23fdctwh23fdct Member Posts: 18
    Hi I remember reading a while back about someone having a problem with their Explorer with the V8 starting but stalls if they take their foot off the gas. runs that way until warm then is normal. It dosent happen all the time though. well now my explorer is doing this and I couldnt find on the board if there was a remedy for this. I believe it was a valve problem or something any suggestions would be great. I have a 99 with the V8 only does it sometimes so I wouldnt want to bother taking it to the dealer cause chances are they wouldnt know what it was then charge me all kinds of money anyways. thanks, jim
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    my first guess would be weak spark or perhaps crossed spark from induction from another wire nearby. I had a couple double-platinum plugs on mine that had lost one or the other "bump" of platinum off the electrodes, which spread the gap and made the engine a tad iffy under load or at idle with all power running and turning.

    anybody else have any leads? if you were wired up for a full computer diagnostic and it didn't isolate issues on one or two cylinders, you'd chase common issues like sensors and fuel pressure. there isn't much that's really foolproof if you are just going to shade-tree a minor issue the way computers can compensate for weak parts and confuse your efforts. I don't usually recommend shotgunning parts until you either fix it, forget what the problem was, or run out of credit... unless you PREFER wasting time in the bugs skinning knuckles ;)
  • jrc346jrc346 Member Posts: 337
    I had something similar happen in my 2000 Explorer XLT with the 4.0 L SOHC V6. I have the exact same thing happening I'm my 1996 Thunderbird with the 4.6L V8. What would happen with the Explorer is that it would start to jerk sporadically while it was raining. As it turned out the plug wires were bad. I have yet to find the problem with my T-Bird. What happens is when I have to accelerate quickly the check engine light will illuminate and the car will start to sputter while driving. However this is most noticeable while sitting at a stop light. Then like 5 minutes later the car will run perfectly and the check engine light will turn off later that day. I have asked numerous people about this and have been told many things. I have had the check engine light looked at and was told that my oxygen sensors were weak ( I have 106,000 miles on the car ) so I changed all 4 my self. This however didn't solve the problem. I have alse been told that there could be a weak coil pack, bad spark plug wires, or even a bad spark plug. Right now I am trying a high concentration of fuel injector cleaner to see if that helps. This problem may show up as often as once or twice a day or once a week. So if you figure out the problem before I do please post your findings as that may finally cure my car's problem. Its not a big deal but It's anoying to not have your car running correctly. Goodluck!
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    if there is any water on the road, rain, or your wires are coated with grunge, that makes a LOT of sense. I typically don't let my wires get too creepy due to some similar experiences lots and lots of years ago on mopars, so I don't face the issue much any more.

    you can diagnose wires rather quickly and cheaply. block the wheels and set the parking brake. start 'er up in park and pop the hood. DON'T GET NEAR ANY NASTY FAN BELT STUFF while using a pump spray bottle to shoot a mist of water around the high-voltage and wires areas of the car. when you see sparks, colored coronas hug the wires, or similar stuff, you have found a bad wire.

    if you have to change wires, take advantage of the situation to also change the plugs as well... don't fiddle around with one wire at a time, that is something to shotgun and be done with, the others are getting beat up and will fail as soon as you turn away.

    works best in a dim or dark garage. LOOK OUT FOR THE DRIVE BELTS, EVIL, BAD NEWS.
  • scrappy6scrappy6 Member Posts: 13
    Thanks for all the info everybody! I agree jrc346 if my vehicle isn't running 100% it really bothers me. Mine seems to be doing the exact same as you described. If I figure it out first I'll let you know. It's great to be able to talk to others having or have had the same issues. I will probably start next week with the plugs and wires and go from there. I'll update as soon as I get some results. I tried the fuel injector cleaners and didn't have any success. Thanks again!
  • wh23fdctwh23fdct Member Posts: 18
    I will change my plugs and wires since they are the original (54000 miles) over the weekend will see what happens from there. looks awful tight in that engine compartment with that 5.0 inthere :<( may get some skinned knuckles like schrad says. anyway......
  • bioman3bioman3 Member Posts: 37
    My 99 Explorer is about to go off of warranty, 35,588 miles, and I have had it back to the dealer to repair a leak from the front differential pinion seal and replace the roof rack (peeling paint). The one remaining problem is an engine vibration that is now causing the exhaust system to rattle at ~850 RPM. The problem is most noticeable with engine cold, AC on and in the transmission in gear. With the engine warm I can reproduce the problem by bringing the RPM to 850. The dealer has done the 00M12 recall ( i don't know why they did this, I had a feeling that it would not work!), but that did not help. When the truck was new the dealer did add a bracket to the exhaust system that stopped a similar rattle. The vibration was still there, but the exhaust rattle was gone until recently. Any theories, hypotheses, insights would be appreciated.

    Thanks

    Bioman
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    in fact, it's tight enough around the back of the right fender that I still have the wires for the right side cylinders to put in.

    you will find that to get to the back two, it is way easier to crab the steering wheel left (pushing the backs of the tires to the right) and then pulling out the back three plastic-bolt fasteners from the fender liner. pull the fender liner up over the tire. voila, access to the plugs and wires, if not exactly access to the wire clips they use in 1999 and 2000 models back by the back of the engine. haven't figured that one out yet.

    I'm 5-9, if you are over 6 feet you might be able to get to those back wire clips over the top. the rest is a total R P A unless you go in from the side.
  • jrc346jrc346 Member Posts: 337
    Last week I added a can of Seafoam to my gas tank ( in my Thunderbird ) and then added premium fuel until my tank was about half full. I ran that down then added a full tank of mid grade gas. I drove a total of about 800 miles this weekend with the car and the problem of the car running rough and the check engine light coming on has been solved for now at least (knock on wood) Not only that but I got 28MPG. That's the best I have ever gotten with that car. So I guess that's one more thing that you can try. I'm back to using regular fuel so we will see how that goes and I'll let you know if the problem resurfaces. I bought this seafoam engine conditioner/restorer stuff at a Car Quest in town.
  • wh23fdctwh23fdct Member Posts: 18
    so after readind a few previous posts I took off my air idle control valve this weekend and looked at it and it was full of carbon/dirt. I went to the local auto parts store for $63 and got a new one and so far so good. looks like that was it causing my truck to stall out. Also did my Oil change with a hastings filter and 5 qts of dino 5W. swschrad, pulled a plug that was easy to access and those are lookin like replacement time also. wires look ok just dirty gonna look at them more thoughly when I get the plugs. it is real tight on the passenger side though gonna try it like you said and pull out the wheelwell.
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    also take a misting sprayer to the engine compartment in a darkened garage and spray down the wire sets. if you get a bunch of sparks, corona color-bands, and stuff and maybe misfires, the wires also need changing. if not, they may be OK for now. good to take a rag wet with windshield solvent and gently wipe the wires down, dust collects salt, and salt plus water vapor promotes misfires.

    100,000 between tune-ups my gluteus! we're still not there, folks.

    I'll tell you, though, all the glop in the valve was a big contributor to poor performance.
  • dtremblaydtremblay Member Posts: 8
    marcjlc Aug 5, 2002 3:22pm

    marcjlc #1475 - I am having the same problem with my 97 Explorer V6 SOHC. At cold startup the engine idles between 650-800 RPM. After the engine warms up, the idle point stays between 1000-1400 RPM. What did the dealer say the problem was?
  • squizzsquizz Member Posts: 2
    Wondering if anyone else has this problem before I let the dealer take a look...

    I have a 2002 Explorer XLT w/ 4.0 V6 - purchased at the end of May. Great truck, no problems so far, almost 7,000 miles... except for this weird chirping/squeaking noise that has just recently started. It seems to be coming from the passenger side dash area, behind the air bag. It is very intermittent, sometimes very quiet, sometimes louder, sometimes makes noise going over bumps, sometimes not. Sometimes chirps/squeaks just driving down the road, due to vibrations, I guess.

    And no, there are no birds trapped in there that I know of!

    Thanks for any feedback you can give.
  • marcjlcmarcjlc Member Posts: 3
    Sorry guys, was on vacation up here. Here's what the problem was after spending $180 at the local Ford dealership: the thermostat was toast. My problem is that I couldn't diagnose such a simple problem in my 2000 Explorer! If I was driving something older (no ecm & OBD2)I would have probably guessed it. Since the dealership ran a diagnostic, charged me minimum labour charge (1hr) and added taxes the bill mushroomed. To think that the part was only $25. Well, I am currently waiting for my copy of the Helms Explorer workshop manual to arrive in the mail. I will not be fooled again!!!(hopefully)
    marcjlc
  • enforcerenforcer Member Posts: 40
    marcjlc- the thermostat problem is a common one with the explorer, and mine failed, too.

    if you scroll back far enough you'll see that Ford even issued a TSB on the thermometers. Of course, that doesn't mean Ford will pay for the repair, which runs about $200. yet another reason to get an extended warranty.

    regarding the earlier discussion on radio/CD failure, your best course of action is to buy a new unit from circuit city or your local retailer of choice. you can get a great model for $150-200 installed. it is a real shame that ford is unwilling to sell a reasonably-priced unit - and somewhat puzzling, as i'm sure this must be a profitable item.
  • dtremblaydtremblay Member Posts: 8
    enforcer - I could not find a TSB on thermostats. Do you happen to know what the TSB number is?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I found two using The Edmunds Maintenance Guide. Alldata.com may have more or different ones, or different numbers:


    Component Description:

    118.ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM:THERMOSTAT NHTSA Number: 617968

    Bulletin Number: 14583

    Bulletin Date: JAN 2001

     

    Vehicle: 2000 Ford Explorer

    Summary:

    CONCERNS WITH BROKEN THERMOSTATS ON ENGINES. *JB

     

     

    Component Description:

    121.ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM:THERMOSTAT NHTSA Number: 617995

    Bulletin Number: 14617

    Bulletin Date: JAN 2001

     

    Vehicle: 2000 Ford Explorer

    Summary:

    SUBJECT PERTAINING TO BROKEN THERMOSTAT. *JB




    Steve

    Host

    SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

  • jv312jv312 Member Posts: 32
    My 2002 Explorer is like yours (V6 w/ 7K, bought at end of Apr). It has begun the mystery squeak too. Monday I bring it for an oil change, was going to ask the dealer then. I'll post whatever I find out.
  • lisa1264lisa1264 Member Posts: 1
    Hello everybody? This is the first time that I have come across this web page, but from all the postings that I have seen regarding Ford Explorer woes, I know now that I am alone. I purchased a 2000 Ford Explorer for lease in 2000. Within the first two weeks of ownership, it was in the shop three times, the first time being that the door locks continually operated and grinded, the second was the the steering sounded horrible when you tried to steer it, five months later it was that the back wiper motor burned out, the ignition would not turn to start, afterward I have had three computer components blow out, and since my warranty has run out, It is comping out of my pocketbook. Needless to say I have retained an attorney and he tells me I have a good case going in. I think everyone out there should get something going on this for a civil lawsuit. Don't get me wrong, I have owned 6 Fords in the last 17 years (including a Mercury Lynx which was somewhat of a pain) but I have never had any of the problems with them that I have had with this Exploder!
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Welcome aboard! We're glad you found us.

    The folks here are friendly and helpful - enjoy!

    tidester
    Host
    SUVs; Aftermarket & Accessories
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    sounds like you got the bad one of the week, all right. I have had only a couple little diddly issues with mine. rear wiper motors have been a common issue, but haven't seen a lot of new complaints about 'em recently, possibly indicating a good revision.
  • eddiejobobeddiejobob Member Posts: 3
    Last winter, my AC compressor started smoking and burned itself out. I disconnected the wiring and waited until summer to get an estimate. The dealer wants 1200 bucks. Local repair is 750. They claim that it probably threw alot of junk into the lines and other items need to be replaced as well. My question is: on a 1994, should I pay what amounts to almost a forth of the car's value or is there a less expensive alternative? any comments would be appreciated!
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    like pulling the clutch power plug and not having A/C, which you have tried. next question is whether you are feeling lucky today.

    let me 'splain. assuming you had the compressor hot enough to smoke, it was hot enough to melt plastics and goop the oil, and before compression failed all the way, pressed that yuck into the system. the a/c internals are full of fine little orifices, dinky needle valves, a filter/dryer that may or may not have been able to catch most of the crud, and lots of piping for the guck to plate out upon.

    if you just get a junkyard compressor for $50-100 bucks, pour out the old oil, pour in the "right" amount of new oil, and bolt it on, you have replaced the biggest bad part. the system will need to be evacuated, which also draws out moisture but won't draw out particles and little plated gobs of plastic in the elbows of pipes, and then recharged. it's a good idea to use a refrigerant/oil mix with an indicator, by the way.

    EXCEPT that your 1994 is almost certainly still an R11 "freon" system. so it would need to have ALL the old oil flushed out and the correct new stuff put in before R134a refrigerant went in there. it would be a good idea to replace the filter/dryer in any case on the conversion. "freon" lubricant will turn to Gummibears if used in an R134a system, meaning the new compressor dies quickly.

    you may still have issues with old hoses, etc. that will become apparent when the system is charged... by that I mean immediately apparent with a loud noise.

    $700 is not an outlandish quote from a good shop that will basically refit the system completely on the wear/tolerance parts and put a tested rebuilt compressor in for you. they might be quoting high in assumption that a hose or two might also need to be replaced. if the quote was itemized, you should be able to see that, if not ask again.

    if your system is under pressure, an EPA-licensed shop must, by Federal law, evacuate and save all the old Freon. the quote would also include a share of the cost of the equipment they had to buy to do that.

    those are the basic issues. if you're not under pressure, and you want to play around with it, and have a tank of dry nitrogen with a pressure regulator to flush the old oil out, that's cheaper. may take a long time to get it working, though, and a lot more parts.

    one-shot with a probable 90-day warranty on parts and labor, $700 is reasonable.

    $1200 is a rip, but it might include a full "R134a re-engineering kit" from Ford for your truck, in which case it's less of a rip.
  • marcjlcmarcjlc Member Posts: 3
    Once again I must report on another issue I have discovered this weekend on my 2000 Exp Sport!!
    As per TSB 14011 (#104) mentioned in the Edmunds Maintenance Guide my rear diff began leaking ever so slightly (wet). To restate: faulty rear axle Pionion Oil Seal. The diff oil: 75W140 (synthetic). Sooo, will pick up a quart at Ford tonight and quiz the service guys there on the cost to replace the seal. I stongly recomend all readers to browse the Edmunds Maintenance Guide, as it has helped me keep an eye any potential ISSUES!!
    Good Luck
    Marcjlc
  • squizzsquizz Member Posts: 2
    Looking forward to what they tell you. I took mine in last Friday, and the technician logged the old "cannot duplicate problem at at this time" response on the ticket.

    So, I hope you have better luck... guess I'll have to wait until it gets really bad for them to be able to do something about it.
  • derek_seymourderek_seymour Member Posts: 1
    Hello, in reply to #1513 and #1518, this may help -
    I just bought a used '96 Explorer XLT, and took it to the dealers for a 90K mile service. On this car there is an occasional squeak/whirring on the lower passeneger side, when in low revs and accelerating, or when accelerating heavily at higher speeds. It usually stops once the revs are stable.
    The dealer said that this is caused by a bearing in the "Idler Pulley" wearing down; the bearing will continue to wear over time but 'it will probably go for a long time before seizing up'. I was quoted $28 parts for replacement plus $70 labor (1 hour) to replace it.
    FYI - to find it, the idler pulley is the lower leftmost wheel in the engine compartment around which the fan-belt turns (when looking at the engine from the front). It has no purpose other than to support the fan-belt.

    I hope this helps
  • gasburnergasburner Member Posts: 31
    I taken my 99 Explorer to the dealer(s) several times because of a clunk/crunching sound from the front end when I turn in the driveway. Of course they couldn't ever duplicate the problem, checked the front end and the steering and everything was always OK. Well, today the sound was much worse than ever before. It sounds like something major ready to happen. Anybody with any ideas or have this problem?

    I must say that I've gotten really bad service from the dealers in my area. One issue I've had is a very loud rattle in the door, really annoying. All they did was scratch up the truck and make it worse. I later found that one fix they tried was to stuff a paper bag in the door. Another crappy service was when I went to have the famous rear windshield wiper motor fix. When I picked it up it didnt' wipe but 1/2 the glass; they tried to fix it and broke the new motor. I could go no. I hope I don't run out of dealers in my area before I find a decent one. Now that its out of the factory warranty they'll probably be able to find the front end problem and some other thing they'd like to "fix". Good thing I have an extended warranty. Did I make a mistake keeping this thing? That new 4-runner might be my ticket out.
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    probably a worn joint or bushing or a loose stabilizer, something like that.

    the 99 and "oh-oh" are really the same car, but there were lots of grumbles posted by 99 owners. it's a matter of getting all the unfamiliar screws torqued up, all the parts with first-run jitters replaced, and... frankly... once you hear problems, you keep hearing them even after they're gone, or until they start squeaking in your own key so they don't interrupt your singing over the washboard roads and potholes ^H^H^H shell holes.

    but if the dealers aren't looking, get to a local specialty shop and have them check it out.
  • tomtextomtex Member Posts: 1
    I own a 2001 Ford Explorer SportTrac that has random starting and idling problems. This began @ about 2000 miles. It has been towed into the dealer 3 times under warranty. The dealer could not "duplicate problem" or read any codes from the computer. It is now out of warranty @ 55,000 miles. The starting problem has only gotten worse in the last two weeks. It takes 15 minutes every morning to start and hold an idle. Any suggestions as to the problem will be appreciated.
  • jrc346jrc346 Member Posts: 337
    That sounds like an Idle Air Control Valve. Symptoms are Hard starting and rough Idle. I have heard of these going bad on Explorers. Just not mine...Yet knock on wood. Good luck with it!
  • wh23fdctwh23fdct Member Posts: 18
    gasburner, my 99 does the same exact thing your talking about as i turn into my neighborhood and in to my driveway look in your passenger wheelwell and see if the plastic material is rubbing against the exposed part of the strut tower this is what i believe i making the noise in my car. you will see fresh rubmarks on the coil looking item in there. Tomtex as far as your problem goes I just had the same problem also and replaced the idle air control valve (like a 5 min. job very easy) and the problem has not returned. part was $63 for motorcraft replacement part. located right on top of intake manifold on the V8, dont know what engine you have. good luck anyways
  • woeisme7woeisme7 Member Posts: 2
    I guess misery truly does love company, I'm glad I found this board. I've seen a few references to the problem my truck is having. I have a 1999 Ford Explorer w/44000 miles on it, and its problem is that it starts when it wants to. It seems like if we have rain or if it's very humid out the truck will not stay running. Each time I've had this problem the truck starts - but when I put it in gear it cuts out (all times when it has been damp and/or raining out), then afterwards will not start again. The 'Idle control valve' has been replaced (2 weeks ago), the battery was replaced (1 month ago) and one other module that's name escapes me at this moment was also replaced (1 month ago). The other 2 times this happened to me luckily I was at home and was able to start the truck the next day (which happened to be sunny both times). However yesterday I was not so lucky and was at the train station in a desolate parking lot alone (and am a woman). Not the best time to be broken down (thank GOD for AAA). Again the truck initially started and soon as I shifted gears it cut out and would not start again. This time it had to be towed to the dealership - who of course is closed because it's the weekend. I am so frustrated with this now I couldn't even sleep last night. I have already written letters to the dealership and Ford - so will be sure to let you all know what (if any) response I get. To add insult to injury the last 2 times I've gone to pick up my truck it's taken me over an hour each time just to pick it up and pay because of having to wait for the service tech, wait for the writeup to be done, wait to talk to the service manager because something was not right - I'm ready to buy a Toyota. I feel like they are trying to sell me $2000 worth of parts before they may fix the problem. I saw note #1509 from lisa (I think) about filing a lawsuit and I am entertaining that idea myself. The worst part is that no matter what happens with Ford or the dealership at this point I have lost all confidence in the vehicle. As a single woman I need a vehicle I can depend on and this surely is not it. Phew! Thank you for letting me vent. :) Like many of you I came from a "Ford" family - but no more. The dealership treats you like they don't care if they have your business or not. It's awful - especially for the prices of vehicles and repairs today. Funny thing is last time I was picking up my truck (2 weeks ago) I was chatting with this man in line who was picking up his 2001 Explorer. He said he was in the week before for the 'Idle Control Valve' problem, and when pulling off the lot on his way home from having that problem fixed the 4WD light came on and the truck locked up. It had to be towed back into the garage and that time the 4WD had gone up on it. What is Ford's problem? You'd think they'd be kissing people's butts after the tire fiasco.
  • njdevilsrnnjdevilsrn Member Posts: 185
    Hello!

    Anyone out there changing their own oil in a 4.0 with OHV? After the local dealers have all raised their prices to $24.95 and over for oil changes, I've decided to try doing it myself.

    I am yet to crawl under, but how easy is it to get the filter out/in? (I had a 1990 Taurus with a 3.0 6 cylinder, and you needed to be an acrobat to get the filter moved)

    Also, what type of oil (synthetic vs. dino and what brands) are people using, also what type of filter?

    Thanks!
  • bmr4bmr4 Member Posts: 6
    I found out today that my 98 Explorer 4.0 SOHV has used slightly more than one quart in the last 4,400 miles. I change oil regularly, and have used Mobil 1 5-30 only. My Explorer has only 49,600 miles. Is this oil consumption rate a problem, or just part of a used engine to keep and eye on?
  • jrc346jrc346 Member Posts: 337
    WOW that is very frustrating! However when you said that this running poorly thing happens only when its wet out makes me think that its a may be bad Spark Plug wires. Something as simple as that. If it is just that then your dealer is defiantly incompetent. Actually you have probably determined that on your own already. I had this happen on another vehicle where I would come to a stop and it would cut out and then not re start for 5-10 minutes. Spark Plus wires are somewhat regular maintenance but it seems that they fail prematurely in explorers. I had a set go on my 2000 at around 20,000 miles. It would run but would jerk around and overall run very poorly. Another problem that I have heard make Explorers run badly is a faulty fuel pump. I don't know if this could be the solution to your problems but you might me able to ask them to do a fuel line pressure check to make sure that its operating at full strength. To check the spark plug wires is simple. You start your Explorer and have a spray bottle full of water. Spray the spark plug wires really good. If the car sputters or stalls out you know thats the cause of your problems. I would also highly recommend finding a different dealer if at all possible. Yours sounds just awful. Either that or find a reputable auto repair shop since your vehicle is out or warranty. I find that indepentend garages are more honest and repairs generally cost less. Good luck with your problem. Also one last thing. What engine does your Explorer have?

    bmr4-
    Every engine consumes oil. Your engine having consumed only a little over a quart in about 4,500 miles is actually below average. It sounds to me like your engine is in fine condition. My Explorer 4.0L SOHC V6 used about 3/4 of a quart of oil every 3,000 miles. That was with 30,000 miles in the clock. I think that you have nothing to worry about IMO.
  • woeisme7woeisme7 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the suggestions, I'll give the spray bottle thing a try. I have the 4.0 V6 engine.

    When the dealer called me this morning I was told the problem was the Inertia plug was kicked out. I did have a passenger w/me when the truck cut out on me last time, but I find it hard to believe she kicked the plug out. My Mother is handicapped and stretches her leg into the corner where this plug is located regularly (it's on the passenger side floor in the righthand corner by the firewall) and if anyone would have kicked that plug out it would have been her - my friend that was with me the other day did not stretch her leg and if you know where this plug is at it's not something you can easily kick. I don't buy it. Then of course the bad news (for them) was they tried to charge me $73 service fee (to plug it back in) - so I chucked a fit over that and called Ford's Customer Service line. They worked out that I was only charged $49 -- because the dealership is saying it's a different problem than before but I say it's all the same problem. In any event I got my truck back and went tonight to look at a Toyota 4runner, but was kinda disappointed with that. I really do like the styling of the Explorer, but it has to go. :(
    Up until all this bad experience w/Ford I had hoped my next vehicle would be the Lincoln Navigator -- but I balk at getting another Ford product. Meeeooowww!! Pfft! Pfft! ;)

    Oh - forgot to mention, today's weather was drier and sunny. Funny the truck started working again. I'll definitely give the spray bottle thing a try. Thanks again.
  • jrc346jrc346 Member Posts: 337
    Another quick question...Do you know where the spark plug wires are? If not I can help explain. Also these wires contain high voltage and if faulty and wet can be a little electrifying to touch when its running. Also spray the ignition coil pack (the spark plug wires all start from here (a green and black box) then go off to the separate cylinders). This may also be one of the causes of your problems.
    For what its worth (maybe nothing) I do have a 1999 Ford Expedition EB (brother to the Navigator) with 62,000 miles on it with out a single problem, and I am very happy with it. However people seem to be extreamly happy with Toyotas as well. Again Good luck with it.
  • bioman3bioman3 Member Posts: 37
    Just finished doing this job on my 99 XLT 4.0 SOHC. It is quite easy since the filter will be staring you in the face when you look up after locating the oil pan drain plug. There are no obstructions to get in the was of removing the filter, so it should be a simple task even for a "first timer". I use Mobil-1 synthetic, 5W-30 and a Mobil-1 filter (M1-301). The combination will probably cost you more than 24.95, but you can extent the drain interval to 5K miles. If you are planning to keep the truck for a long time, this is a worthwhile investment. Add to that the fun of getting under the truck and getting dirty, you can't beat it!! Don't forget to wear latex gloves to minimize your contact with the dirty oil.
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    sustained contact with dirty oil is what the warnings on the label are all about. thus, if you are not real competent as a wrench and get a body full of oil, it would have been a good idea to start off wearing the ragbag. when you're done, dump the clothes outside where they can't burn anything down (spontaneous combustion of oil rags is well-known around the fire hall as a bad thing), take a nice shower with a good bar of soap, and boogie on.
  • seningenseningen Member Posts: 4
    Not sure if I read it here or somewhere else.

    But I had a rear wiper that would not sweep.

    Took it off it's resting position and while
    placing the switch in one of the interval modes
    I gently pushed the rear wiper arm clockwise
    past the stop position. It immediately sensed
    that it has gotten to the end point, and
    proceeded to begin sweeping properly.

    It has continued to work for a week with no
    further problems.

    Your mileage may vary,

    Mike
    2 for 2 on simple $0 cost "fixes"
    Guess I'm due fo some "big" problem now :-)
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    I've posted that one several times myself
  • london01london01 Member Posts: 4
    I have a 1996 AWD Explorer XLT. It has a new weird problem. The highbeam light dash indicator stays on continuously even when the truck is shut off. If I put the brights on then the indicator light becomes slightly more brighter. It stays on as well when the head lights are on or off. What gives?
  • smily1smily1 Member Posts: 104
    Sounds like a simple but hard to find in dash short. Your lighting wire has a direct path to the battery so you can use the lights even when the motor is off. Get yourself a tester and start narrowing it down. I would start around the fuse box. If there is an easier way Im sure someone will comment. Good luck.
  • jrc346jrc346 Member Posts: 337
    Could it be that something is wrong with the DRL controller? I know that when in DRL mode that it uses the high beams but at a lowered intensity. There seems to some correlation. I think since Explorers are made in the U.S. That for Canada they have a control box or fuse of some kind to keep the headlights on during the day. Maybe its something there? Just a thought.
    One question though. Do the headlights work normally? Having both High and Low beam at night?
  • london01london01 Member Posts: 4
    Both high beam and low beam lights work normally. The truck is indeed equipped with the day time running lights. It has 160,000KM on it. All other light/signal functions are normal. Thanks.
  • lmacmillmacmil Member Posts: 1,758
    My check engine light was on for about 3 weeks and gave a P0133 (O2 sensor) and P0420 (converter efficiency low) codes. It went off for a couple months by itself then came back on with only the P0420 code. Seems to be running OK but my gas mileage is lower than it used to be. Does the 1996 Explorer have an 8/80,000 emissions systems warranty like some vehicles do?
  • minihalminihal Member Posts: 2
    I checked my '96 Owner's Manual Warranty Information Booklet for Emissions Defect Warranty. Under the Federal Emissions Defect Warranty, Ford must provide a general emissions defect warranty for 2 years or 24,000 miles (whichever occurs first). Ford continues this warranty through 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever occurs first). For a period of 8 years or 80,000 miles, whichever occurs first, specified major emission control components - catalytic converter, electronic emissions control unit (PCM), onboard emissions diagnostics devices - also are covered by the Emissions Defect Warranty.
  • lmacmillmacmil Member Posts: 1,758
    When the CEL light returns with a P0420 code, I'll take it to the dealer.
  • sailboatsailboat Member Posts: 21
    I've been using Edmunds info. for a long time, and this TMV thing is kind of funny. I always thought as a consumer that my job was to get the cheapest price absolutely possible. TMV seems to give money back to the dealer right off the bat! What really gets me is the zip code thing and the "color adjustment". Now on the "Invoice Price", used to be that they were 12-15% below the list. Looking at Explorers, I see they are around 9% below now. So what's going on? Have the invoice prices been artificially inflated? Do we need to discover the "front door" invoice versus the "back door" invoice? These types of things are starting to make me question the validity of the info. Edmunds serves up. Couldn't find any place to send a comment to Edmunds, so I thought I'd put this here, as I'm currently looking for a new Explorer. Any comments?
  • zman3zman3 Member Posts: 857
    I am looking to replace the rear driver side tail light assembly on my 95 Explorer since it is cracked and full of water. I'm too cheap to buy any type of service manual since I intend to sell the vehicle in the next month or so. I am just prepping it for sale. I intend to go get an used one at a junk yard.

    I removed the two screws at the top of the assembly and it seemed to loosen. It also still seemed to be retained at the bottom somehow. I didn't see any additional screws. I don't want to break the assembly until I get a new one. Can someone tell me how to remove it rest of the way? There seems to be plenty of play in it I am just afraid to pull too hard or in the wrong direction. I don't want to break it just yet. Thanks for any help.
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