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Comments
I had already had the idle air control valve replaced a few months ago. I had previously had a problem where the left turn signal would short out when i tried to signal while my foot was on the brake. The dealer said this was related to the idle air contol. I guess it was since the problem has not resurfaced since. Although I'm sure something else will go wrong soon.
I initially wanted to keep this truck for another few years, but now I can't wait to dump it sometime next year.
be internal!! "no trouble found at dealer while under warranty,2 or 3 times!! I have no low gear when desending steep grades,(see #1711). stereo display disappears for 1 or 2 days then comes back, ball joints squeek, transmission surges during accelleration, (from a dead stop) gas gauge has never been on the full mark, even if I stuff it clear full!!don't know if temp gauge is wrong or if I need a new thermostat, stays just below the normal range in the winter. exhaust heat shields chatter when in gear sitting at light or drive thrus, I can go on and on!!! had extended warranty from 36000-75000 miles and none of this got fixed. or should i say fixed right! I have fought with the dealer, Ford cust service, and wrote letters, they won't budge. does anyone think the attorny general can help? I think thats my next step! can't even get rid of this thing cause I owe twice as much as it's worth. the value of explorers has dropped unbelievably! I'm at the point to were I just laugh and keep makeing payments! Hope I made everybody feel a little better at least! merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone>>>CJG
One more quick thought. If they insist on charging you $2,900. for the repair. I would just deal with the noise. If nothing happens great. If something does, a new engine will cost about that if not a little less. Also try to find a better dealer to work on your Explorer. A good service dept. can make a world of difference in the final costs of things.
http://www.glue.umd.edu/~singletn/web/pages/tcase.html
For more information search on www.explorer4x4.com There is a lot of advice there.
happy Truckin'
As an added bonus the gas mileage is getting 12.5 in town per the read out and our manual computations. Any suggestions other than the plugs, injectors, or fuel filter?
Should have bought the Blazer !
2) drive like granny with a migrane for a couple weeks and I bet you get between 14 and 15 mpg. start slow, stop early, stay in the speed limits, don't zip around, get all the extra junk out of the back to cut down the weight, and don't try to figure out mileage with winter or oxygenated gasoline... all these tips will save you mpg. and as a bonus, they work with every car.
oh, I don't do them, either, and I get 13.5 to 14.5 on my V8 2000 exploder most of the time around town. but I don't patch out at lights and don't make sure that derned Grand Am in the next lane stays behind me. those two things help me out.
if nobody has done a minor tune-up on the truck yet, it's past time IMHO... make sure you've got a clean air filter, too.
As far as the sagging, I know there is a small difference in height form one side of the Explorer to the other but I doubt it is more then a half inch. i would definitely get the springs re-done and you may as well get new shocks put while you are at it.
If I were you too, I would be looking for a new mechanic. What irks me these days is that most mechanics don't know how to diagnose an engine anymore. They only know how to plug it into the computer, and if that tells them nothing, they want to replace everything that could possibly have anything to do with the problem. My car runs great now since they replaced those gaskets. I would print off the info from that webpage and show it to the mechanic. Then he can see how a real mechanic diagnoses a problem. Good luck with your car!
I think it has to be either wheel bearings, AWD, or transmission (rear end already rebuilt).
Any thoughts??
The reason I asked which engine you have was because there is a problem with the Intake manifold warping on that engine (4.0LSOHC). I think its part of a recall but I am not sure. It could also be apart of an extended warranty. The Intake manifold in the Explorers with the 4.0L motors has the composite plastic intakes and I guess that this warping of the plastic is alowing extra air to enter the engine. This might be the causes of your problems. I think I remember a couple of years ago hearing of someone with very similar symptoms getting this resolved by getting either a new gasket installed or just having both a new intake manifold and gasket installed. I am not mechanic, but I think this makes sense because I have heard of your problem before on these boards and the reason the problem goes away after warm up is because the plastic manifold will heat up and then reseal itself but only until the next cold start. Now for the cost of this. I had to have an intake manifold put on my sons T-Bird when it exploded (coolant everwhere) and it cost me about $600.00 at and independent shop. The cost of the part itself was between 300 and 400 bucks. Anyway check this out and maybe even look for a TSB on this web site (NHTSA.COM) for a description of this problem. The best of luck to you!
At any rate, I suspect that even though Ford claims that any of their authorized service centers will faithfully perform a "multipoint inspection" when the vehicle is in for service, don't count on it being done right unless the shop and its technicians are first rate. (By the way, I don't see any obvious evidence of this leak on my garage floor, but with so much grunge on the floor from winter, it would be easy to miss).
By the way, since having my truck's spark plugs and coils changed at about 30k recently, I'm no longer hearing a valve-lifter type of tapping sound when the engine running cold; I no longer occasionally smell a sulfur scent when the vehicle is hot and I'm outside the cabin; and I definitely seem to have a bit more power and performance from the V8. Furthermore, I've previously complained of a vibration at high speeds, which partially subsided when the Michelin X-Terrains were replaced by Ford (with new X-Terrains that were force-pressure balanced)), but this problem improved further when the tranny fluid was changed at 26k, and the vibration has now totally subsided after the transfer case's output shaft seal was replaced. Hopefully, my tranny is now in very good shape, but I will watch it carefully from here on out, and this is why I've come to believe that we must use only those Ford service centers that religiously put the vehicle up on a rack and perform the so-called "multipoint inspection" whenever the vehicle is in for service.
I'll again mention that I do a lot of high-speed freeway driving, and since the above work has been done, the only time I may still notice an occasional, vague vibration is when I'm cruising at high speeds, against a STRONG prevailing wind, and I think this points more towards the sectional profile of this SUV truck under such high buffeting wind pressures-- i.e., it is a truck, not a bullet.
Finally, I'll also mention that I've put over 30k on this truck in only 14 months, but I plan to keep it for at least 3 years, so it's in my best interest to keep my truck in top condition.
That said, those two guys in Cambridge are flaming lunatics <G>.
Steve, Host
you do enough of that to remember that you do, you should follow the "severe service" recommendations in your manual.
those numbers at 30,000 happen to coincide with ford's SS requirements. which also suits my politics and laziness vs expense factors.
I drove a 1991 with the OHV engine till it had 165,000 miles, still ran perfect as new, no smoke, really nice. When I sold it last week, the first person that drove it bought it.
I'm still driving a 1993 explorer with the OHV engine and 165,000 miles, runs perfect as new, no smoke, and I will continue to drive it until the spring of 2005, when it will have over 120,000 miles on it. I fully expect to have NO problems with the engine, and for it to still be running as perfect as new.
Of course, I only use mobile 1 synthetic motor oil and synthetic filters, and change oil every 6,000 miles. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to keep driving a vehicle for a long time (over 3 years).
I have a '92 with 120,000 miles and I have the same problem if I don't use 4WD for a long period. I crawl under the car and smack the motor a couple times with a hammer. Works everytime, something about the solenoid contacts getting oxidized.
Anyone experience this? Know of a cure?