Ford Explorer Maintenance and Repair

nvbanker

Also could be a battrery with some dead cells that don't connect enough to give you a turn under certain temperature conditions. It's not normal, and if it's really how hard you turn the key, you need some graphite lubricant sprayed in the ignition switch.

cmartin411

Post 2296 is from my receipt performed by the Ford dealer.

97xltbeep

you're right, it is the starter relay. and the paper clip works like a charm. i wonder why the so called "experts" at the service shop- ford, mind you, don't have any idea what's going on. anyway, it's gonna get changed sometime this week. thanks a lot!!!

ajmtbm

not sure where this thread started. we have an 02 Limited that had a grinding noise when cold from the area behind the climate controls. only happened when cold, and I was finally able to reproduce it regularly by having the drive side at 67F and the passenger at 80F. Then, turning the dual control on and off, a grinding noise would be heard. Once the truck warmed up, no more noise! I was back to the dealer a couple of times before they were able to duplicate it. They replaced the heater box, and it has never happened again. I understand this is a pricey fix, since the entire dash has to come out (it spent 2+ days in the shop). If you hear a grind, with the dual zone climate control in Ltd or EB, make sure you have it checked out!

swschrad

a couple times and get another start out of it. they should be a rotating disk contact if they're still made like in the 70s, they look the same, and when the disk burns enough off the edges, it's a "say what?" no-start. occasionally one side will be burned up more, and you can tap the metal end of the relay and slip the disk into a position that might work. if not, use the old, splayed, rusty wrench you tapped with to short the #8 contacts over.

if you short the quarter-inch bolt contacts, that's several hundred amps, you'll know about the mistake pretty soon after

97xltbeep

hey, what can i say! i'm just a woman driving the thing. i hardly know how to open the hood, and thanks to opera_house, i know now where the relay thing is :-))). it's gonna get changed, just to be sure!
now, i made another "discovery" on this lovely piece of... nice car: the a/c works fine on "max a/c", but on "a/c" only it blows hot air. anyone had/have this problem?
i'm glad you guys know a lot about these cars and share your knowledge, because i hate it when you take it to the shop and the service guys can tell you anythin they like, since the majority of people/women don't know much about technical problems.

nvbanker

It won't blow "as cold" on normal A/C as it does on Max, especially in high humidity, but it shouldn't blow "hot"....is it really "hot", or just not nearly as cool?

97xltbeep

it blows really hot air on normal a/c, and ice cold air on max a/c. i know that '97 and '98 explorers have an "occasional" problem with some failure of the heater case and blend door, whatever that means :-). oh, well...
changed the starter solenoid and now it starts perfectly!!!

akangl

On normal A/C and cold on max A/C its probably a broken blend door. I had a 97 Limited that had this problem. Was stuck on hot all the time, max a/c could override it, but that wasn't really good for the truck. I was quoted about $1000+ to fix it, the fix involves pulling the dash in the truck.

There is a cheap fix if you are mechanically inclined and brave. Do a search on the internet for explorer blend door problems, you will find more info than you could ever dream of.

opera_house_wk

I have the blend door problem in my 97 and just cut a hole in the heater plenum. It can be easily accessed by dropping down the clove box door. Just have a Summer and Winter position by moving the door by hand. Done that for three years and never found I needed anything more than that. In the next couple months, It will be going to my better half and she doesn't care to get that involved in selecting comfort. So, I will probably be doing the pin in the actuator mod soon.

On another subject, the fender solenoid only switches about 12A since it operates the solenoid on the starter which switches the higher current.

wifemm

I got the standard "It's normal wind noise.." story from the dealer, what else can I produce to them to make them take it seriously? The noise starts above 30mph, never been there before, I even show the TSBs...geezz how could I be more clear?

swschrad

or another mechanical sound pickup (microphone will give you a lot of wind noise) to the diff with duct tape, route the wires clear away from movng parts, bring 'em in by shutting the door on 'em, and using a tape recorder and earphone to let the guy hear it directly, you should make your case. if not, call the zone office.

serioussam

Greetings...I bought my 2003 Explorer about 2 months ago. For about the first 5 weeks I was averaging about 20 mpg between city and highway, so I was pretty happy. I had a problem with the gas gauge not properly showing the gas level after filling up so I took it to my local dealer. Ever since then the mileage has been terrible. I used to get about 210 miles per half tank, now I'm lucky to get 150. Could this be a result of whatever the dealership "fixed" or am I starting to see the true gas mileage for this vehicle? Anything I can do or should I take it back to the dealer? Thanks for the help!

chuck1

You really can't measure mpg by looking at the gas gauge. On most cars and SUVs I have owned-it seems the first half gets more miles-per-gallon than the last half. It seems the last half drops more quickly. I Have an 2002 XLT Explorer with the V6. I can only give you my experience on miles per gallon. I would say half highway-half city is about 15 or so miles-per-gallon. On the highway we have gotten 20 miles-per-gallon on more than one occasion. So forget about the needle and figure your miles-per-gallon next time you fill up. However, if the SUV is under warranty, and the gas needle is not accurate, make the dealer fix it.

opera_house_wk

If you don't do an average over about a 1,000 mile period, the results are not very accurate. Fill ups can vary 1 1/2 to 2 gallons depending on the pump and the angle of the vehicle at filling. I just did the calculation for my 97 V6 OHV on a 2506 mile / 114 gal vacation. Combined mileage for highway and 1 1/2 weeks local driving 21.9 mpg. Vehicle has a little over 150K on it.

nvbanker

and furthermore, they take gas, and you're not going to change the mileage much other than by how you drive, so what's the big obsession with mileage anyway? At least, that's how I feel.

wijoco

What were your exact miles/gallons pumped? You know you need to go to the exact same pump at the same station with the nozzle in the same position each time to get accurate mileage calulations.

cksalmond

Hi. I am new to Edmunds and I am thinking about purchasing an XLT 4x4 and I wanted to know how to negotiate using the TMV price that I got.
Thanks for your help!

stever

Welcome!

Please take a look at the Tips page for starters.

And I suggest browsing the Ford Explorer/Mercury Mountaineer: Prices Paid & Buying Experience discussion too.

Steve, Host

chuck1

If your not getting the mpg that everyone else is getting something is wrong. It's either the vehicle or your driving style. The difference in mpg over the life of the vehicle is a significant cost.

97xltbeep

the actual gas mileage on any car is at least 1-2 mpg less than the one "advertised" by the manufacturer. this is my observation on camaro-V6, wrangler-L6, cougar-V8, grand marquis-v8 and the explorer-V8 and that's on normal driving, never "floored". driving habit significantly affects the mpg.

dasmatrix

When it is on normal ac make sure the A/C light is on. I had a similar problem. When I turned it on to normal A/C hot air was blowing out, but I noticed that the A/C (orange Light) was not on. Once I turned it on, it started to blow out cold air. The regular A/C takes longer to cool than the MAX AC.

dasmatrix

A/C Question. My A/C blows real cold air during my morning commute to work and it cools the SUV real quick. It is usually super cold in under 5 mins and I have to turn the fan to the lowest position.

I always leave the A/C on Max A/C and the temperature setting on the coldest.

But during the evening commute back home (30 mins), the air blows cold but it seems like it takes forever for the SUV to cool. I have to leave the fan on high all the way back. It usually takes the full 30 mins of my commute to get it as cold as it gets in 5 mins in the morning. Sometimes it never gets as cold as it does during the morning commute.

I live in the Southeast and our temps are in the mid to upper 90's in the summer months.

Any advice would be appreciated.

tidester

Sometimes it never gets as cold as it does during the morning commute.

That's because all the metal, plastic and leather in your vehicle is much cooler in the morning than it is after baking all day long. You're not just cooling air.

tidester, host

chuck1

Leaving the air conditioner on the "MAX" setting is recirculating the air inside the cabin of the SUV. While this cools down faster, if you continue to leave it on this setting, it is more prone to build up mildew in the evaporator and will smell after a while. It is just something to keep in mind.

idntnvu

I noticed that you'd posted on the old Lincoln Continental forum, and since it's a read only discussion, I thought I'd ask you. I know I shouldn't be asking about a Lincoln Continental in the Explorer forum, but I thought I'd better post somewhere you'd see it. Do you know of any problems with the '01 Continental? My parent's have picked out an '01 with 34k miles, and its an absolute jewel. Let me know if you know of any info on them. Thanks!

nvbanker

Sure - the 01 Continental is a pretty good rig. I believe since 98, they've proven to be quite reliable. If it's been well maintained, I wouldn't be afraid of that one. Pre 98, they had some bad front end alignment & tire consumption issues, and pre 95, they were pretty much the worst car Ford made.

idntnvu

Thanks for the info. My mom and I went and drove the Continental today, and I'm taking dad to drive it in the morning. I was very impressed. I thought the electolumenescent gauges were just awesome. It rode and felt so comfortable, and it had power out the tailpipe. It made the '00 LeSabre Limited we test drove after it look like a Hyundai. Both very nice cars, but the LeSabre took a lot longer to get comfortable in, plus, not as many goodies, and not as much room. It was pretty loaded up too though. The back seat of the Lincoln had to be the most comfortable back seat I've ever sat in, and my mom agreed. She said it put my uncles '01 DeVille to shame. Tomorrow is judgement day, when the man with the money makes the decision. Either one would be a good choice, but the Lincoln is $3k more than the LeSabre. The Lincoln was a Ford Motor Credit lease, 34k miles, and the Buick is a one owner local car with 31k miles. The dealer is giving a pretty good price on both since he and my dad go way back, $15,850 on the Lincoln and $12,800 on the Buick. I'll let ya know what happens. Thanks again!

nvbanker

$16,000 for that Continental is a steal Can't go wrong with that. You'll get much more car for the money with the Lincoln. They should be about equivalent for maintenance down the road too. The Intech engine in the Continental is bullet proof - in the LeSabre you get the old 1976 pushrod V-6, not a bad engine updated as it is now, but no more reliable. Little more economical. You can still get 20MPG out of the Lincoln though on the highway.

Oops, the topic cops are going to kill me.

Let's see, the Continental engine is the same size as the EXPLORER V-8 currently used, just highly upgraded and tuned to put out 280hp or more, with dual overhead cams and 4 valves per cylinder. There, I mentioned the Explorer.

Let me know if Dad makes the right decision. I like Buicks, but for $3,000 difference, there's no comparison.....

idntnvu

I feel like a convict hiding from the law, hahaha. As for the Explorer, mine is still doing well, it has almost 48k on it now, and hasn't given any other problems, knock on wood. I'm getting about 20 or 21 mpg with it around town, but haven't had it on a trip in ages. Now if I could just find time to wash, wax and vacuum the thing I'd be happy.

In other news, Dad drove both cars yesterday, and is leaning a little more towards the Buick, but he loved both. He said he'd love to own a Lincoln, and he prefers a V8 over a V6, but the LeSabre's V6 is the same one in his '98 Grand Prix, which is a fine engine and the GP has 106k on it now with only a window switch going out. To me, sitting in the back seat of the Buick felt like sitting in a hole, whereas the Lincoln felt like a big comfy couch that just surrounds you. I think what might be the downfall to the Lincoln is the light color (Pearl) and the interior is white leather, both of which dad didn't really like because it'd show dirt so bad, and the gas mileage. The buick is light brown and has brown leather. The Lincoln was displaying an average of 17 and the Buick was 20. I thought he'd make a decision yesterday, but it was too close to decide in the short time we had. I'll find out more this week.

Thanks again for all your input!

nvbanker

Either car would be fine. Most imortant thing is that your Dad is happy with his purchase. Perhaps the Buick is plenty of car for him.

97xltbeep

just brought the explorer back from "just brakes", which had a brake job that included: new rotors, new disc pads, reconditioned calipers, disc hardware, shim kit, parking brake, four wheel friction reline (whatever that is), bleed, flush, fill and adjust brake system. the whole deal added up to $920 and i almost flipped. i do have 90 days/ 4000 miles 100% warranty, and then up to 50K prorated warranty, but still...
was it a rip off?

chuck1

How many miles are on the SUV? Was this service done by the dealer? Were the rotors and calipers previously replaced?

97xltbeep

it's a v8, with 78K on it. the job was done at "just brakes" (that's the name of the shop, that deals only with brakes). as for rotors and calipers... i have no idea if they were ever replaced. we bought the suv used, not too long ago, and we knew it was in need for some "maintenance". the guy at the shop showed us the rotors which were beyond resurfacing, so they put new ones, they rebuilt the calipers, put new disc pads and misc. (see previous message).
oh, well... at least now i know i have new brakes... and warranty :-)))

chuck1

If the car has the miles on it you stated, it's not unthinkable that the brake system needed to be overhauled. You can only resurface the rotors so many times, and brake calipers do wear out. The thing I do when I am told I need new rotors or other parts, I call up the local parts store and ask "how much?" Then I make sure that the auto repair place is in the same ballpark. If they are not then I ask them to either lower the price on the parts or I will go buy them and have them install them. This always leads to them dropping their parts price. I neglected to do this a month ago-and the repair place charged me $100.00 each for two oxygen sensors, a 100% mark up! I got screwed!

automan64

My Ford Explorer SLT is all of a sudden acting "off balance" and rough when I turn the steering wheel one way or the other. This does not happen when going straight. The dealership blamed it on the tires cupping and rotated them for me even though the car has about 14K miles on it. What can be wrong?

nvbanker

did the rotation help, or change the behavior in any way?

automan64

Unfortunately, the rotation did not change anything.

nvbanker

Then clearly, the problem is in the suspension somewhere. If you're pleasant and persistent, either they'll fix it, or Ford may buy the car back from you. They're pretty good about that on a safety or suspension issue. Don't give up though, it's not normal, and you don't have to live with it.

idntnvu

Well, as my dad SAID HIMSELF, "we're now just like thousands of other old folks out there...we own a Buick." Picked it up Tuesday night. I think he's overall happy, but mom really wanted that Lincoln. I've already took the buick to get the tires balanced because of a bumpy "out of balance" ride when it gets up to highway speeds, but the balancing didn't help. The dealer said it was the tires, Mastercrafts, because of the harder compound, and the car's been sitting a lot. Taking it on a trip to Tennessee next week, so I suppose we'll see if it straightens out.
In Explorer news, I would have to say that $920 is outrageous to pay for brakes. If the brake system mechanicals (not including pads and rotors) doesn't last any longer than 78k miles, then if it were me, I'd be writing Ford a nice little letter. That is rediculous. Rotors are extremely cheap now, you can pick up a couple at Advance Auto Parts for anywhere from 20 to 50 bucks. I got the Bendix brake pads for about $35, and a mechanically inclined friend of mine put them on for me. I would hope not to replace any of the mechanicals at less than 100k, even 150k. My dad's '84 Mustang GT had only went through 2 sets of drum linings on the back and 3 sets of pads on the front in the 220k miles he had it, and never touched anything other than maybe machining the rotors once, if even that. I have to say, the people at "just brakes" are "just nuts" and really ripped you off. I believe I'd be parking my Explorer in their lobby.

nvbanker

Hmmmm, my SIL had a Buick with a vibration they had a hard time getting out too. Turned out to be a bent wheel, I think. Hope that's not your problem, IDN.

idntnvu

Dad's GP has a bent wheel, and it won't balance out, but it still rides smooth. The car belonged to an older gentleman who has been put in a nursing home, and in the past two months the car was driven maybe 100 miles. Besides that, it's only got 31k on it and was put in service in February of '00. We'll see if it smooths out on our trip next week. If not, dad may be singing the Buick Blues.

chuck1

"If the brake system mechanicals (not including pads and rotors) doesn't last any longer than 78k miles"
If a friend of yours put them on...you saved money. Good for you. However, the labor rate in most big cities is between $75.00 to 100.00 per hour. At The Pep Boys (one of the more reasonable places to get brakes) they charge about $150.00 for their best pads and to turn the rotors. You mentioned between $20.00 to $50.00 bucks for rotors-that's a $30.00 spread, please check around and get back to us. Yea, you can get cheap rotors...made in Mexico and China. AS far as the calipers are concerned, there are many variables that can take wear in to consideration; how much stop and go traffic the person commutes in, and much towing the vehicle does, what kind of "heavy brake foot" the other driver had, LOTS of variables. I had vehicles I have had to put new calipers on, others that went the life of the vehicle...it all depends. To think a vehicle with 78,000 miles on may not need any major maintenance is something I just don't agree with. I don't care who makes the car!

idntnvu

I guess I'm just old fashioned, and actually expect a vehicle to go 100k miles with no major problems. I'd have to say, a '97 with 78k miles has probably been driven in town a lot in more stop and go traffic, and I can see where that might entail having to replace some parts. And yes, I did save money by having a friend of mine put mine on, however the last time I needed brakes I didn't have that friend, and took my car to my local Garage (not a professional brakes place), and it ran about $80 for brakes. Didn't have the rotors turned or anything like that. Stood there and watched the guy change them out, took maybe half an hour. The rate that guy got charged for his brake work may have been the going rate for the area, but I would've had to change my drawers after getting that bill.

idntnvu

The driver's door window just quit. Had been working just fine...and dad went to put it down to clean it and it wouldn't go down. Switch is working because I hear it clicking, but no motion. I asked him if he wishes he'd got the Lincoln, and he said "well, it probably would have had problems too." Oh the soap opera that is man and car.
By the way, hereafter I'm posting all comments concerning the Buick in the LeSabre forum. Feel free to drop in and read what happens next, lol. I'm sure the Explorians are tired of reading about a Buick on here.

nvbanker

What else can Dad say? It may have, but might have been worth the bother. What have you got with a bad news Buick? It's dull, and if it's not reliable and dull like a Camry, that sucks! See you on the Buick board.

97xltbeep

the "labor" rate in houston, tx is $85/hr. the traffic is horrible, no matter the time of the day, if it's on the highway, surface roads, or whatever, so it's a lot a braking going on. as i said, we bought it used and because we have no idea how this suv was maintained, we have to pick up the slack, if we want the thing to last a while. it's nothing major, thank god, but routine maintenance things, that need to be done.
when you buy a used car/suv you never know who drove it, how it was driven, if it even had an oil change. trust me, there are a lot of people out there who think that once or twice a year for an oil change is more than enough :-)))

stever

waving hand from the bleachers :-)

Steve, Host

swschrad

seriously, 90 days is the longest I have seen anybody recommend for an interval between changes, if you haven't put enough miles on to count.

you're after changing out acid and crud, not dirt and worn-out additives, if you're not running the oil enough to steam out the water and crankcase vapors.

but don't worry, mechanical stuff has a way of evening things out. if you are NOT burning off all that oil in 90 days, keep changing it every year, and you soon WILL burn off all the oil in 90 days

akangl

Synthetic oils can be run for 1 year/25k miles with a filter change at 6 mos/12.5k, that's what we use. Works fine too.