Ford Explorer Mercury Mountaineer 2005 and earlier

marsha7 · January 2003

While I realize that you try an avoid a Foreign v American debate, it is difficult to do so...this topic has been argued in other places...I, too, believe that unions were responsible for improved conditions and worker treatment in the first half of the last century...ever since the 60s-70s, American quality has dropped...it improved ONLY because we had the pants beat off us by the cheap Corollas and Civics imported in the early to mid 1980s...I spent 10 years, 1980-1990, in Detroit, working with the unions in a certain capacity, and it only convinced me that the unions were the worst thing since Communism...while not wishing to express too strong an opinion, "the purpose of a union is to attract the lowest quality worker to produce the lowest quality work in the highest possible quantity, thereby contaminating the American supply of goods and services"...they keep drunks and drug addicts on the assembly line for up to two years, while they continually appeal in the "grievance process", but we get to buy the products, while they scream "Buy American"...you show up drunk or drugged at an import plant (built in Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, because no unions), and you are fired that day...the sole purpose of the union in the 21st century is to "protect" the incompetent worker who convinces us to buy Toyota, Honda or Nissan...the unions will work their membership out of jobs until the last 3 good union workers remain...Strong opinion to follow...

stever · January 2003

Let's stick to Ford/Mercury SUVs shall we?

Steve, Host

cmnott · January 2003

It has been a solid performer to date. No squeaks, no rattles, just a great truck. The more time behind the wheel ( it is my wife's) and the more impressed I am with the truck. Great ride, steering and handling, excellent turning radius and lots of spaceinside.

The only dilike is the mileage which barely gets me 400km a tankful (250 miles) which is around 70 litres (18 gallons). I understand winter is usually worse for mileage but it is a little worse than expected. I am hoping to get 500km a tank in the spring/summmer.

Also, not terrible impressed with how the 4WD engages, feels sloppy at times. Other than that, I love this truck.

ron222 · January 2003

I have a 1999 mountaineer, and the A/C smells like a horse. A qualified technician has run a Motorcraft A/C deodorizer through the system with very limited short term results. This mold (or whatever it is) is causing respiratory problems for my wife and daughter. Has anyone experienced this problem before and if so, what was the fix.

I've tried coaxing the horse out of the dashboard with a carrot, but it did not work. Woooohhh Nelly!!!

marsha7 · January 2003

Oops!

stever · January 2003

Oh what the heck, take a look at the current Letters to the Editors too :-)

(scroll down a bit to the Most Wanted section)

I'd love to direct you to a current "foreign vs domestic" debate, but those boards go nuclear so fast they wind up getting frozen almost as soon as they leave the gate.

Steve, Host

gregb5 · January 2003

Try turning off the defroster and A/C a mile or so from home and leave the blower on. It will allow the ducts to return to outside temp and prevent the moisture build-up caused by the cooler air.

ron222 · January 2003

I've tried blowing the system out for hours, with both A/C on and A/C off. I've tried blowing it out with the heater on (the smell is curiously absent while the heater is on), only to have it return immediately when the A/C is turned back on. The mechanic I use (nice guy, honest; a rare find!) has routed out the condensate drain and there was no sign of anything. I have taken off the glove box and looked in the recirculating air intake and saw nothing in the fan. The only ideas I have left are:
1. Spray isopropyl alcohol (IPA) in there, just in case it is a grease causing the smell.
2. Spray bleach in there (bleach kills everything)
3. Disassemble the whole unit and scrub down each part individually.

Unless, of course, anyone has any other ideas.

ron222 · January 2003

For anyone who has the Explorer/Mountaineer radio display problem (radio works, display doesn't), see the following website for the fix:

http://www.shareamemory.com/radio/

jv312 · January 2003

The CrossTerrain tire info was right on target. Finally towed snowmobile trailer for the first time this season, and the Explorer handled like a champ! I do have a question for those in the colder regions regarding the road salt & sand. I've notice on the bottom of my doors behind the cladding & inside the door edging that it traps the stuff like crazy. I do not have running boards, but I did install Ford front and rear mudflaps to try and stop this. It cut down on some of the slop. Has anyone else noticed this? The back passenger doors are the worst. Fortunately, none of this stuff comes in the cabin.

swschrad · January 2003

have not decided whether to pony up the $19.95 access to "the fix" section yet, but thanks for the link.

heintz1 · January 2003

I know what you're talking about, and I too have front and rear mud flaps, along with tubular steps, rather than running boards. For what it's worth, I painstakingly re-detail my truck every six months (a weekend project requiring a garage) with Zaino products (www.zainobros.com), and I also apply Zaino to the insides of the doors, etc. This is time-consuming, but it's time well spent. During the winter, I periodically rinse these areas (along with running her through a soft brush car wash every week or two), and with the amount of salt on the roads this time of year, it's hard to do much more than that. At any rate, Zaino products not only provide for a gorgeous finish, but that finish is also very durable and protective, assuming that one takes the time to periodically wash off accumulated grime, salt, etc.

marsha7 · January 2003

I need some additional explanation, as a friend made an offer that I do not know if it will save me money or cost me money...my friend is a Ford retiree, and he offered me use of the Z plan,
which he says will allow me to purchase any vehicle under Fords banner at 3% over DEALER
COST...( if I am not mistaken, A-plan if for Ford employees/retirees, X-plan if for their
immediate family members, Z-plan is for non-relations...correct me if I am wrong)...heres the
bottom line questions...1) if dealer cost is defined as Edmunds invoice cost, and if Z-plan is
3% over that, there are already dealers out there who will sell a car at Edmunds invoice, and Z-plan would cost me money rather than save me money...if dealer cost is defined as including all other holdbacks, etc., then Z-plan would be a great deal...does anyone familiar with Ford plans know how dealer cost is defined?...2) Also, my friend said that since he was a salaried employee, as opposed to an hourly (unionized) employee, his plan will also allow the discount on Jaguar and Land Rover...so, while I could consider Mountaineer or Aviator under the Ford/LM brands, does anyone know the discount on Land Rover Discovery, since Edmunds has no listing
other than MSRP?...3) do employee discount plans only cover new cars, or does it cover used,
too, since I would, in the future, consider a 2 or 3 year old Jaguar XJ8L???...thanks for any
helpful information...

Bob

cubes · January 2003

I believe that the Z-Plan (for retirees) allows for the same pricing as the A-Plan (current employees) which is definitely below invoice.

I have a copy of the Ford invoice for my 99 E350 Club Wagon and the numbers are as follows:
MSRP: $30540
INVOICE: $26699.60
MEMO (Invoice Less Holdback): $25801.60
A-PLAN: $25421.60
There are some additional figures of $2555 and $23122.00 with no headers attached to them so I really can't tell what they mean. Keep in mind that this info is three years old and things may have changed a bit.

X-Plan is pricing for Ford Partner companies and their employees and/or members. That pricing is A-Plan + 4%. That's what I used for our Mountaineer.

Regarding Jag and LR plans, if they are structured like X-Plan, I believe that they are a fixed dollar amount discounts. And if my memory serves me correctly, not very good discounts at that.

cubes · January 2003

X-Plan pricing is as follows:

Ford/Mercury/THINK - A-Plan+4%+$150
Lincoln - A-Plan+4%+$250
Volvo - A-Plan+2%
Land Rover - Dealer Invoice+4%
Mazda - E-Plan+5.3% (E-plan is Mazda Employee Price)
Jaguar - Cash allowance of $500-$1500 depending on model

SuperDuty F450-F750, T-Bird, Volvo XC90, Range Rover and Aston Martins are not included.

Here's some additional info regarding the X-Plan program:

* You can lease or buy your vehicle through this program. However, depending on the brand selected, you may be required to obtain the lease through the respective brands credit source. [Ford Credit]
* You are eligible for all public incentives plus many incentives normally paid to the dealer. Some special offers may not be compatible with this offer so check with your dealer to determine which incentives you are eligible for.
* Prior model year vehicles are only eligible through March 31st of the current model year.
* Used vehicles are not eligible.
* Trade-in allowances are not covered by this program and will likely represent the wholesale value of your trade-in. (may be lower than expected)
* Dealer Participation in this program is voluntary.

marsha7 · January 2003

you for taking the time to respond...it looks like Z-plan may be worthwhile after all

batchelor22 · January 2003

I am presently looking at buying a 2002 XLT with 3rd row, aux. heat/air, V8, tow package, 6 CD. It was built in 12/01 and has the older front seats with no headrests. Is this something I should be concerned about? I have been offered a price of $36,000 CDN or approx. $24,000 US, which from shopping around seems like a good deal. I am only concerned with the lack of the headrests, leather steering wheel and side heated mirrors. I am hoping to hear from other owners of the earlier 2002, not 2002.5 Explorers about their impressions. Any info would be of great help. Thanks in advance.

gregb5 · January 2003

The headrest issue doesn't bother me, since I'm only 5'8" tall. The seat gives adequate support to my neck. If you're tall and it bothers you it could be a problem.
As for the other items:
Leather wheel- had one on my '95, and despite regularly cleaning and conditioning, the leather began to look terrible and I wound up covering it. I prefer the plastic for the long run.
Mirror heaters- I live in Pennsylvania and can say that it's very rare that they would be of any use here. Don't know about your climate but I imagine you could live without them.

The one change that I would not mind having from the 2002.5 is the shoulder belt in the middle of the second row.

The 2002.5 comes with fog lights, which the early ones didn't have. I bought the kit from Ford for about $200 and installed them myself.

Good luck!

johnnywad · January 2003

I am interesting in factory ordering an Explorer. My local dealer's "build sheet" has different "invoice" prices than the invoice prices on Ford's/Edmunds' website. The dealer is also insisting on a Ford Dealer Advertising Fund assessment as well as the doc fee.

I realize the dealer makes a tidy profit with holdback and the Blue Oval rebate, but still have a couple of questions:

1. Has anyone purchased at or below invoice recently (and kept the rebate/financing incentive)?
2. Did the FDAF and doc fee added to the "X dollars over/under invoice" pricing?
3. How long does it take for an order to come in from the factory?
4. Is the deposit refundable (say the vehicle comes in after the rebates expire)?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Johnny

batchelor22 · January 2003

Thank you for the input. I did not receive as much feedback as I hoped but I did decide to go ahead and purchase the Explorer anyways. The dealer came down another $2500 and with the 0 per cent financing and no payment for 99 days here in Canada (a Wayne Gretzky promotion with Ford Canada), I couldn't be happier. Thus far I am greatly impressed with the vehicle, it is very comfortable and well laid out. I had a Nissan Pathfinder a couple of years ago and miss some of its niceties such as the leather and steering wheel controls for the stereo but now that I have a young family those items became less of a priority. The V8 is great and I am sure that I will be very happy with my decision. Can't wait to see how it pulls a trailer this summer.

gmtoford · January 2003

I've got an 03 Explorer XLT, it's great, like it very much. Recently, there are whistles come from outside of the passenger side. It happens occasionally, mainly on local road at low speed. I am guessing it comes from the antenna, but not sure. Anyone have the same experience? Thanks!

jv312 · January 2003

a few people here complained about the whistle & road noise on the passenger side in previous posts. I have an 02.5 Explorer and mine has minor noise but due to the channel vent visors I added. The antenna is a good guess, but if you look at some of the older posts from summer you might get some quick answers.

heintz1 · January 2003

FWIW, I'm currently using ANCO's "winter" wiper blades (awesome) and they definitely create more wind noise at high speeds, since these wiper arms are shrouded in rubber, rather than being of the more "open" architecture of summer blades.

swschrad · January 2003

you get much more wind skipping with them. no real good choices here.. you have skip blobs on the glass on the highway, or you put the regular blades on and ice them up, and they don't clear, they smear.

heintz1 · January 2003

My Anco winter blades wipe very well even at high speeds, and I've not noticed any skipping so far.

swschrad · January 2003

I run Ancos because they last, but their winter blades sure skip and leave funny patches on the highway in my 2000.

gmtoford · January 2003

jposter, in your #824 post, you said:
"Question, on 2 separate vehicles I drove I heard a sort of wistle noise that appeared to be coming from the passenger side? Is this common? Anyone else notice something like this. It seemed very faint and came and went depending upon the speed and direction of travel (maybe the wind direction too?) I'm thinking tire noise or something related to the mast antenna? Any comments welcome"
I am wondering if you've figured it out or not. My 03 XLT has the same problem. I also guess it comes from the antenna, but really not sure. Thank you for any comment!

tonyd39 · January 2003

I'm considering the immediate purchase of a new 2003 Explorer XLT, XLT Sport, or EB. The XLT comes with the 16" Michelin's. The XLT Sport and EB come with the 17" BFG's? Which tires and/or tire size is safer? I read a posting on here which states that the 17" tires/rims raise the center of gravity by approx 2" which may lead to increased rollovers. Is this a true statement? Are the 16" tires/rims "safer" on the 2003 Explorer then the 17" versions. Lastly ... does anyone know if the rollover side airbags are safe if young children are sitting in the second row seat? The children would either be in booster seats or not in any type of car seat. Thanks

swschrad · January 2003

both brands are Michelin units and have good reputations. there is something to the argument that the 17-inchers will increase instability at the limits of control, no formal testing availiable to the public on any of the variables. there is a government "rollover" rating that is a computed magic number, no driving tests at all are used in working it out.

the air curtain airbags, if you've seen a set ever in discharged position at a car show or meet, are meant to keep from scrambling your brains inside your head banging on the roofline as the vehicle rolls over. they won't reach down to the level of anybody under junior high level... they're supposed to be, at least at Ford, a soft-deployment bag because you should have the half second to do that. so they shouldn't come into play with booster or child seats at all unless the seat is not fastened down, or breaks loose. and at that point, if the seat and the child is a loose missle, probably won't make a difference there, either.

so there should be no major threat unless you drive a truck like it was a Miata, and you're playing fighter pilot. in that case, you're going roofing, not 4-wheeling, to use somebody else's wonderful phrase.

I doubt anybody has any hard numbers of the "001% of all accidents involving children in car seats, rollovers, and goats...." type at all.

gregb5 · January 2003

The 16" is 29.1 inches in height. The 17" is 29.9 inches in height. That raises the center of gravity by .4 inches, which is minimal.

I doubt there is any difference at all in the "safety" of the two tires. Pick the model you like best, and be content with the knowledge that the new body style is a lot better than previous versions in that respect.

If it really concerns you, shop for a station wagon.

dcd · January 2003

Actually the 17" tires are 29.5" high and the 16" tires are 29.0" high, which would raise the center of gravity by a mere 0.25". The 17" tires have a shorter (lower profile) sidewall which would probably make it less likely to rollover, if anything.

On a side note, a 2003 Explorer I test drove had faulty BFG 17" tires. The belts were showing! The BFG 17" tires on the 2003 EB I bought appear okay.

swschrad · January 2003

somebody should have caught that. hope you got that car red-tagged until they replaced the erasers.

heintz1 · January 2003

I'm wondering about the accuracy of the claim of only a slight difference in vehicle height when running 16" wheel rims and 16" tires; vs. 17" wheel rims and 17" tires. In other words, does a 17" rim add an inch of height in itself, with yet another inch of height when 17" tires are then mounted on 17" wheel rims?

swschrad · January 2003

if the 17 inchers are a lower profile tire, they are less "thick" from the rim to the road, and you get some of it back.

wblake99 · January 2003

I recall on the LS chat that an engineer from Lincoln stated that the 16" and 17" wheels plus their attached factory tires produced the exact same outer dimension. This, it was stated, was required to allow for the speedo and abs to function properly without reprogramming for a particular wheel option. I would think it would be the same for the trucks.

gregb5 · January 2003

Please excuse my earlier post. I was comparing the two different 16" sizes used, 235/70/16 and 245/70/16.
I checked on The Tire Rack's site and compared the 235/70/16 to the 245/65/17 being used on NBX and Sport package XLTs. The 16" tire is 29.1 inches tall and the 17" (using Cross Terrain specs because I'm not sure what Ford uses) is 29.6 inches. That would make the difference in height .25 inch, since half of the difference is below the axle centerline. A small difference.

As far as speedo gears go, they probably don't change them. The difference would be only 1.4%, which is within the error margin of most modern cars' speedos. They probably choose a gear that reads slightly high for one and slightly low for the other.

As for ABS, I'm not an expert on it but I would think that as long as all 4 wheel/tires are the same height, it would not bother the sensors.

envoyenvy · January 2003

I have a 2002 Explorer that stalls when put in reverse. Anyone else notice this or have any idea what it could be?

joeadp · January 2003

Could it be the computer or pc board.

Just had mine replaced 2002 truck would not do anything. Seemed like a dead battery but lights and radio worked.

Dealer quickly diagnosed and repaired truck.

Truck is one year old first time I was back to the dealer.

batchelor22 · January 2003

Does anybody know if it is possible to upgrade the 2002 80 watt 4 speaker stereo with 6CD to the newer 2003 290 watt 7 speaker stereo system? Are the speaker cut-outs/vents (I am not sure of the exact terminology) in the 2002 or would holes have to be cut into the trim? Has anybody upgraded their stereo with some aftermarket speakers or amps?

swschrad · January 2003

this web site will let you know about darn near anything on the US market that will retrofit your machine, and they'll be pleased to sell you any fit kits your favorite almost-there speakers would need, as well as "revert to factory" harness adaptors. they even have disinstall/install instruction info online.

a good place to start, even if you buy your geegaws locally.

note: due to the initial issues with the 2002 lift glass in back and some hints on these forums that alignment of the parts remains critical, you probably don't want to put a 400-watt bass amp and a pair of 18-inch woofers in the back of an exploder. thump-thump-CRASH-tinkle! is very possible.

jcat707 · February 2003

I'm looking to buy a SUV and I would like to see what the monthly payments might look like. If any of you all could share your monthly payments, it would be greatly appreciated.

swschrad · February 2003

I bet if you checked the web sites of the major makers and did a "build your car... build your financing" chase of button clicks, you would get real interesting answers. I did this with Ford, and I think at least GM also has these dalliances online to get you into the new-car spirit.

addenda: for that matter, you should be able to do about the same thing for everything you're looking at here on Edmunds, as well as check the operating cost as well with the TMV feature.

peaches5 · February 2003

For my 2002 EB 4WD with 3rd row seat, 6CD, Sunroof, and some other things I can't think of

it's $619 a month for 5 years. Nothing down, no trade in, 0% interest.

mast114 · February 2003

Is there a way to get rid of/silence the annoying seat belt alarm? This sucker is loud and obnoxious! Yes, I know if I wear the seatbelt it will not alarm..

jv312 · February 2003

$465.24 on 2002 XLT V6. Financed 20k for 4 yrs @ 5.5 with my Credit Union.

heintz1 · February 2003

Carefully follow the procedure in the owner's manual.

mast114 · February 2003

jv312 · February 2003

manual...this is funny. The other day, I noticed the letters 'cal' near my compass. Figuring it probably stood for calibrate, I proceeded to the

jv312 · February 2003

I hit enter by mistake.

The other day, I noticed the letters 'cal' by my dash compass. Figuring it probably stood for calibrate, I proceeded to the owners manual to find the 'procedure'. Well, seeing how I don't have the info message center, I have to use this method that goes something like this...

1. Find the compass control unit that's mounted behind your rearview mirror. (i.e small black box)
2. Find recessed hole in unit. Place something in recessed hole and hold.
3. Drive in small circles several times keeping pressure in the control unit's small hole until compass recalibrates.

I have yet to do this, but as an engineer certainly found the process somewhat entertaining.

stever · February 2003

lol, Jv312, do you also have to recite incantations while making those donuts in the parking lot?

btw, you have 30 minutes to edit your message after posting - look for the Edit button by the title of your post.

Steve, Host

Ford Explorer Mercury Mountaineer 2005 and earlier

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