Ford Explorer Mercury Mountaineer 2005 and earlier

swschrad · February 2004

namely, tape a raw egg to the gas pedal, and one to the brake pedal. drive so you don't break either egg.

akangl · February 2004

I don't think you have a 27 gallon tank unless the Mounties are different. Even when I've run my Explorer all the way to E and the Check Guage light is on its only taken at the most 20.5 gallons, I think the tank is 22 gallons.

I'm at 3400 miles and mine is averaging 16.2 mpg in mixed driving and idling. Best mileage I've gotten so far was 17.5 mpg and that was highway through the hills, worst mileage I've gotten was 12.7 mpg and that was when we had -50 weather and the truck idled almost an entire day.

jrc346 · February 2004

Akangl: I think you are right about the tank size, but I think what fsv was saying, is that he had gone through one full tank of gas and 1/3 more equalling approx. 27 gallons.

Fsv: With gas mileage, give it some time. It should improve with mileage. Also, give it some run time on the expressway. I wouldn't expect you to have consistent gas mileage readings for at least the first 2-3000 miles.

fsv · February 2004

jrc - you are right, I said tank & 1/3... MM tank is 22.5 gallons, btw. I think, that fuel economy numbers on large SUVs will be different in let's say, 5 years - indication to it is the new Toyota truck concept that was presented in Detroit - like Prius, it is an hybrid. I think all of us will trade whatever we have for 30 miles per gallon. This is the reason why I leased mine, and not bought it. Dodge made a bad mistake not producing the Toolbox they had presented like 5 years ago - and it went I believe 30-40 - and we are talking of a MM sized vehicle.

To sws: this is the way I drive...

jrc346 · February 2004

One can only hope (and hope hard) that gas mileage on trucks and SUV's will be that good in only 5 years. Hybrids, defiently seem to be the way to go though :-) I am anxious to see how the new hybrid Escape does. That could be a big indicator as to whether the Big (#?) put out more hybrids.

nvbanker · February 2004

You shouldn't even check your mileage if it's going to bother you, because checking it won't make it one bit better. But if you must, don't do it for at least 3000 miles. Put the readout on something else until then.

warriorphan · February 2004

I've had my Explorer V-8 4x4 for one year now; my lowest mileage has been in the high 15s - my best has been in the low 19s. I know that I could get lower but probably not much higher. I am happy with this - my 4 cylinder 96 Nissan 4x4 PU topped out around 21 mpg. Good luck!

fsv · February 2004

2 war - are you driving your Exp in RWD mostly? MM has permanent AWD.
2 nvb - it looks like you know on what emotional stage I am.
I think, Toyota figured finally right segment to introduce hybrids - light commercial trucks. People at work care for efficiency; give them that. After all jet engine prevailed over piston engine in air transportation 'cuz it is much more energy efficient and reliable, resulting in greatly lower maintenance costs. Regarding alternative energy source - it might be, we are underestimating, how close they are. I have a friend in Germany, who is sort of, very closely connected to local oil/gas industry, specificaly to research - he says, we are VERY CLOSE to fuel cell introduction - that's meaning fuel cells heating our houses, powering vehicles, etc - e.g. for heavy energy consumption applications. Let's wait and see.

nvbanker · February 2004

Big fan of fuel cell possibilities - much less optimistic about the long term viability of hybrids. Two engines may not be better than one, IMO.

thors_hammer · February 2004

On the Explorer 4x4, is a manual-shift 4x4 available? I really don't like the pushbutton 4x4, it is just something else to break. I'm currently considering a Explorer NBX package.

Thanks!

nvbanker · February 2004

Nope. I don't know anybody who does it with a manual transfer case throw anymore, even Jeep has electronics now I believe. My experience is it doesn't break for about 100,000 miles on the Explorer.

akangl · February 2004

Jeep has a lever that you pull to switch it between 2WD/4Fulltime/4Parttime/N/4Lo on the Select trac and 4fulltime/N/4Lo on the QuadraTrac/Drive.

Nissan still uses a manual transfer case in the Pathfinder, not sure about the other models.

I was out playing in a foot of new snow with my 04 Explorer this morning. The highway wasn't plowed yet......gotta love Alaska.......so there was about 8 inches or so in the highway. I can tell you this, 4X4 Auto SUCKS......it can't make up its mind and throws the truck all over the place. So, I clicked 4x4Hi and it did great, no problem doing between 55-65 mph on the highway. I also have Bridgestone Blizzak DMZ3 snow tires on my Explorer and would be terrified to drive without them.

As long as the truck is locked into 4x4Hi its great, a little tank on these lovely roads. Our driveway has at least a foot of new snow in it and the truck got in and out with no trouble.

Its been snowing for over 24 hours and shows no signs of stopping, they are calling for another 3 inches today......which in Alaska terms means at least 6 inches. I still have to go out again tonight to pick hubby up.......my Explorer is pulling double duty since his Ram is in the body shop.

nvbanker · February 2004

Oh well, my mistake

Sorry. I figured once GM had abandoned the old fashioned second shift lever transfer case, they'd be the last on the planet. You know they love old technology!

stever · February 2004

Keep the stories coming. We got 2 inches overnight in town and the sun melted it all by the time we got home from the ski hill around 1 pm (there's plenty up at 7,000 feet). All that insulating snow up your way may mean an early Tanana breakup.

Keep your wheels down!

Steve, Host

akangl · February 2004

Its not me that has the problem keeping the wheels down, its my rotten hubby. My poor Explorer is doing double duty. I'll be kind of glad when he gets his Ram back.......I say kinda because I know it will be just a matter of days before he wrecks it again.

On the flip side, I dunno about the Tanana, it froze pretty deep this winter with all the -30/-40/-50 degree weather we had. I think its going to be a late break up for everything including the river. We have approx 4 feet of snow right now I would guess and its still coming down hard.

Sure glad I bought snow tires for the new Explorer, can't imagine driving it with the OEM tires.

explorerx4 · February 2004

"I can tell you this, 4X4 Auto SUCKS".
when it starts that power shifting between axles, i take as i hint to tap the 4x4 high button.

for me the auto mode works best when accelerating from a stop, going uphill in wet conditions; rear wheels spin for part of a revolution, until the front wheels get power, then the wheel spin stops.

akangl · February 2004

Yup, I'm learning that with it. My 97 Explorer was AWD so I never had to worry about it. The 04 as long as its locked into 4Hi when the roads are covered with deep snow it does great.

My only real gripe about it at the moment is after driving through any deep snow at all I have little to no brakes. That's a lovely feeling, I have to jam on the brakes to get them to work. I know they are just ice glazed after driving through snow, but its still annoying. So what I do is ride the brakes for a little bit to get the glaze off, then all is fine. I've owned one other vehicle that did this and that was a 94 Mazda B4000 (Ford Ranger).

My Explorer (bought 1/6/04) will turn 4k miles this week. OUCH

explorerx4 · February 2004

i know what you mean, i had a '97 v8 awd too.

akangl · February 2004

Do you have a V8 or V6 now? I opted for the V6 XLS Sport, really didn't need all the gidgets and gadgets of a Limited (what my 97 was). My 97 V8 was a dog, no passing power at all, never did have much get up and go. My 04 V6 is spunky and has plenty of power, plus its averaging 16 mpg in the winter, mixed driving, idling, and running 4x4Hi, that impresses me. My 97 V8 would get about 10-12 mpg doing the same sort of things. Our V10 was usually better on gas than my 97 V8.

gasburner · February 2004

"My 97 V8 was a dog, no passing power at all"

Akangl,something must have been wrong with your engine, I have a 99 V8, and I've found it to have plenty of power, exp. when passing on the highway. It tows my boat without a problem. No engine problems at all (windshield wipers and door rattles are another story, don't get me started!!) I've averaged about 15.4 mpg in mixed driving since I bought the vehicle new. A lot of people have had good experience with Ford's 302.

I've driven many Explorers V6 and V8, both pre and post 02(I rent a lot of vehicles for work), and found in highway traffic the V6 keeps hunting for gears. Maybe I drive with a lead foot. The V6 has good power, but if I were buying now I'd pick the V8.

I'd like to see Ford come out with a 6 to match the power of GM's 4.0. A vehicle with the driving dynamics of an Explorer and the powertrain of the Trailblazer would be a sweet vehicle. Oh, maybe that's the new 4Runner.......

akangl · February 2004

Maybe so, I don't know, the truck only had 57k on it when I got tired of its problems. When I traded it the blend door was broken, the ball joints were gone, it was leaking oil, had no power, had some electrical issues (gotta love sunroofs that open themselves), was just in general not a nice truck anymore. I was sad to see it go, I really liked it, but didn't want to fix it.

Now I took excellent care of it, but I did ask it to do things that Explorers probably aren't meant for......go down logging roads, drive through the backwoods, stuff like that, I guess it didn't like it. My 04 Explorer doesn't seem to have a problem with it though.

nvbanker · February 2004

I agree, I had a 97 and a 98 V8, and they both were powerhouses! Mileage wasn't great, but not as bad as you are reporting. But power up the wazoo!!! Yours must have had a problem, it wasn't running right to give that performance.

ANT14 · February 2004

Maybe it's passing power that the 5.0L might have felt a bit out of breathe, since it wasn't much of a rever. I would get frustrated at times when I would pass at speeds over 75MPH and couldn't get much thrust. BUT at low RPM, it had plenty of thrust. That could have been cured with a 5 Speed automatic, BUT this is 7-8 years ago? Different times, different circumstances.

wblake99 · February 2004

"A vehicle with the driving dynamics of an Explorer and the powertrain of the Trailblazer would be a sweet vehicle."

That would be the Lincoln Aviator. Improved handling, 302 horses and 300 on the grunt meter! Not going to see much that will beat that in this class.

Ford has always had the torque but is lacking on the mileage. I have never bought anything but Ford products and have always wished they would get the mileage the competion seems to find while not sacrificing much in performance.

aezelig · February 2004

Its time for my 30,000 mile service for my 2002 Mountaineer. Dealer quoted a price of $475 and I went nuts.

I called a different dealer and they quoted $399. I called back the first dealer and asked them why they think they can charge so much.

The answer i got was it included a transmission fluid change which is about $100 since they need to suck the fluid out (no drain plug) and replace it.

I called Ford customer service number and they didnt have any idea if the car needed it or not, they said call the dealer.

In any case:

Does anyone know if it is necessary to replace the transmission fluid at 30,000 miles, or when is it needed? (granted the transmission on this thing sucks to begin with, bad shifts, rattle, i've already had it adjusted twice).

Thanks.

nvbanker · February 2004

The transmission is "sealed for life" on this car (which really means, the engineers couldn't find a place to route the dipstick that worked, so there isn't one). Life expectancy is about 150,000. So, no, it doesn't NEED the service, and dealer #2 is probably a bit more ethical. However, it never hurts to change your fluid (oil, whatever) on a piece of machinery, as long as you put the right juice back in when you fill it. Expecially if there is any severe service in your driving, towing, idling, heat. If you're going to keep the car, I'd probably do it. If the tranny isn't right, make them fix it! They did mine, and it's smooth as silk ever since. They can be an excellent, tough, smooth transmission. Don't settle for less.

explorerx4 · February 2004

i've got the v-8 with towing package, so my mileage isn't as good as yours. with crappy winter gas, 14-15 mpg, 16-17 otherwise; low in the 13's highest was 20mpg. epa is 14-19.
haven't had your lack of brakes experience, but they are really good about plowing around here. 20 inches of snow, you can get to work at least by the next day, if you have a car. of course, we don't have the distances that need plowing that you do!

aezelig · February 2004

how often would you change it, every 30,000, every 60,000

akangl · February 2004

A situation where my little V6 Explorer was left gasping and not able to do what I asked. It has a terrible time with on-ramps, now normally I don't drive where its an issue, but yesterday I was in Anchorage. Had to merge onto the Seward highway from dimond blvd, its a rough on ramp since its a tight curve, but leaves a straight stretch at the end for acceleration. I floored it and had a heck of a time in that short stretch getting up to speed.

Oh well, next time its V8/AWD again I guess, hopefully the 4.6L V8 will have more get up and go then the 5.0L V8 did. I have had the truck since 1/6/04 and already have over 4500 miles on it. I like it and normally for the driving I do its just fine, only rare occations am I left wishing I bought a V8.

After fueling up, driving the 300 miles to Anchorage, driving around Anchorage, and then back to Wasilla (40 miles), I fuel back up in Wasilla, gas mileage was right at 18 mpg. I haven't fuel up since Wasilla and will head into Fairbanks today, still over 1/4 of a tank at 250 miles. Not too bad especially considering we drove 75-80 the whole way home last night.

mountainowner · February 2004

Interesting topic and here is my experience; I called 3 Ford/Merc dealers and only 1 would change the fluid. I had 45k miles at that time and wanted it changed as I plan on keeping the Mountaineer for the long term. I have changed fluids myself on all my other vehicles, cleaned the pans, changed filters/screens, etc. But as you all know this tranny is sealed. My dealer told me it required a 'special' machine and yes it was costly-$350. I did make them drop the pan and clean it, and change the filter/screen, so this increased the cost. IMO, I would not change the fluid without changing the filter.

ANT14 · February 2004

Akangl,

Did you have the O/D on or off?

akangl · February 2004

O/D is always on unless I'm driving around town at less than 45 mph.

ANT14 · February 2004

Yes, very important to have O/D off under 45MPH. I see too many tranny issues (not the Explorer, but ALL vehicles, ALL manufacturer's) because many have O/D engaged incorrectly.

My next question would be your driving habits previous merging into the on ramp. The vehicle's transmission computer senses your motions, acceleration, deceleration, etc. and will tailor your shifts accordingly. If your driving quite aggresive (always with me), then you will notice the shifts kick in quicker, snappier, and take awhile to upshift since it senses your in a "sporting mode".

If your driving decently, mellow, la dee da, then the opposite will occur. And that might be my 2nd guess as to why the vehicle might be having a harder time accelerating on the ramp.

Overall at moderate depression on the accelerator, should give you around 3000RPM, and continue to upshift @ 3000RPM till you reach your designated high speed once on the highway. (that's your Max torque level) I would say, press a bit harder see if you can hit 5000RPM (by 2nd shift it should drop to around 4000RPM, (then stay there a bit into 3rd shift) where horsepower will be the one to help you.

Horsepower= is most useful for passing, when your at speed.
Torque= the oomph that gets your vehicle to take off.

So by testing the above, I'm seeing if instead of relying on torque... if maybe horsepower could help you moreso in this situation.

Another point: The axle ratio of the vehicle can help quite a bit. You can option it for a 4.10 final drive ratio. Most come with a 3.73. A higher gear ratio will allow for quicker acceleration since the wheels turn a bit more upon the same revolution, in turn, your highway MPG suffers just a tad.

akangl · February 2004

I learned about the O/D off with a 1990 Suburban, it had a tired tranny, would get extremely fussy if left in o/d around town.

As for how I drive the Explorer, I'd say fairly aggressive, just depends on my mood. That was the first time the Explorer has failed to respond as quickly as it usually does. Its ok, I rarely drive in Anchorage (only once every few months) and I still like my truck. I don't expect a race car that's for sure.

My husband drives a 1999 Dodge Ram 3500 V10, even it has its wheezy points, but it can darn sure pull a house if need be.

nvbanker · February 2004

Now, don't laugh, ok? But I have actually changed transmission fluid by disconnecting a cooling hose at the radiator or tranmission cooler, and dumping it into a drain pan, while filling with new stuff at the filler tube, with engine and pumps running. Not very environmentally sound or economical, I know, but I had my reasons, and it did purge all the bad burned fluid out eventually. I know you can't do this with a new Explorer, since they have no filler tube, but I'm thinking outside the box here, about a way to do a power flush of some kind........ Surprised the dealers don't do that. Perhaps that's the special machine they're talking about?

ANT14 · February 2004

Dealer's would probably wash their hands off about it (no pun intended), mainly because it's ONE more thing a customer can come back and complain about. And if it's not something that Ford routinely does, or reccomends to have done, and something goes wrong with the transmission.... Ford will not reimberse them for a warranty repair since it's something that should have been left as is to begin with.

marsha7 · February 2004

new F150 (I know, this is not an F150 topic), and, the vehicle seems kinda massive (probably because it IS massive)...also looked at the Explorer Sport-Trac...at first the Sport Trac seemed to have a tiny bed (48-50 inches) compared to the shortest F150 bed, 5.5 feet (66 inches)...but then the salesman show the "bed extender" a stainless steel cage that sits on the tailgate and extends the bed about 18 inches, extending the bed from 4 feet to the same 5.5 feet of the F150...any thoughts on this??? does the cage give it the same capacity as the full size F150 bed (not counting the narrower vehicle)...does stuff fall thru the cage???...does anyone own a Sport Trac that could comment on whether the vehicle performed as expected???...what we are looking for is a 4 door vehicle to transport 4 adults, but she wants the open bed of the pickup as opposed to an SUV with a trailer...another option is an Avalanche, a much larger (and more expensive) vehicle...lastly, the vehicle we buy MUST have adjustable lumbar support for both passenger and driver, Ram/Dakota does not offer this, GM does, and we now know that F150 and Sport Trac do, too...any thoughts would be appreciated...also, the Sport Trac only comes with 210HP V6, no V8 option, does this engine have sufficient guts to do the job...thanks.

chuck1 · February 2004

I just took my Mazda 626 ES/V6 in for trans service to the local shop that does it for 60 bucks. On the Mazda it is a closed transmission, no pan to drop-so they unhook one of the cooling lines and take the fluid out that way. I have had it done twice now, the car has 60K on it. Back to topic; I asked him about the transmission in my wife's Explorer (2002), he said that they actually have to get the transmission fluid from Ford. He said to change it at 50K and then every 20K after that. While I agree it should be changed at 50K-I think 20K intervals are too soon. He would like my Mazda in at every 15K, but as I stated, I take it in at every 30K.

nvbanker · February 2004

Yeah, my shadetree (independent) mechanic is stuck on the 3000 mile oil changes too. I do them at 5000 mile intervals. And an interesting side note to me - my Lincoln dealer also likes to do the oil changes at 3000 miles ..... uh, unless you have the "service included" package, like I do, then they can only do them "free" every 5000 miles. And that works fine for me.

ANT14 · February 2004

Marsha, we do have an Explorer Sport Trac board, I also post there as well.

The best advice I can give you in my opinion, is try both for size. Depending on your needs, and most other's needs, an Explorer ST will do quite well. Acceleration with the 4.0L V-6, and 4.10 drive ratio is quite quick as well (0-60sec. 8.4 last I remembered).

As for the cargo cage, if you hauling something that your afraid might slip thru the holes, I've seen some place planks of partical board to section it off for hauling. I saw someone do that for hauling pipes.

fsv · February 2004

Check Nissan Frontier - same money as Sport Trac, many bed option, extender, great Fosgate stereo, roofrack, moonroof, reliable, actually goes anywhere - inferior only to M1, if inferior, and, much better ride than Sport Trac. Or, get Ford Explorer + 500 dollar trailer from Home Depot and enjoy it...

marsha7 · February 2004

Thanks..I tried to find the Sport Trac board but had no luck, so I came to Explorer, nowhere else to go...

FSV: I mentioned that, but she wants an open bed in the back or I may be cut off for years...she is a rural farm girl from Mississippi, has driven regular cars for years with me, is now asserting her rural roots...I thought the Sport Trac or Avalanche might be a useful compromise (I have also posted to Avalanche board)...at first, the ST bed seemed tiny at only 4 ft long, but the cage makes it 5.5 feet, the same length as a standard pickup short bed on a GM or F150... always looking, always thinking, trying to make her happy...if she is happy, my life just might be worth living, if not, my life becomes...:):):)

ANT14 · February 2004

Not sure how I can link you, but on the left choices, click BROWSE BY MAke, Click FORD, then under that Explorer Sport Trac, then it should list 8 choices. It'll be titled just that, Explorer Sport Trac. You can browse back on some previous questions/answers, which are the same one's you just asked.

stever · February 2004

Here's a link to the last post in the main Sport Trak discussion:

iaaj "Ford Explorer Sport Trac" Feb 19, 2004 6:25pm

Steve, Host

marsha7 · February 2004

Thanks...I must have been half asleep when I checked that screen...old eyes don't see as well, by cracky...

idntnvu · February 2004

I haven't posted in quite some time, so I thought I'd get on here and update, plus I have a couple of questions. To date, I now have 43,500 miles on my Orange '99 XLS. I bought it last June with 32,000 miles. I took it in last September for the recalls (there were 3), two of which affected me. At that time, I had the thumping in the rear end addressed, and after changing the fluid in the transfer case, the thumping was eliminated. I had a vibration in the front end, which was determined to be caused by cupping of the tires, which is a fairly common thing with 4x4s, but the dealer put the hard sell on and stopped just short of trying to sell me a set of tires. I was informed of a couple of other issues which I determined as minor, and didn't wish to address. After I picked the car back up later that afternoon, I had a friend of mine drive it home for me while I drove the vehicle I was borrowing, and I noticed something funny in the rear view mirror...it appeared as though my headlights and fog lights were on really dimly. When we got home, my friend informed me that I had no air conditioning, and the right turn signal would not work. Upon further inspection, I discovered that this was true, as was many other complications that basically told me I had a major wiring problem, a problem that was completely non-existant until I had left the car at the dealership for the recall work, and the transfer case fluid change. Here's what would happen: When the headlights and foglights were on, the right turn signal would not work, but the right rear signal lamp, as well as the indicator on the dash, were dimly lit. When I turned the fan on high, it would drop back down to the same speed as the second position, as well as turning the headlights and foglights on dimly, and illuminating the signal lamp and indicator. Also, if I attempted to brighten the headlights when the head/fog lights were both on, only one headlight would brighten, and the fog lights would stay on. I had to turn off the fog lights in order to make the right turn signal blink, but it would blink really fast and so would the headlights. It was really quite a site when I turned on the 4 way flashers, with the headlights, fan and all that jazz turned on...I looked like a cop car with all the lights flashing. Also, the windshield washer was inop. I took it back to the dealer, to which they said it was a problem that was caused when the signal light stalk was replaced due to the recall. When I picked the explorer up that evening, the problem was still there. I walked back in, said the problem was still there, and they had someone drive me home. Later that afternoon, I called to inquire about my explorer's status, to which I was told they still couldn't pick out where the problem was coming from. I told them that since this was a problem not caused by me, I was not about to pay for it, and besides, I had bought the extended warranty, which also entitled me to a rental car. I was told at that point that they could not determine whether this problem would be covered by my warranty or not, so I'd have to pay for the rental car. I told them "by god it better be covered by the warranty, or you'll see a burnt orange ford explorer in a place you wouldn't want it." I don't think they knew quite what to do with me. So, I had a kindly neighbor drop me off at the dealership to pick up my rental Taurus, and after the service dept twiddled their thumbs a while, I was finally getting set up with the rental. Now, at that time, I was 20 years old. I did not know that you had to be 21 to get a rental. When the lady keyed everything into the computer, it wouldn't let her give me one. She couldn't figure out why. Finally, "OH, you're not 21...sorry, can't let you have one." I said "great, this day just gets better and better, I have to work tonight and I have no way of getting there, and my ride has already left. Let me speak to the manager please." When he finally found his way to the service desk, I let him have a piece of my mind. He wasn't very helpful either. I finally told them to give me my keys, and I'd take my piece of crap elsewhere. The next day, I called Ford to complain about the service, and that afternoon, I received a call from the service manager asking me to bring my car back, and let them have a chance to make it right. I did so, I received the rental, and the problem was covered by the warranty...all of that was fixed in a day and a half. Turns out a wiring harness behind the A/C fan had melted together, thus shorting the wires and making everything go nuts. The only other problem I've had since then is the transmission slipping in this extremely cold weather, which I know it's overdue for a transmission fluid change. I need new brakes too, but I can't blame that one on Ford

. So far, I still love this vehicle. It's also really surprised me in the snow this winter.

Okay, now my questions. First of all, does anyone know what the name of the burnt orange color that was on the '99-'01 XLS? I know the '01 Sport's have a brighter orange, but this is more of a reddish orange. I'd like to get the technical name. Also, has anyone ever put dual exhaust on their explorers? I've seen a few V8 explorers with duals, but not a V6. I've decided to y pipe it from about halfway back and have the tips turn down and out at a 45 degree angle behind the back wheels. Even if you haven't, does anyone know of any websites that I could go to to see what it would look and/or sound like? Sometime back, when the Sport Tracs were first getting popular, I found a website with sound bites of a Sport Trac with duals. Anyway, just thought I'd ask. I apologize for this being so long, I won't let them be this long again, but I hadn't posted in so long I thought I'd update everybody! Also, has anyone put a spoiler on their explorer? I've seen the spoilers on the '02 and newer explorers, were are cool, and the '01 and older models have more of a wing kinda thing. Thats another reason I'd like to know the name of the color, so I could match the paint if I were to get a spoiler. Thanks in advance for any input!
IDNTNVU

akangl · February 2004

Hmmmm, I couldn't find anything on that color for 1999, but it could possibly be the same as the orange that was used in 2001 which is Mandarin Gold Clearcoat. Good way to find out would be to ask the parts dept, they will look at your truck for the paint code and can tell from there.

idntnvu · February 2004

Yeah, I try to avoid the dealership at all costs. After the last experience, I don't wanna go back unless something vital falls out on the highway. The Mandarin Orange Clearcoat used in 2001 is a much lighter shade of orange than this color. This is a reddish orange, or "burnt" orange as it has been referred to. Anyone have any suggestions about my exhaust, per Comment #1867? I was looking at flowmasters the other day, but I will probably get a custom job with a generic muffler, but the hushpower II sounded the best, I think. Any suggestions?

idntnvu · February 2004

where is comment #1869? There is 1868 and 1870, but no 1869. Thats wierd...

tidester · February 2004

It's likely that the poster had second thoughts about posting his/her message and deleted it.

tidester, host

Ford Explorer Mercury Mountaineer 2005 and earlier

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