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Comments
A note on the transmission issues with the 6 speed, it's been about a month since I had the latest flash update (from late November/ early December actually) done and it still seems to be shifting slightly better. Like I said in an earlier post, it's not perfect but the latest update did seem to make it a little better so might be worth a try for those of you that haven't done it yet.
While the tranny issues, minor and isolated as they seem to be, make be glad we went with the V6 in our '06 Explorer I think we'll get the V8 if we get a Mountaineer next year when the leas is up. Our best highway mileage came last Summer on a trip from Pittsburgh to the OBX where we averaged just under 22 mpg. Seeing that the V8 gets similar mileage it would be worth the extra $$ just to have the extra power. The hills around here make the V8 slightly strained at times.
Has anyone else had this problem? Were you able to get it fixed?
Thanks
I have pulled a 3100 lbs trailer with this Mountaineer and found the V8 more than capable of handling that weight.
As for the transmission, after the November flash it has worked better, but not perfect. Too bad this problem has left such a sour note with me towards Ford Motor Company's ability to recognize and admit there is a problem and satisfy their loyal customers.
I actually did drive my father-in-law's '06 EB V8 up and down a couple of side streets once. The power difference was noticeable but his gas mileage was pretty poor compared to what others get. I've rode with him so I'm 100% sure that discrepancy was due to his driving style. He drives like my wife, who is the primary driver of our family hauler, so that kind of worries me. She'll be getting the minimum EPA rating or less no doubt.
My Explorer hesitates, lunges and shakes. It happens sporadically, however the mechanics have acknowledged the problem and tried to fix it via computer codes and replacement of the throttle body...twice within the warranty of the part.
Please let me know what steps you took to get your car fixed or if it wasn't fixable. My car has been back numerous times for the same issue. The diagnosis is always the same thing...computer codes or not having the correct computer codes. If anyone else has had the same issues, please contact me.
I did as he advised and have not had any problems since ro maybe I should say so far. As a result of this problem I purchased an extended warranty just in case and I've never had to do that before.
Everything the dealership did was under warranty and didn't cost me a dime. Guess I was lucky that the dealer was willing to go the extra mile and the service guy told me up front the first time I was in that they had been seeing this type of problem frequently. He said Ford was supposed to be working on the problem and a new TSB was coming out along with a redesigned valve body (the one I mentioned earlier).
Good Luck trying to get it resolved.
of the problems associated with this years model,...especially from current owner's
out there. My impressions is that the '06 experienced more reliability issues than
the '07 Explorer but I don't have an factual data or knowledge if that's true, especially
involving the transmission. Any comments regarding reliability, what to look out for
and if the '07 Explorer SUV (4WD) V8 is a good vehicle to pursue in the "used"
marketplace? Anyone recently purchased one, in the Eddie Bauer Trim, and
what was the final deal price?
Like you said there is a software fix for this from Ford. Most who have had it done seem to think it did the trick.
There's a good explanation of the problem by a Ford engineer somewhere on a Ford forum I frequent. It's not a problem with the transmission exactly but rather a side-effect of the new tranny design. Something about it not using a clutch pack or something like that. It wasn't intended and is, IIRC, inherent to the design. I believe the software update changes the shfting algorithm enough to smooth that "bump" feeling which is supposedly not harmful to the tranny at all.
I have an '06 V6 with the 5-speed tranny and it's as smooth as butter so far. However the V8 does get slightly better FE and has a lot more power if you can live with the "bump" or have it fixed and live without it.
When I destroyed one of the factory tires, I replaced the factory tires with the excellent Pirelli Scorpion STRa tires, a substantial improvement.
All of the negative comments regarding the transmission really seem to eb comments regarding specific dealer mechanics. My 2006 EB V8 had a problem with a rough downshift to first when coming to a stop, but it did not bother me much. I only had it fixed just before the warrantly expired to take advantage of the free service. The mechanic at Santa Margarita ford kept it for several days, and took it apart twice to get it right.
I lock and unlock the doors many times on a typical day, so was not surprised when the power lock on the driver's door failed last week. I removed the door latch on Saturday, dismantled it Sunday, found a small gear worn at one end, flipped the gear on its shaft, and lubricated the mechanism. It should bb good for another 50,000 miles..
That's the one everyone is talking about. I'm not sure why your dealer was taking the tranny apart because there is a software fix for it. They should be able to take care of it in less than an hour.
I had the same problem and the fix was two stage. First time a new code was released to flash the system but I still had problems. Second time (several weeks later) another new code was released along with replacing something called a Valve Body that evidently had a new design.
After the second trip the mechanic told me he cleaned out all the adaptive learning memory and suggested I drive it normally for 50 miles (short trip down the highway) and give it a few miles to readjust. First five miles it had some mild shift problems then it seemed to adjust and have not had any problems since.
Lucky for me this was all under warranty however I did buy an extended warranty just in case.
Does anyone else know about this issue or perhaps you've experienced the same problem? I'd love to find out that Ford will replace it (even though the warranty is long gone), but I'm wondering if it was a defective part altogether that they should be paying to replace?
Any advice will be appreciated!
Jack
They were gret this winter in snow and ice, and it was a worse than average winter.
jack
Steve
At 88,205 miles I replaced the worn-out Pirelli Scopion STR-A tires with Pirelli Scorpion STR tires. Shortly thereafter, I had it aligned, and the transmission fluid and differential lube changed at Santa Margarita Ford.
The transmission was serviced under warranty. It will still seldon downshift roughly to first, but the key word is seldom, or very seldom. I can't discern any patttern, and it is barely worth mentioning.
The electric door lock motor has been the only problem part, but I sometimes lock and unlock the doors many more times per day than most people. There is a plastic gear on the motor shaft which contacts a metal part, so this is just a bad design. Replacing it was not difficult or expensive, and gave me an opportunity to really scrub s stain froma spilled drink off of the plastic door panel.
I weigh 210, but think it is probably time to replace the seat cushion foam, esopecially to be sure it stays as comfortable as possible sitting in southern Califorrnia traffic!
Ford is saying that they have not seen this problem in any other cars and they do not know how to fix it. I purchased this car from Ernie Haire in Tampa, Florida with about 19k miles. I am now at 83k miles with an expired extended warranty.
If anyone else has had this problem, please contact me as I do love my car and would like for this issue to be resolved.
I can't imagine an engine being so difficult to diagnose that NOT one person can figure out the problem. The problem is intermittent . A VDR was installed but I believe that they are most likely dinosaur technology as we could not get one to work once installed.
This week, I am supposed to go in again for another attempt at diagnosis via some type of computer. If this doesn't work I may have to call the psychic hotline...lol. I look forward to hearing if anyone else has experienced any of my issues with an 06 Explorer.
It seems that you and I are going through the same thing. I switched dealerships as well but the latest one cannot determine the problem either. Switching dealerships is not a bad idea however, does not guarantee a solution. Did you have any luck?
I was going to take it to the dealer, but of course thought I would wait until the light stayed on most of the time, as the dealer would probably not find the problem, unless they kept it overnight and started it only one time in the morning.
Thanks.
Bel Air Car Guy
When I was at the Veteran's Ford Dealership in 2010, the service mgr told me to make sure that I kept putting in coolant. I thought that was odd. He went through the whole talk about what color I should buy and to make sure that I check it often. Hmmm, it all makes perfect sense.
Are there any attorneys posting on this site? We need to ban together and ensure that this matter is fixed for all of us, even if our warranties have ended.
The issue at hand, non acceleration of Ford Explorers and Mercury Mountaineers is a KNOWN defect in these models, occurring in the years 1997-2009 caused by the THERMOSTAT HOUSING UNITS in these vehicles. (you can verify this info from a REAL MECHANIC, not one at the dealership).
I was recently almost killed in Sept of this yr. when my 06 Explorer would not accelerate past 25 mph when pulling into traffic. I barely escaped a large truck crashing into my car.
These THERMOSTAT HOUSING UNITS that Ford uses are made of cheap plastic ... the equivalent to a 1 gallon jug of water/milk. We all know how thin that plastic is...drop one and it cracks in an instant.
Please go and get your THERMOSTAT HOUSING, THEROMOSTAT ASSY, SEAL AND 0-RING checked out. You are losing coolant because of this product defect. When the car gets hot, it doesn't allow the acceleration to take place. It is some type of safety that is built into the car so as not to destroy the engine.
Do not take your car to the dealership to be fixed. Shop around. My mechanic charged me $110.00 less than the dealership quoted me for the repair. Anyway, the dealerships service depts say they can never find the problem, so how in the world would they be able to fix it? Start shopping around and never go to the dealership again for these types of repairs.
Ford does not consider this to be a safety issue so NO RECALL will be announced. I don't know about you readers, but I think it is a safety issue. Cars not accelerating when we need them to accelerate certainly seems to be a problem...it's kind of like being a sitting duck with traffic coming at you in all directions.
I sure hope there haven't been any death related accidents due to these cars not accelerating...any body want to research Explorers/Mountaineers? If we can find out that these cars were involved in accidents that led to deaths, we can then research if these cars had the same issues as our cars. It would only take talking to others, finding out if their cars had histories/paperwork of their cars not accelerating. We could ALL start posting on blogs to find out the stories and we would could easily document all the info we would need.
My non Ford mechanic gave me some info about additional things that need to be fixed. Here is what needs to be fixed and hold onto your wallets because you have to go back to Ford to get these things fixed.
Ford needs to RECALIBRATE the POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE. The info is printed out in a report by ALLDATA online. "Engine Controls - MIL ON/DTC's P505/P0506/Hard Start, is the heading of the report. Have them look it up for you so you can see what needs to be fixed.
Supposedly only mechanics can get this info and Ford can ONLY calibrate as they have the computer codes.
This report has all the info on what is wrong with your cars...non acceleration...drive away hesitation...etc.
The powertrain control module PCM) needs to be reprogramed to the latest calibration...something to do with a "sludge problem in the throttle body".
There is a note in this report stating that the procedure has to be followed exactly, to the T. If it is not followed the reprogramming will FAIL. It says that some of the cars have to be driven for several days for the transmission to fully adapt.
Supposedly the IDS (integrated diagnostic system) goes into a sleep mode.
So I believe that this is going to be the problem. You can take your car in to be fixed but if the mechanic doesn't know what he is doing, he can say he reprogrammed the car but he may not have followed the procedures correctly and you car will not perform properly. I've experienced that ... I had certified Ford Mechanics reprogram my car for 5 yrs and none of them could ever get it right.
Finding the right mechanic is just as hard as trying to find a dentist who really knows how to do a root canal.
The info above includes the following cars:
Ford 05-07 Crown Victoria
06 Mustang
04-06 F-150
05-06 E -350, E -450, F- Super Duty
06 F-53 Motorhome Chassis
06-07 Explorer Sport Trac
Lincoln:
05-07 Town Car
06 Mark LT
Mercury:
05-07 Grand Marquis
06-07 Mountaineer
Good luck and stay safe!
Thanks,
Greg
Thanks,
Greg