Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
if your plugs look normally worn, a little residue and maybe some erosion of the electrodes, no physical damage, then it ain't plugs.
the computer controls on engines swing conditions around so much trying to optimize things that can be way out of balance that there should be no reason to change from the standard heat range any more, frankly... I'd be really surprised if there were multiple plug options on modern engines, other than maybe a "little bit warmer" plug for engines wearing out and getting oil fouling.
plugs aren't villains or magicians, they are indicators of what is happening inside the cylinder. wires are much more likely to be part of the problem, they are easily damaged and will cause occasional skips or pings long before they get bad enough to generate weak or no spark much of the time.
there have been a number of posts that carbon on the heads or the pistons themselves forms a hot spot to trigger pre-ignition, and more commonly on some engines than others (like primarily import high-efficiency engines.) IF that's your car, try some additional Techron treatments (like 2 or 3 in a row, max, any additional without improvement is wasting money and postponing the real fix.)
A) Sunoco markets an 86 octane fuel in some areas. If your station happened to get a mix of 86 & 87 octane this may be an issue.
B)Sometimes the ECU may "lose" some of its settings. By simply removing the ground cable off of the battery, waiting two or three minutes then reconnecting the cable this will force the ECU the "relearn" all of the engine settings. If you started with a new brand of gasoline and let the engine "learn" the new settings, based on the new environment, this might resolve the issue of the engine knock. It is a long shot, based upon the symptoms that have been presented, but since it will cost you nothing it might be worth a try.
Happy New Year everybody!!
Occasionally my engine check light comes on in my Mustang Cobra (I have done a lot of Intake, Exhaust and computer chip mods to the car) and that is exactly what I do, to get things back into focus. Once you reconnect the battery, you need to let the engine just idle for about three minutes, until all the sensors have reported in and the proper operating parameters have been re-established.
I pop the positive terminal on the battery, as a lot of these sensor devices can seek ground through other parallel paths.
that's one of the things you use to compare dealers... and the guy who you can screw the last $150 off "invoice" from is usually not the dealer who has these intangibles after the sale.
Many thanks.
BTW, many salesmen are liars. It's in the DNA.
I think that is a little unfair. Most salesmen are simply trying to eke out a living and it behooves them in the long run to be forthright with their customers.
Naturally, there are dishonest people in all areas and we each have a responsibility to be well-informed and alert so that we don't fall victim to it.
tidester
Host
SUVs
A VW salesman I spoke to recently told me he owned and drove an Explorer (he was very curious as to why I wanted to trade my Explorer). His wife, on the other hand, owned a BMW.
I agree that car sales is a tough way to make a living unless you sell a popular line (VW, BMW, Acura, etc.) The amount of deception is a direct result of the pressures put on them to close deals quick and upsell unnecessary options. The Sales Reps also have become much more defensive as consumers have become more savvy of the industry. I have always found that if you go into the dealership firm, but not overly obnoxious, about what you are looking for the Sales Rep will be relatively honest in return. As soon as you start getting pushy or "know-it-all"-ish they get the same way.
Most dealers get out of not getting you a loaner by offereing van service to your work. Which is nice but sometimes it's a pain at the end of the day waiting for them to pick you up.
1995 Explorers was the first re-styling of the Explorer. I would get it checked out thoroughly by a mechanic before I purchase it. Make sure he/she checks out the 4x4 system as well.
Check out the Consumer Reports Buying guide to get an idea of potential problems (remember this is only a guide and not the bible for automotive reliability). Or maybe someone on this board will be nice enough to check the information for you and post it on the board.
If anybody has experience with an extended warranty other than provided by Ford I'd like to hear from you also.
Now for a problem I'm having, it seems like my back lift glass wiper decides when it wants to work or should I say not work. It will work just fine for several months and then one day I can't get it to swipe the glass no matter what setting its on. It will not work for about a day then it will start working again. After it starts working it'll be fine for several more months. The funny thing is that the rear wiper problem seems almost the opposite of what the front wipers did awhile back, when the front wipers would just come on by themselves (got the fronts fixed already). Anybody have this happen with their rear wiper, if so what was the fix?
I also just bought an independent extended warranty for my Grand Prix (6y/100k) for $900. It allows me to use any shop and all I have to do is call a number on the policy for an authorized repair and they give the shop a credit card number. I have not had an experience with it yet nor do I have the paper work handy this moment for further info.
Do not buy a factory extended warranty off the net Go to a dealership and negotiate the price. Call other dealerships for quotes and you will be surprised to find different prices for the same plan (this was my experience).
I hope this helps.
Another good way to tell if you really need it is to observe the repair history of your vehicle while still under the standard warranty. If it is constantly in the shop the extended warranty may ultimately pay for itself. If your particular unit has been trouble free for 3yrs/36K miles, and you have been faithful with routine maintenance, the likelihood of numerous expensive repairs will lessen to the point that the extended warranty would never pay for itself. There may be one or two large repairs, but not totaling the ~$1,800 price of the warranty.
If you do decide to buy one, smily1's advice is very sound. Go to your dealer and negotiate the price. There is a significant amount of markup on extended warranties.
I do not plan on keeping my Explorer past 36K miles (I should be there this time next year), so when I get the Ford ESP mailings I throw them away. Their pricing for extended warranties, from what I remember, is very high. Even if I were going to keep the truck for 7-10 years I wouldn't buy the warranty; I swore extended warranties off a few cars ago. IMO, they just aren't worth the money.
I've got 2 Explorers, a 91 with 4.0L OHV engine, Automatic, now with 152,000 miles, bought with 120,000 miles in 1998, and looks and runs perfect (my wifes) . I also have a 93 Explorer that I drive, 151,000 miles, Automatic, now with 151,000 miles, bought with 112,000 in 1999, and looks and runs perfect. The engines are EXCELLENT, the transmissions are the weak point. I had to pull the tranny out of the 91 ad rebuild it at 130,000 miles, but it had been "rebuilt" before I bought it, and a sorry job at that. I found the valve body bolts loose on it the first time I pulled the pan and serviced it. It is doing very fine now. The 93 still has the original tranny at 151,000. On these trannys, you must service them with a complete fluid change and flush every year, install a late model filter that has the nylon filter element, not the orginal brass screen. You will be surprisehow long it last if you take good care of it.
We Love our explorers. I will be shopping for a good 96 to replace the 91 this spring. Whoever gets the 91 will be getting a very good vehicle.
The steering wheel began sticking at about 95,000 miles. It was only intermittent. Now it does it every time. What I mean by sticking is, as you go to turn the steering wheel the wheel stops and you have to give it an extra effort to get it to continue turning. Once you get beyond this "sticking" point it turns with no problem. It doesn't seem to hurt the performance of the vehicle but it is more a nuisance than anything else.
I had it checked out by an independent garage (fluids, belt, etc.) and they saw nothing wrong. the only other thing is the steering rack. Could this be the problem? has anyone else had this problem? may consider getting this repaired since I will keep the vehicle as long as it lasts. The engine says it wants ot go anothe 5 years.
Thanks for any help.
Thanks ...
exploring a solution ! ! !
I have a 95 Explorer. I think the 4WD system on my vehicle is pretty darn close to the version in the 99 vehicle. One of the implied benefits of this 4WD system was that you could run it in 4WD even if the conditions were only marginally poor. I have run mine many times on areas of dry pavement, with patchy icy spots, without any problems. I have never felt any type of binding in my 4WD system even when turning into areas such as a dry driveway. The issues with smokn14jo's vehicle does not sound at all normal to me.
Comments?
You should look into replacing and repacking the front 4x4 wheel cylinders every 35K miles, and lube the linkages before every winter. The tranny case and the 4x4 transfer cash should have the fluid serviced as well.
Quick story: My wife went hunting (a whole story in itself) and was stuck in a ditch. She put our 1991 Explorer in 4WD and finally got out. Well I guess she really raced the engine and stripped the nut or bearing that holds the axle in place when the vehicle is in 4WD. Needless to say we had ot get it fixed a s I found out later in a snow storm that eventhough I had the 4x4 button pushed, the front wheels were not locked in. $800 later I had my 4WD back (repair done at the dealership).
My advice is your friend has already done serious damage to the 4WD system. Suggestion is to have a private shop do the work (not difficult at all). It wil be much cheaper to do. Tell your friend in the winter time to leave the 4WD drive in Auto. To be honest, this is why I bought the V8 AWD rather then the V6 Full-time system.
good luck.
Nowbck to my steering problem. Can anyone help me?
My 95 Explorer only has 2WD, 4WD Auto, 4WD Low. So what is the difference between the 95 and 99 4WD systems? I get the impression that the 99 has a 4WD High setting? How does that differ from 4WD Auto then? I try to not make it a practice of driving in 4WD Auto on dry pavement, but I have never noticed any binding when doing so. I'll qualify this by saying that the Explorer is my wifes so I don't drive it that often.
The 91-94 Explorer used a part time system for use on slick roads. The 95-2002 use the control trac system that uses computer monitors to apply an electromagnetic clutch (except the awd v8 from 96-2001)(and except the 2001 two door) to put power to the front wheels. Originally the dial on the dash had three spots, 2wd, automatic 4wd, and 4wd low. The 2wd can be used on any surface. The automatic 4wd can be used at any time,rain, snow,dirt, dry concrete,etc. The 4wd low is a part time system. At some point, ?97 or 98 or 99, the switch was modified to be three postions, automatic 4wd, 4wd HI, and 4wd low. So the vehicle can be left in automatic 4wd on any surface (heck, there isn't even a 2wd mode) or placed in 4wd Hi with locked differential for slippery surface or 4wd low for slippery surfaces only. Now the redesigned ?2001 two door explorer sport appears to have the old style 2wd, 4 hi, and 4wd low...with no automatic settings. It is purely part time. (Also in the mid to late 90s, the Ford Expedition used a 4 postition dial to give 2wd, auto 4wd, 4hi and 4 lo) Some of this may be incorrect, but is correct to the best of my knowledge. If anybody spots any errors, please post.
one thing I have always fallen back on with squeaks that never go away over the years is try to get them to squeak in my key, so we can sing along together down the road.
The steering wheel began sticking at about 95,000 miles. It was only intermittent. Now it does it every time. What I mean by sticking is, as you go to turn the steering wheel the wheel stops and you have to give it an extra effort to get it to continue turning. Once you get beyond this "sticking" point it turns with no problem. It doesn't seem to hurt the performance of the vehicle but it is more a nuisance than anything else. I had it checked out by an independent garage (fluids, belt, etc.) and they saw nothing wrong. the only other thing is the steering rack. Could this be the problem? has anyone else had this problem? may consider getting this repaired since I will keep the vehicle as long as it lasts. The engine says it wants ot go anothe 5
years.
Thanks for any help.
<<For the last several days the 4WD H/L light blinks while in 2 wheel drive. When the vehicle is in 4WD and you take a slow turn on dry pavement there is a profound grinding and vibrating that comes from the front end>>
i assumed his friend manually put it into 4wd (4WD hi). That is why i suggested putting it in 4wd auto and leaving it there.
The 4WD Auto under everyday driving conditions is 2WD (rear wheels) until the computer detects slippage in the tires, then it activates the 4WD for you. Once there is no slippage detected it switches back to RWD (or at least 98% RWD). So it is OK to keep it in 4WD auto all the time. If you are going through snow or ice or off road, you then probably want to switch it to 4wd Hi so the system stays in 4WD mode since you are on a slippery, unpredictable surface. You don't want to use 4WD Hi on normal suraces. that is when you get the "binding" in the turns.
Hope that clarifys everything. Now I hope someone can help me with my steering problem.
tidester
Host
SUVs
Nature of Defect:
4.FUEL:THROTTLE LINKAGES AND CONTROL Recall Number: 99V062000
Dates Manufactured: MAY 1996 to MAR 1999
Number of Vehicles Affected: 917000
Date Owners Notified On N/A
Vehicle: 1999 Ford Explorer
Defect Description:
Vehicle Description: Certain 1997-1999 RHD Explorer equipped with 4.0L OHV/SOHC engines and cruise control built from May 29, 1996 through March 4, 1999; 1998-1999 Explorer/Mountaineers equipped with 4.0L OHV/SOHC or 5.0L engines or 1998-1999 Rangers equipped with 2.5L, 3.0L FFV/EFI or 4.0L engines and cruise control built from January 5, 1998 through March 4, 1999; 1998-1999 Mustangs equipped with 3.8L, 4.6L 2-valve or 4-valve engines and cruise control built from March 2, 1998 through March 4, 1999; 1999 F250/F350/F450/F550 (over 8,500 lbs.) trucks equipped with 5.4L or 6.8L engines and speed control built from March 2, 1998 through March 4, 1999; and 1999 F-53 stripped chassis equipped with 5.4L or 6.8L engines and cruise control built from March 2, 1998 through March 4, 1999. Also included in this campaign are 1998-1999 Mazda B-series trucks (B2500, B3000 and B4000) equipped with cruise control and built from January 1998 through March 4, 1999. A cruise control cable can interfere with the speed control servo pulley and not allow the throttle to return to idle when disengaging the cruise control.
Consequence of Defect:
If the cruise control is used and this condition is present, a stuck throttle could result, which could potentially result in a crash.
Corrective Action:
Dealers will replace the cruise control cables. At the present time, the replacement cables are not available. Customers are being advised NOT TO USE the cruise control system until a replacement can be made.
My '00 XLS with the 4.0L OHV engine is the same way. My mileage varies from 13-19.
Biggest factors seem to be outside temperature (the colder it gets the lower the mileage; summer months I get the best mileage), and the fact that when filling up Explorers/Mountaineers they tend to automatically cut-off 4 gallons early. Therefore it is hard to tell exactly how full the tank is at any given fill-up. This can affect mpg calculations as much as 4mpg. The best thing to do would be to totally fill the truck, as much as you can, at one fill-up and run it down . Then do the same on the next fill-up and calculate the mileage. This would ensure you are getting a fairly accurate reading on a completely full tank.
15-17 seems to be average for these vehicles. I always run 87 octane, too.