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Ford Explorer Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    Well I just had my inspection done on my 96 Explorer V8 with 133k miles on it. the car has been relatively trouble free. Now I'm at the point where things are weaing out on me.

    For the past 2.5 to 3 years, the steering wheel would "stick" before it would begin moving. Nothing major but you definitely noticed it. Finally this winter it has been extremely cold here in PA. Noticed on a number of occasions the steering wheel was almost impossible to move. Got it checked out yesterday. You guessed it... the steering rack was bad. Luckily I took it to a independent garage and they are putting a re-built rack in for about $250 plus labor (4.5 hours). Also I am finally changing the serpentine belt (squeaks after rain or snow). Think the last time I did that was around 50k or 60k miles. Also need new tires. Have an appointment for Dayton Timberline AT at $68 per tire, out the door.

    So $1000 later (includes power steering flush and oil change), my Explorer is ready to tackle the roads for the next couple of years. Can't really complain about this vehicle considering the amount of maintenance I haven't done on it. It has served me well.
  • smily1smily1 Member Posts: 104
    The front diff was bad. It cleared up the noise and the slow speed turn vibrations. Now do I keep it or buy a Tacoma...hmmm...
  • stubborn1stubborn1 Member Posts: 85
    I found out why my 98 Explorer is loosing antifreeze. The bad news is that its in the oil. I was suspecting antifreeze in the oil and sent my last drain oil in for analysis. It tested out at 0.36% antifreeze after 3k miles. I know the problem has been around for a while because I have been adding small amounts of antifreeze for months.

    I have the 4.0L OHV V6 with 103k miles on the clock. Has anyone else had problems with bad head gaskets/heads at this mileage? I always thought the 4.0L OHV was one of Fords better engines.

    After 103k miles, I am assuming that I should have the heads redone while I have them off. It only makes sense because most of the labor is just getting to the heads. The wear metals on my last oil analysis were all acceptable so I don't think I'll need a complete rebuild of the lower half. Is there any good reason to just get a rebuilt engine now or should I repair the top half and hope for 200k miles?
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    they can also check the cylinder wear with the heads off, but ideally if they have to lift it to work on the problem, you should have 'em get out the plastigage and mike a couple of the crank bearings. if in range, rebuild. if out of range, go for a rebuilt.

    if they don't have to hoist to fix this, it's a gut call. if there has not been unusual noise, do the heads and gaskets. if there is any evidence of "thunk", I'd start over with a rebuilt.

    this is Joe Owner speaking, by the way, I don't do heavy engine work.
  • maxima96maxima96 Member Posts: 3
    Hi, I own a 95 explorer sport with 92000 on it. Just recently ive noticed a very loud squeaking coming from the right rear wheel. I have checked around the wheel, doing as much as I can without removing the actual wheel, and i can't seem to find anything out of the ordinary. I'm guessing that something is not lubricated, or i have a brake component that is rubbing against another part. The sound occurs when driving only, and only occurs after I have been driving for approximately 5-10 minutes in city traffic. The car has never been wrecked and nothing I have done should have started the noise. Also, the brakes and rotors back there are less than 1 yr old, with at most 10K on them. I need some insight soon, as the car is for sale.
  • brophbroph Member Posts: 85
    2 weeks before xmas - I had what I thought to be oil in antifreeze, turned out to be trans fluid instead. I never heard of this before, my first guess was head gasket. After having the radiator replaced and transmission flushed (43 qt.) it runs fairly fine (now if I only can get the check engine light to stay off). I have a '96 with 4.0 OHV & approx 116K on it. It's my understanding that they check them anyway before they assemble it back together, but I could be wrong. Oh, my repair came just a tad over $900. This is one xmas present I can't return. Good luck.

    Tom
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    and to find it, you have to know what the computer thinks is broken. what are the codes, have they been pulled? can't go anywhere without knowing what system(s) are setting codes in the computer.
  • brophbroph Member Posts: 85
    I'm sorry, the code that has been pulled was PO420 (low emission in bank 1 of the cat - something like that??). My mechanic who is usually pretty good at finding problems & not looking for a quick fix, told me that I need an O2 sensor(s). They replace 3 out of 4 ($100/ea + labor)why they didn't replace all 4 I don't know. Still nothing, light came on next day under load (running in 4wd). I personally don't think that it is the O2 sensors, just a hunch. I really think I need to have an emission test done but hate to spend the $$, especially if they can't fix the problem. I can't afford guessing games. This vehicle was a theft recovery, the whole dashboard & guts had to be replaced. I'm wondering if it is a short. My speedo is running 10mph higher than actual speed also. Every time it gets reset, my wife & I have a running bet on how long it will stay off. I even went to Autozone to have it checked - same code. The manager could not even find what to fix in the code book, at least I didn't have to look at it for a week. I have to say being a Chevy man and all, this vehicle cost me $1700 in repairs total for the time that I owned it (I have to expect that with a vehicle w/ over 100K on it). It really runs good, but the ride is short of being comfortable. I even replaced all the shocks, this improved some. I think the seat is shot because it feels like it lost it's support on the leftside. Don't mean to ramble. Thanks.

    Tom
  • louisjamesclouisjamesc Member Posts: 3
    The 2001 model was supposed to have an improved front suspension and improved spring settings in the rear. The beast of course still bounces around like a truck. Anybody have any luck changing out the front shocks with Edelbrocks or any other model to improve the front end? How about changing the sway bars to add more rigidity to the back end? Thanks in advance
  • louisjamesclouisjamesc Member Posts: 3
    I have had the tires balanced twice now at a non-Ford dealer. Mentioned the Vibration problem to the ford service guy while getting the oil changed there and he told me it was my cheap Wranglers and Michellens will solve my problem. From earlier posts Michellens will not be my solution. So what is the most likely cause? Tires, Bent Rims, Balancing Job, or the vehicle itself? Thanks, Jim
  • bigaldsbigalds Member Posts: 47
    louisjamesc,
    Take it to another place to get the tire balance checked. Tell them your problem, and ask them to take the tires off WITHOUT pulling the wheel weights off, and put it on their balancing machine to see how the existing balance is on each tire. They may be balanced ok, and the vibration may be coming from somewhere else. Have them rebalance the tires if they are not in balance. Also check the drive shaft for any signs of out of balance or bending. Has this been happening for long, or did this happen when these tires where put on or when the tires where rebalanced? How many miles on the tires? Also check tires for out of round condition or any irregularities. I've had Michelin and Wrangers before, and they ran very smooth.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    As a follow-up, all work is completed on my Explorer (serpentine belt, steering rack, new tires) and it drives like a new vehicle. Not quite but marked improvement. With 133k miles, you come to expect these types of things.

    I have been driving on the new tires only 4 days (Dayton Timberline L/T) but so far, much better then the Wrangler RT/S at 33% of the price. Not too bad. Paid $68 per tire, out the door. As I put more miles on the vehicle, I can give you more info on the tires.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    It could very vell be the tires, Louis. As part of replacing the steering rack they do an alignment check. The mechanic noticed I had a "wobble" (if you took your hands off the steerign wheel, it would move side to side on it's own) in the steering wheel around 35 mph. I had Wrangler RT/S with about 55k-60k miles on them and the tread was right at the legal limit. Once I changed tires, the "wobble" went away.

    I was not impressed with the Wrangler RT/S. It rode smooth and quiet but the grip was poor esp. in slick conditions like snow, mud and rain. Also they were subject to cupping. I had to replace two tires at 40k miles (cupping began around 35k) because the noise was too much.

    Good luck with the tires.
  • mmadden1mmadden1 Member Posts: 17
    Had my '98' XLT in fo the 60K servicing and I got a call from the service dept. saying that the ball joints were bad and that they were going to be replaced under warranty--I've got an extended one.

    I was more than a bit suprised: no excessive tire wear, no loose steering, no vibration. The steering feels exactly as it did 4 years ago when I bought it. Most of the miles are on interstates, on very good roads and no off-roading.
    Is this typical for the that year of explorer?
    thanks for any help.
    BTW, due to suggestions on this board, I opted fo the extended waranty; I just wish I went 100K instead of 75K.
  • polifacepoliface Member Posts: 2
    The leather portion of my front seats are cracking. The cracks are visible on the outside part of the seat area on both front seats. Does anyone have a solution for this problem?
  • jsackjsack Member Posts: 1
    had to replace lower ball joints at 40,600 miles, dealer said they fail at 30,000 miles sometimes.
    ford will not chip in on my $400 repair bill.
    this explorer is driven all highway miles.
    told them it is not driven like the "built ford tough" commercials.
  • alman08alman08 Member Posts: 282
    have 2002 xlt... have same problem with mine and i have used the leather conditioning stuff. i spoke with the body shop mgr before about this problem, and he said when it breaks for good, bring it back (within warranty period of course, i assume). right now, it's only showing deep creases.
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    the seat foundation (padding, springs, etc.) are not real good on the extreme edges of these buckets, hence the leather takes more abuse as you slide in and out. I have some light cracking on mine. it will not break before the B2B warranty is up.

    looks like item #2 on my all-time pains-in-butt list with the truck (#1 is the low rear view mirror requires bobbing and weaving to see who's going to T-bone you on the right as you pull away from a stop sign.)

    neither one is a show-stopper, not nearly enough to rail and devise plots about. cars break, stuff happens and then you die, but not always.
  • stubborn1stubborn1 Member Posts: 85
    I understand that Ford has had problems with heads cracking on their 4.0 OHV engine. Can anyone tell me what years where the most common for this to happen?

    I recently took my 98 Explorer in to replace a leaking head gasket. I asked that they send the heads out to a shop and check them out. Both heads were cracked. My mechanic is getting aftermarket castings which are supposed to be thicker where the crack occurred. I'm just curious if anyone else has had the same problem with a similar year vehicle.
  • theasliptheaslip Member Posts: 4
    Only 150 miles on the 1-week old Explorer. I have had one problem occur twice. When I put the car in park (after driving), let it idle for a few minutes (wife runs in the store or something), press the brake, move the shift lever to reverse (or any other gear) nothing happens. I have to move the lever back to park and play with it a few times in order to make anything happen. Has anyone had this happen before, or have any idea what my causing it? Thanks!!!
  • cheech2cheech2 Member Posts: 1
    During the past few months my 1993 exployer has developed a intermitent stalling problem occuring only during damp weather. My mechanic has changed the fuel pump and fuel filter in addition to a complete tuneup.The problem still occurs and I am at a loss as to what could be wrong.Any suggestions would be appreciated.
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    damp weather, huh? how about the moisture is grounding out the ignition pulses to the spark plugs?

    get a shop rag soaked up in washer fluid, and gently pull it along all the plug wires, washing all the road snot and dust (and salt if you live in snow country) off the wires. once more to rinse 'em. use a fresh clean shop rag to wipe off the wires at the ignition coil assemblies, including the yellowish-clear plastic on top of those coils. get a socket wrench and give a little tug to the mounting bolts to make sure they're down. that ought to do you some good.

    how old are those wires? even Ford recommends replacement between 80,000 to 100,000 miles, and I changed my first set out at 25,000 due to a one-cylinder stumble at idle before I had a tow into nowhere land.

    there is also the possibility that there is a sensor that is not with it... that is, a little nutty or slow, and in damp weather in which the fuel/air mixture is changed, it can't get the engine in range. specifically, an 02 sensor is what I'm thinking of... they get "lazy" more often than they fail out, and it's around the time they start going away with your mileage.
  • bigaldsbigalds Member Posts: 47
    Stubborn1:
    About the cracked heads, I had a 1991 Ford Explorer with the 4.0L OHV engine, which I bought in Sept 1998 with 120K. My wife and I drove it until Jan 2003 with 165K, we drove it 44,000 miles in 4 1/2 years, NO engine problems at all. It DID need a transmission.
    I am currently driving a 1993 Ford Explorer with the 4.0L OHV engine, which I bought in April 1999 with 112K. It now has 167K on it in, drove it 55k in 4 years with NO engine problems. Of course, I take exceptional care of them, and never let them run hot. I converted each vehicle to the new 134A refrigerant and added a new electric pusher fan in front of the radiator with a thermostatic control switch. Temp gauge never goes over 1/4. An engine that overheats never lasts very long. Keep it cool.

    Cheech2:
    About the Spark Plug wire and missing, Remove and check plugs. If worn replace with new, gap plug at .040", this will make your wires last MUCH longer. I do this with all my cars and I never have to replace the spark plug wires. The 2 explorers I mentioned above, have the same wires in them as when I bought them, and run perfectly. And the wires where not new in either of those vehicles. If your wires are already bad, replace them now. You can test them by lightly spraying them with water with engine idling, while in a darkened garage of at night. Careful not to get shocked. Look and listen for any changes in the engine rpm, engine smoothness or roughness or any visible sparks. Any of this would require the wires be replaced.
  • gregb5gregb5 Member Posts: 82
    I had a similar problem with mine. It would not engage any gear at idle. If you rev the engine slightly it may engage, but it will THUNK! so don't rev too much.
    Get it back to the dealer; yours is not the first to have the problem. I am surprised that a more recent build date would still have the problem. Mine was built in late May '01. Mine eventualy got a new transmission.
    Good luck!
  • jecoueyjecouey Member Posts: 4
    I have a new 2003 Ford Explorer NBX with less than 6,000 miles on it.

    About three weeks ago, I noticed what I call a lateral vibration at 60-65 mph that only gets worse the faster I go (the freeway speed is 75 mph here). I think it might be an engine problem in that the engine sounds a little "rough". The wheel weights are all there and there is no unusual wear on the tire treads.

    I have it into the dealer now, so we will see what they say today.

    These message board if very informative/interesting.
  • alman08alman08 Member Posts: 282
    Please let me know what the dealer has said about your car. I have an 02 XLT 4wd with 3200 miles on it, and I heard that 3 times in the past when was on the freeway going at 65-75... noise would be gone when I lifted my foot of the accelerator. Since it did not happen all the time, I did not bring it to the dealer. Thanks
  • heintz1heintz1 Member Posts: 52
    If the problem remains unsolved, consider having the tires road-force balanced. In fact, I'm now convinced that anytime I place new tires on my truck, I'll have them road-forced balanced at the time of installation, and I don't mind spending the extra money to have things done right.
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    what makes road-force balancing different from spin balancing? are the tires under load?
  • jecoueyjecouey Member Posts: 4
    Well, the dealer said the vibration at 60-65 mph was caused by the wheels being unbalanced due to dried mud on the wheels. They took the mud out and rebalanced all wheels. The vibration did go away. We do live in an area where lots of the local roads are not paved with asphalt or gravel (i.e., northwest NM), so this is not as hokey as it sounds, and again, the vibration did go away.

    But our Explorer still runs a little rough, especially when idling. The dealer said Ford was aware this is a problem on a lot of 2003 Explorers, but has not, and probably will not, do anything about it. I was reading the NM lemon laws yesterday before I went to pick up our Explorer, and when talking to the dealer, I noticed they were very cafeful in their wording to me how this rough idling issue did not affect operation and performance.

    To the person who wrote about roughness when accelerating, maybe a higher grade of gasoline would help. I am not an expert, but you might give it a try for a tank or two. I used to have a Subaru that ran rough when I tried to accelerate aggressively (e.g., it almost knocked), but that went away when I used a higher octane (especially more demanding situations like mountain driving).
  • heintz1heintz1 Member Posts: 52
    I'm not mechanically inclined, but as I understand it, road-force balancing involves a rather expensive road-force balancing machine which essentially places a properly inflated tire under a weight and road-force load similar to actual road conditions as it spins on the machine. Now, no tire or rim is perfectly round (think about rolling an egg end-over-end), and I seem to recall that what a road-force balancer and a well trained technician can accomplish is a fairly accurate detection of high and low spots on a mounted tire/rim, which I believe are at least partly identified by pressure spikes and dips as the wheel spins under a road-force load or pressure. The technician then marks the HIGH spots on a given tire, as well as any LOW spots on its rim, and the tire is then remounted on its rim in such a way that the high spot on the tire is now centered directly over the most closely matching low spot on the rim, with the end result being that each wheel is thus effectively made more "round" and smoother riding overall, compared to more simple and less sophisticated tire balancing methods. My dealer charges ~$65.00 for road-force balancing of all four tires, which is not bad when you consider that the machine allegedly costs about $10,000.00 (plus technician training), and this is why many dealerships and shops don't offer this service. Thus, even if your vehicle rides smoothly, chances are that it will ride even better if the tires are road-force balanced, and if you do have difficult-to-solve vibrations at higher speeds, road-force balancing should be considered. One downside is that if a tire needs to be remounted at a later time, then it's road-force balancing should probably be repeated.
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    at least they don't have to weigh the lug nuts ;)
  • mookie14mookie14 Member Posts: 252
    would any of you if given the chance which will happen.take a gm auto over a ford would you do it and would learn from your experience not to deal with ford again. i did it i would like to see who would do it.i started with chevy im Back so let me know thanks.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    My niece has an Explorer about 2001 with a broken lip on the plastic filler tube. Can't this be replaced by disconnecting the two rubber connectors about 12 inches down and lifting out the filler. The dealers said they wanted to drop the fuel tank and lots of money to replace it.
    The part is about $120...
    The radio won't turn off. The volume works from the steering wheel controls. Is this a known problem?

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Is there a source for discount Ford parts like the fuel filler tube on the
    Explorer. $120 seems really high. I know there's a GM discount source
    mentioned onthe Bonneville group.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    to the count of two since 1990. I had a good buick bought new in 1976, and a fun but maintenance-needing buick way used in 1971 from the 1961 model year. had a couple good used early 60s mopars in the early 70s, too. did my homework on each vehicle, including the CR dot-races on what failed and how often, and asking around how things held up. except for the 61 skylark, which was a good car but I hadn't learned that other folks sell when the car needs a lot of work.

    I could have gotten wallet-eating maintenance hogs each time if I picked the wrong drivetrains, options, or models on my lists. I think more than whether Detroilet is an evil empire bent on torturing people, letting others test the newest changes and finding out what doesn't work is the way to pin the blame on the lame dogs out there.

    I detested the company Ford and GM products both that our TV stations bought in the 1970s. evil wobbling showboats with no a/c and the knobs in the wrong place, it didn't matter what their mechanical condition was, I got sick driving those roadhogs. I drove things that I liked in that period, too.

    mookie, no way I would have taken the engine and tranny you got in your bad-news exploder, I had already found out about their reputation. I just really think that good information and avoiding creepy crud, more than evil plots across the line at a car company, made the difference for me.
  • bioman3bioman3 Member Posts: 37
    The last time I filled up my 99 4WD XLT SOHC the fuel gauge was reading between 1/2 and 3/4 of a tank and the trip odometer read 137 miles. I was expecting to fill the tank with 7-8 gallons of gas. To my amazement the truck took 14.7 gallons. There was a problem with the gas pump in that the fuel was trickling into the tank very, very slowly. When I reported this apparent discrepancy to the customer service desk I was given a refund for 7 gallons of gas. This was a very nice gesture on the part of BJ's. The issue I can't explain is that since I filled the tank my Explorer has gone over 100 miles and the fuel gauge has finally begun to move off of the full mark. I know the capacity of the fuel tank is 20.8 gallons. I know that I had between 11-13 gallons of fuel when I filled the tank. I know (???) that the fuel tank can't hold 24-27 gallons of fuel. I know that the folks at BJ's told me they were having trouble with some of their pumps and that's why they refunded me the money for 7 gallons of fuel. What I don't understand is what is really happening? Is is possible for the fuel tank to hold more than the advertised 20.8 gallons? Could it be that the fuel pump's slow delivery of fuel into my gas tank enabled me to "squeeze" more gasoline into the tank and the filler neck? The fuel gauge seems to be functioning normally now. Of course I will be monitoring the fuel gauge's behavior very carefully for the next few days. I would appreciate any explanations before I crawl under my Explorer with an ohmmeter.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    There was a similar problem discussed over in the Expedition topic. Here's a link (there's 4 or 5 separate messages talking about the issue):

    pepper52 "Ford Expedition" Sep 13, 2000 4:09pm

    Steve, Host
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    bioman3: My 1996 Explorer V8 does th eexact ssame thing. It is very accurate when full and when near empty which I consider the most important time I need to know how much gas I have. You are going to be disappointed if yu expect that when your tank says 3/4 full you have exactly 15.6 gallons left. You could have 16 gallons or you could have as low as 12 gallons. i've had times when I knew there was a half a tank of gas but it read 1/4 because I was parked pointing downhill. When it finally leveled off, it registered about 3/8 full. But again, the gauge is very accurate when I approach empty. The fuel gauge light comes on at 3.5 gallons ( I know with that much gas I am safe for up to 50 miles) left and the needle is always just a hair above empty. That is when I start to search for gasoline.

    I know others have had this "problem". In my 7 years I have owned the vehicle, it has not let me run out of gas. If I were you, I would drive it below 1/4 tank and get a sense of when you need gas
    based on your driving habits (city vs. highway) and total mileage for that tank of gas (trip odometer). This way you are not relying on the fuel gauge (really should call it a guide).
  • bioman3bioman3 Member Posts: 37
    ..for the input regarding my Explorers fuel "guide". Seems like the Explorers share some characteristics with Expeditions. Life has returned to normal. When I filled up this afternoon the expected happened. Unless I am doing highway driving I usually fuel-up at about 235 miles no matter what the fuel gauge (guide) says. Don't ask me why I picked 235 miles, guess it is in my comfort zone.

    Bioman3
  • jrc346jrc346 Member Posts: 337
    Actually that might be good for more reasons than one. Many people forget or don't know that keeping the gas level above a quarter of a tank can help prolong the life of the fuel pump. This is so, because the gas keeps the fuel pump cool. When the fuel is low the pump can get warm, reducing its life.
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    possibly the expedition as well... it's because of the baffle position in the tank. a sharp left turn on less than a quarter of a tank and it can stall dead away. that one has been on this board for a year or two. just don't fall below a third of the tank and it won't happen to you.
  • jrc346jrc346 Member Posts: 337
    Steve and Tidester-
     There seems to something a litte strange about hondafreaks postings. The link doesn't show any of the cars he claims to have (Trailblazer, Explorer, Escape etc.) and all of his messages for each of those cars is the same.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Sorry Jrc346, my cable modem conked out for a couple of hours and I couldn't delete the spam. Apologies.

    Steve, Host
  • davoboy123davoboy123 Member Posts: 1
    howdy

    Ever since new if I started my exp. and drove about a Quarter of a mile to store shut off for only a few minutes came back out to start engine. would load up when re starting. Also when the temp. gauge is just at the warm up area between cold and warm the engine idles very rough but when past that area it idles better. Once the engine died. I took to a dealer and they could not find any problems.I have 20k now.THe timing chain tenshiner has been changed 2 times. The second time was by mistake Ford did not check to see it had been done already and replaced without asking me.The power steering has a RRRR when cold like something is grinding. Can anybody tell me if they have experienced any of these problems. also idles rough all the time!! took in 4 times to dealer they said no codes present but i know what i know and it idles rough 24/7/52.
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    and sniff the tailpipe. it could be a coil, it could be the crank position sensor adjustment, it could be 02 sensors, and monitoring the 02 while driving would show that problem, it could be wires and plugs, it could be a vacuum leak, it could be fuel pressure, it could be engine temp sensor, it could be this and it could be that. it has to be diagnosed before it can be fixed. pinheads should put this car on the scope and find the problem.

    talk to the service manager. they can open the manuals (yes, really, they can! I saw it done once!) and see how to shoot the sensors with a voltmeter. there is a fix if they want to fix it. if not, go elsewhere and stay elsewhere.

    the power steering is likely a bum pump... flush the fluid as well when that gets replaced.
  • scottjyscottjy Member Posts: 6
    I need some help with my 2002 Explorer. At about 30 - 40 mph and 1,000 - 1,400 rpm, the engine appears to skip (the dealer called it skipping after their test drive). It's like driving a 5 speed at 30 mph in 5th gear...almost a bucking. I took it to the dealer who promptly changed the transmission. When I left the dealer, the condition was better, but still there. After a few hundred miles, the condition was just as bad as it was before the new tranny. So, I wrote a nice letter to Ford and the dealer complaining. I was told to bring the car back in. This time, the dealer said the tranny felt like it was going from 3rd to 5th...missing 4th. They told me that a computer controls the shifting and there is nothing that can be done about it. They couldn't answer me when I asked why they replaced the first tranny.

    Does anyone else have this problem and/or know of a fix?
  • pnice2003pnice2003 Member Posts: 5
    i just noticed a leak in my driveway coming from the transmission area where my explorer was parked. the previous couple of days ive noticed a bucking going from 1st to 2nd. i had it towed w/ roadside assistance, got a lincoln ls as a loaner car. i just hope they dont put a bandaid on it, i dont want to have a re-occurring problem w/ this. it only has 14,ooo miles. if they have to change the transmission, this is an embarrassment. maybe i should of bought a toyota. ill let you know what happens.
  • mainedeermainedeer Member Posts: 1
    1998 explorer -Has anyone had a problem with electric door locks cycling on there own. I shut the front door and the door lock/ unlock system started cycling constantly. Only way to stop was to hold the lock button down for about 6 seconds
  • alman08alman08 Member Posts: 282
    Hey guys, I had that happened to me before... and my car only has less than 3700 miles on it. When it happened, it was around 3000 miles. Anyway, what I did was to turn off the engine and restart the car, and the problem seem to be gone. Maybe it had reset the computer. And I haven't experienced it again (knock on wood). I remember when it happened, I had the O/D off. I wonder if that was the problem.
    Scottjy, for that dealer to tell you that's a computer controlled problem and there's nothing they can do about it, that's all BS. Take it to another dealer or something. Better yet, take it to the Lincoln dealers... for some strange reason, it seems like you get better service from them. Good luck.
  • stubborn1stubborn1 Member Posts: 85
    ... on my 98 Explorer.

    I have power locks but no keyless entry. When I unlock the vehicle, occasionally the locks will relock immediately after I turn the key. I have to have both hands free in order to turn the key and open the door handle. After I open the door, the locks stop going haywire.

    I don't have any info to help fix the problem. It has been one of those small problems I have learned to live with.
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