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How much wear is left on your tires? If there is no noise during turning, then it most likely is not a CV joint or wheel bearing, as the noise will increase as the turning radius increases/decreases with those components.
My first guess would be tire wear, second guess would be brake/rotor shield, third guess would be strut/shock component.
I was thinking that I got air in the ABS system. At this point I was thinking BIG problem. I need some help. After 2 auto repair shops, the locale FORD dealer and $50. every one told me it was the ABS pump ($1900 from Ford and $1100 part store). I could not believe that changing the Disc would make the ABS go out.
So I started looking around some more and found the comments on here. So with new hope I looked at the speed sensors. I found that the toothed integral rings (the disc the speed sensor reads) was warped on both sides. After getting the spacing between the speed sensor and toothed integral rings set. I did and test drive. NO MORE PROBLEM.
THIS IS NOT NORMAL WEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wear is one thing....rust is another on a 3 year old vehicle. Since when does using your breaks cause rust???
I had the same happen to me on my 02 explorer but far worse that could have gotten me and my children killed. I was taking my truck in to get the breaks fixed after it started to rub a little telling me it needed pads. It didn't rub long before the whole break system locked up and blew out on the way to the mechanic. The calipers actually fell off!!! I had NO BRAKES what so ever!!
When they took apart the breaks....they were sooooooooooo rusted...the emergency break fell off as what happened to the other member here who posted about this first. There was NO BRAKES WHAT SO EVER!!!! This is a defect...not caused from wear.
The rotors, calipers, pads and emergency breaks had to be replaced on all four wheels. Amazing on a 3 year old vehicle. (Just turned 3!!)
Chrysler has had recalls in the recent past because of road salt causing rotors to rust and crack from road salt. Chrysler is part of Ford.
If anyone else has had trouble like this on a three year old vehicle...please contact me at joanzin@mindless.com....I wouls appreciate any information. I am currently filling a complaint with the Highway Saftey Dept in hopes of spuring a quick investigation before anyone gets killed from these faulty brake systems that give no warning that they will blow and will end up leaving you with absolutely no brakes what so ever...not even an emergency brake.I have a feeling this is just the beginning of this problem....I am sure after the road salt rusts a few more systems...you'll hear more about this on the news.
If anyone else here has this problem....PLEASE contact me...you just might be helping save a life.
Thanks!!
Please keep the discussion here so everyone benefits.
tidester, host
Bioman
How much did the collision repairs cost? Because with no brakes whatsoever, obviously you couldn't stop the vehicle.
How many miles on the vehicle? Age doesn't matter if it's high mileage. Brake pads wear, and the noise you heard was the pad shattering, and the rivets grinding into the rotor. I seriously doubt the calipers themselves "fell off". If the pads wear down too far, the friction material disintegrates. Surface rust is normal on brake parts, except for the rotor contact surface (which wouldn't cause the brakes to fall apart anyway). Because you saw rust doesn't mean anything was defective. Based on what you posted, the brake work could just as easily be from a lack of maintenance as poor quality.
Thanks for your interest in my problem with my brakes. Forgive me if I had made an error in thinking that Ford was part of Chrysler...my brother in law told me they were all in the same.
But the brake system did fail do to rust...the mechanic told me the caliper was so rusted that it just fell off when I went to brake....my brakes went clear to the floor and I had NONE!! He told me that was the thud I heard when I went to start breaking...I had mentioned it to him.
And the emergency brakes are actually separate. I had an extra charge to have those pads and parts replaced above the costs for the calipers, rotors, pads and what not all to be replaced all the way around. The mechanic had to call me to get the okay to repaair those as well....they do have seperate pads.
I contacted another member here who told me his emergency brake pads fell off in two peices when they went to repairs his brakes all the way around from rust as well. This is unheard of from a three year old vehicle. Breaks should rust on any vehicle like this that is under ten years of age. Rust is one thing...wear is another. Even the mechanic was shocked at what he found and gave me all of the parts back to prove these are faulty brake systems. He said he has never heard of any break system rusting like this....he was speachless.
I just hope noeone gets killed from this. This is Amerca's number one family vehicle...it's scary when you think what could happen with faulty brakes and children. My brakes just started to rub a few days prior to this telling me it probably needed pads. I had no clue the whole system was gonna go like this. I saw the pads after they were replaced and they look as if they could even stand more wear. This is a rust issue because of crappy material used when they designed these breaks. The mechanic said moisture was thru the whole system. I have maintained my vehicle like it should be and bath it fequently. There is no excuse for a three year old system to rust. Sorry...using your breaks don't cause rust. It will cause wear. These failed because of rust.
Thanks,
Take Care,
Joni
Again I understand that the parts were rusted, that is normal. But I maintain that surface rust doesn't destroy caliper hardware, unless the steel bolts were defective when manufactured and had a weak point. And I still wonder if it wasn't the entire pad assembly that broke in half, but the pad lining from being too thin.
Should I be concerned about my wife driving this vehicle on the highway with two small children, prior to having the rear differential replaced?
This is my second Explorer, and is sure to be my last.
cold weather tends to make plastic contract a little which creates small gaps that were not there when the weather was warmer.
I usually hear more complaints about creaky dashboards and such during the winter months....which is understandable.
Glad the annoying creaks went away. If there was a way to easily get some silicone spray in there to lube that flap hinge, you may not have to listen to it next winter.....or it may loosen up a little on it's own and be a thing of the past.
where are you located?
1 mpg difference is worth the loss...i get 18-19 mpg avg and around 22 on the highway at 65mph...if i drive 55 on the flats i get around 23-24..i get better mpg than my sisters 2003 explorer XLT V6..go figure :shades:
These figures are WAY TOO HIGH to be considered on any Explorer built after the 2001 model year. They are now different vehicles. My wife's '02 with the V6 is never more then 14 to 15 around town and never more than 20 mpg highway under 80 mph. Yes, it's true the V8 is only 1 to 2 mpg different. But consider the new model miles per gallon, not the older generation Explorer. BTW, my wife drives very conservatively.
Thanks for the reply. It hasn't happened again, and nosing around under the hood on Sunday I noticed multiple bundles of electrical connections on the firewall, on the passenger's side. Deep water, when splashed, would have no problem dousing all the connections.
as of right now, the orange exploder is doing pretty well. I've been in NC just shy of 2 months now and making a 64 mile daily commute to work and back 6 days a week. My job finished up, so I'm headed back to VA tomorrow. I'm afraid once I get back up there, the curse will open back up and things will start happening again, but then again, maybe not. I'm still smelling antifreeze and can't find where it's coming from, but it hasn't leaked down any.
I managed to get it good and stuck the other day in lots of mud and slick grass after 2 days of heavy rainfall. Luckily after waiting for an hour for a tow truck, I remembered a guy's phone number, who brought his Ford 4x4 tractor and pulled me right out. Cost me 2 bucks. Thats all he wanted. Tried to give him 5 and he wouldn't take it.
Other than that, doing great. Let's hope it keeps it up!
idntnvu
Once again, thanks for the input!
Bioman
The ball joints most likely would have caused the problem. I'm assuming your mechanic gave the truck an alignment after the replacement? If not, get it done.
As for the tires, sometimes it's not the mileage, it's the age. How old were the tires---once they hit 5 years old, the sidewalls tend to get weak, and then all bets are off as to what is happening with the structural integrity.
My brother only had 10K on his last set, but had them for 6 years. The sidewall basically dry-rotted on the rims, with 40K of tread left...
Please do not take this badly, but first, go get yourself another mechanic. This is a driveline problem---as indicated by the flashing dash lights AND your description.
It could be anything from a driveshaft union, to a severely damaged transfer differential. The grinding feel could be a stuck gear within the transfer case, or worse yet, signs that your transmission is on the way to the grave.
How many miles on your exploder, has it been regularly maintained, and what repairs have you had completed on this vehicle?
ps.to me it sounds like the 4wd drive system or tranny needs to looked at not the brakes also i think i think i read somewhere here in forum the 4wd center is giving off codes when its blinking..anyone know for sure???good luck
Thanks for the reply. I had the tires, Goodyear Wrangler RT/S, installed on 10/26/00 as a result of the Firestone recall. That means they've been on the truck for 4 years and a little over 5 months. I will monitor them very closely and probably replace them before the fall 2005.
Thanks,
Bioman
Thanks for your reply, we feared that it might be indicating a transmission problem. Bought the vehicle in '01 w/ 65K miles in very good shape w/all maintenance records. Just turned over 99K and have kept up maintenance, no major repairs since we've had it.
What's strange is that the problem happens randomly, not everytime I put in reverse and seems okay after a few minutes when it does happen (expept for blinking dash lights). Guess we need to decide whether to throw more $ at repair or start looking for a new vehicle. Do you think it's safe for in-town driving (10-15 miles a day)?
Thanks again,
expxlt
Sometimes it's not the amount of driving, it's the type. If you routinely "run your vehicle" around town, primarily stop-n-go driving, this puts considerable stress on the drivetrain components. If it's going to go, it's going to go...
On another note, you said your mechanic changed all the fluids. From your records, did the transmission and transfer case get fully serviced at 60,000, which would include filter change and fresh fluid?
I ask, because sometimes changing the transmission filter with fresh fluid cures these little hiccups. And if you have been doing a lot of "city-type" driving, your transmission service should be done every 30,000 miles, not every 60k.
One other option, as mentioned by merc, is to take it to a dealer. However, before I bring any of my cars to the dealer, I always call and describe the problem to a service technician/manager. In your case, this is more than appropriate, because it is an intermittent problem. The description may be the only symptom they have, because the actual problem doesn't present while at the shop. Call your area dealerships until you find a service department that is willing to talk with you over the phone. This accomplishes 3 things: 1) it will give you an honest and accurate idea of what the problem may be (it could be as simple as a $50 sensor), and 2) even if they can't pinpoint their diagnosis, a good service manager should be able to give you a best/worst synopsis of downtime/cost, and 3) it will at least give you a great dealership option to go to for the service. I've found that if a dealership is unable to give any diagnosis over the phone, then I go elsewhere...
I grew up with mechanics/repairmen for brothers/father, but I'm in my mid-30s and a graduate assistant, so I still do all of my own repairs (youth + fundsalow + still stupid :P ). However, I've found 3 good dealerships to do work on my last 3 brand cars, so if I have a job I can't do because of the time or work space (somethings are just easier and safer with a hydraulic lift, period) I have a viable option.
Greaper, What is your maintenance history, is all your maintenance up to date? Have you put in new spark plugs and spark plug wires? Bad spark plug wires can cause slight missing and hesitation. I seriously doubt that the transmission or torque converter would cause this.
Good Luck,
E.D.
The spooky ghost that haunted my wife's Explorer for 20 minutes or so, just kept unlocking and relocking the doors repeatedly. Sometimes it would lock, lock, lock and then unlock, vice-a-versa or any combination of lock and unlock that you can imagine. This however, happened about a year and half ago after a thorough cleaning.
Other problems: intermittent air bag light, paint oxidation on the exterior plastic panels. Ignition switch worn out at 70,000 miles--had to have the wafer tumblers replaced. Phantom/ ghost sifting of the transmission.
A friend of mine has on '02 Explorer (also mfg in Dec 01 like mine) that has gone thru 4 rear ends!
Anyone else have these problems with this first year production of the new generation Exploder?
In short, my car is a lemon.
I'm leaning towards General or Michelin as replacements for the Wranglers. Of course price and how long I plan to keep a 99 Exploder will probably play roles in which tires I eventually purchase. Although the truck has been ok, I don't have the same sense of confidence as I have in my Honda Accord or any of the other Japanese cars I have owned over the years. Although the Exploder was cheaper to purchase and had more features than the 4Runner I doubt that I would have had to replace the ball joints on a 4Runner with 67K on the odometer.
I personally checked the NTHS website for the 2004 model year and looked under "powertrain-automatic transmission". THERE WERE ONLY 76 COMPLAINTS!! When you look at the HUGH number of Explorers that Fords sells, this is a small number by any stretch of the imagination. I am sorry you had trouble and ran in to a major expense. However, people have a tendency to not remember that "Program Vehicle" means "EX-RENTAL VEHICLE". Enough said? I have purchased many "program vehicles" and not had problems. However, to buy an Explorer (I own an '02 as well!) especially an "off rental" and not purchased an extended warranty is a real gamble, when you look at the history of the transmission solenoid and the rear end. I purchased mine new-but purchased a Ford extended warranty on-line when my vehicle reached 35,000 miles. And BTW, I currently have 39,000 miles on it and the only problem I have had is the transmission solenoid replaced under warranty. Good luck with your vehicle.