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Comments
The warranty sounds like an excellent way out of the problem to me.......
Thanks!
Has anyone experienced anything similar or have a clue where to look for the source? So far, it doesn't seem to effect the way it drives but it's making me nervous that it could be something that spells big $$$. I'm planning to trade it next spring so I really don't want to put a bunch of $$$'s in it.
Thanks.
If your radio LCD display is dead, and you don't want to spend $400-$600 for a new OEM radio, nor do you want to spend $275 on a used one from the junkyard, I recommend you save yourself some money and headache by buying a working, used one on eBay.
For $20, there is a website called, www.fixyourford.com, that will sell you instructions to repair your radio but the process is a haphazzard (no rhyme or reason), time-consuming repair process. There is also a good chance that you will be out $40 - $50 cash before you realize that the "FIX" is not going to work for you and you should have bought the one on eBay for $125. Here's why.
In general, the repair process advocated (and sold) blames the dead display on the manufacturing process of the power circuit board for the radio.
So, to fix your radio, you are to get a soldering iron (and soldering stuff) and re-solder essentially everything on the power board. Again, the assumption is that it's the board that's bad and not the components on it (capacitors, resisters, ect.)
What you don't see until after you've coughed up the $20 bucks is the site's claim that the "FIX" you just bought only works 95% of the time. And then...LO AND BEHOLD!...you've just won the lottery! your radio happens to be one of the 5% for which the website has no idea what's the fix!!
The fine print on the website says that it may take you 2-3 repair attempts before the fix will work. Meaning: up tp 4-6 hours wasted only to find out the fix doesn't work for you. (1-2 hours to pull the damned radio out, open it up, resolder the board, put it back in.)
And then...for an additional $89 bucks, the website owner will sell you a working board in exchange for your "non-working" board.
So, if your time and frustration are worth more than $10 an hour, I recommend you just by a working, used radio on eBay.
Cost of the "FIX" $20.00
Cost of soldering iron 10.00
Cost of solder 4.00
Cost of solder braid 4.00
Your time ($10/hr) 60.00
Gas to buy this stuff 6.00.
TOTAL $104.00 (quantifiable amount)
Frustration $XXX.00 (you figure that out)
Frank Lee
Had the same problem on my 2001 F-150 until I bought new tires. With the new tires, the "moaning" or hum was slightly noticeable. Took the truck back and had the place re-balanced the tires--no more hum (moaning).
Since I still have more than 50% of tread left on the Explorer, I'm figuring to pay $40 (plus tax) to have them balanced at Sam's Club.
The sound is most noticable at very low speeds, less than 10 MPH, so I'd never have thought about balancing as an issue. Of course I'm not a mechanic so what do I know?!
Thanks for the suggestion.
I must say that I also had some dicey solder connections on the display board, as well, to fix. and that I replaced the filter capacitor for that function, the 100 uF unit, on the power board, because I was there and crummy capacitors are a long-standing issue back to tube days.
it was worth $20 to me to know which boards to get after. I also raised the diodes and power resistors, touched up every SMT connection, and the radio has been solid.
if somebody says you fix low oil pressure in a worn-out engine by replacing the bearings, and you don't know how to do it, then surely, you will mess the job up big time.
if you're that glowery about self-repair, then send your boards in to the guy with, I think it is $120, and let him fix it or eat it. best price elsewhere I saw on Da ISH for refurbing the radio is $225.
If it were mine, I would shop around for an engine from a rollover from one of the junkyards. Quite a few rollovers out there - if you take your time and get some quotes you can find a decent price. They can be started and tested before they are installed in the vehicle.
The dealer here does not sound like much help. I'm guessing a reman block from Ford installed at the dealer is at least 3,500. I think you could do a used engine for somewhere around half that.
If you are not comfortable with a used engine or a local shop, then the price goes up. Ford dealers are the most expensive option.
I think you already have the answer about how much help Ford will be. There is an appeal process you can try at Ford ( look in your warranty booklet) , but I don't think Ford would pick up enough of the tab to reduce your cost below a used engine.
Wednesday morning the mechanic calls me to ask me a few questions to rule out any possibility of bad gas, etc. Imagine my surprise when my husband calls to tell me they called and told him that I had driven through a deep puddle at high speed and as a result the engine was full of water! Not only that, but it would not be covered under warranty and we had to get a new engine. We were flabbergasted!!! Yes, it was raining that day and I had told the mechanic that I was driving the car earlier in the morning. But it was running fine. I did have to drive through a puddle (no deeper than 6 inches) with my left tire but I can guarantee it was slowly because there are speed bumps precisely where the puddle was. When my husband called back to tell the mechanic that I did not drive through a puddle at high speed, the mechanic's reply was that unless I had someone driving with me there really was no way to tell that I hadn't.
We spoke with our regular mechanic who said that in most cases like this the car would die in the middle of the puddle, anyway. I am wondering if there is any other way water could get inside the engine and how do I insist that Ford consider this covered under our extended warranty?
Shelly
before I called them again, I'd call a lawyer. not to brag about yet... but to get solid advice on how to proceed without prejudicing your rights, and also how to avoid ticking off the dealer/ford while this test is being conducted.
the air intake for at least the 99/00/01 explorers is behind the radiator bracket on the passenger side. it is indeed possible for water spray to be conducted into the air intake, and if there is enough, it could penetrate the air filter and get into the cylinders. generally, the location should protect against water ingestion as long as the plastic fender liners are intact, and as long as big streams of water don't come rolling off the tire or sprayed around by the radiator fan.
what the mechanic is saying happened is precisely this, and it caused hydrolock, which bent or broke a whole ton of internal engine parts. isn't worth trying to fix a hydrolocked engine.
It sounds too strange to me, get a lawyer if they won't fix it.
Thanks again for the replies!
Shelly
Anyone out there--please advise.
R/
Ed (Jpndrvr)
Good Luck,
E.D.
I replaced the switch itself but the problem is still there.
Thanks
Good Luck,
E. D. in Sunny Florida
that's where 1960s cars have it all over the modern ones. you could get to things to fix them.
John.
Thanks alot for your help.
Chris
It now feels like the 4WD is engaged all the time and makes steering sluggish and sloppy. I realize that there are 104K miles on the truck, but it is really well maintained and was running great (except for the ball joint noise in the front).
Is there a way to tell if 4WD is engaged? Any suggestions on what I can ask either Firestone or Cottman's to look for? (Both have been helpful. Firestone has made a valid attempt to right the problem by paying for over half the transfer case work, etc.)
Thanks for your help.
Bill.
:confuse:
Hopefully this works.
Good luck
Good Luck,
E. D. in Sunny Florida
When the vehicle is warm the rattle isnt too bad..but when i first set off and accelerate it sounds like a bag of spanners being rattled until i ease off the gas???
has anyone else had this happen? What should I do? I'm definitely not paying to get the whole hood resprayed, or the seat mended !!!
In addition to this problem, as you turn the wheel to the right, a loud humming sound comes from the front end and I know it isn't the tires. Is this a wheel joint?
Unless something got on/in the paint- it SHOULD NOT be peeling. As far as the seats are concerned, this IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM on both the Explorer and Expeditions. This leather is too thin and is JUNK!
Now, I need to be honest with you---the way Ford is hurting right now in the marketplace, you can bet your last dollar that it is going to be very difficult to get a "good will adjustment" on your car. I would try to have them repaint the hood, and go to a good aftermarket place and just pay to have the seats redone. I would write a letter to Ford and say that you are not happy and have a very subtle point about buying something else next time around!!
GOOD LUCK!!