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If you have the v6, then Sanandton is right. Your thermostat may have failed.. and the new ones fail in the open position. If that is the case, the truck will take longer to come to operating temp.
To test this, have you taken any long trips, of say, 1 hour or more (60 miles)... if your gas mileage improves a lot.. that might be your culprit.
Another couple of cheap things you can do.. put some Gumout Xtra (or Chevron Techron) in your gas tank every other month.. to clean the fuel system...have you changed the gas filter?... also if you put a synthetic blend of oil in your truck, the mileage will improve and the synthetic oil will protect the engine a bit better... you are using 5W30, right? SYNTEC blend costs just a little more than regular oil and much less than full synthetic.
Lastly, I'd turn the radio up louder and try not to think about it. Most explorers get about 15-19 mpg anyway.
Good luck.
You should use a fuel system cleaner at least once every six months, more often if you have problems... it also acts as a fuel system de-icer and drier (many gas stations have water mixed with the gas, so when it goes into your fuel tank, it floats on the top). I use Gumout Xtra about every oil change... Also, dont forget to change the Gas Filter every year.
masonmi,
I use Castrol Syntec blend 5w30 in my 2000. I would be careful not to put synthetic oil in a brand new engine as the dinosaur oil is best to prime it first.. and after say, 5,000 - 10,000 miles of regular dino 5W30 oil, then you can switch to a synthetic or a synthetic blend. I use a synthetic blend because it is a bit more protective than regular oil and not as expensive as pure synthetic. I also change my oil every 3,500 - 4,000 miles religiously. If you use dino oil, change it every 3,000 miles or 3 months, if you have synthetic you can go longer (maybe 5,000- 7,500).. but keep in mind that the oil filter probably can't go much longer than 7,500. Use a good oil filter.. not Fram... I've used PureOne and Bosch.
There is also a big discussion about Synthetic oil in the "maintenance" forum here... those guys like "Mobil 1" and "Purple" and "Amsoil". Check it out for more info, but take everything here with a grain of salt... some guys just want to promote their products here.
It should not matter whether you have a V8 or a V6.. oil characteristics affect both the same way. Better lubrication prevents premature wear... a lot of wear happens in the first 10 seconds that the engine is turned on, before the oil can circulate.... that's why Synthetics are touting their "bond to metal" properties to reduce wear before the oil can be pumped up into the cylinders.
Thanks,
Jim d.
7 recalls, rear wiper replaced twice, hood shocks failing, seat sagging (I weigh 165), paint cracking, transmission slow to shift, runs rough in cold (50 degree) weather.
Of the 6 people I know who have a 98 to 2000 explorer only one is happy. One of them is lucky enough to be able to return theirs under the lemon law. Others have had far worse problems than I have. Things like the front brake locking up at 65mph.
P.S. to tallimeca - my extended warranty may not be cheap but it is bumper-to-bumper for six years and i can bring it to any auto repair shop. your simple powertrain warranty wouldn't have covered my repairs or those described above.
I bought my XLT a little over a year ago with 30K miles on it, and so far these plus a failing radio display (covered under warranty) are the only repairs other than normal maintenance. I now have almost 48K miles on it and I'm really pretty happy with the Explorer. I definitely enjoyed it during the December snows.
As far as extended warranties go, I purchased 48 months 48K miles (from the time and mileage of purchase) premium coverage when I bought the Explorer. I also paid a premium price of $1800. I was reviewing the contract to see if the steering problem would be covered when I noticed that repairs are covered up to $1500. I also have towing and rental coverage. I am concerned about the repair limit, and for the price I feel it should have been higher. I can cancel with a pro rata reimbursement, and I was considering doing that and getting one of Ford's plans. My dealer won't accept payment from any third party warranties, so it would make repairs easier. I would be very interested in hearing if Ford's plans have limits on repairs. Or if anyone is very happy with their third party plan I wouldn't mind more information.
Thanks in advance.
to blfugie: it sounds like your warranty is overpriced, esp. with the cap. most of the ford plans i saw had coverage gaps and/or high deductibles but i don't think you can do much worse pricewise.
While there, a 2002 Explorer was sitting in the bay - prepped for delivery in the morning. According to the service writer, they got a truckload, and that was the last one. Didn't get a good look at it because it was sitting in a line behind a Durango (Dodge and Ford share the same sales facility), but the Explorer looked almost as big as the Durango. We'll see how they do soon enough.
Good luck!!
Good luck.
The service writer also told me that they do not recommend putting a fuel system cleaner in a vehicle prior to 30,000 miles - no reason why.
I guess I might have to try another brand/grade of fuel. So far I've used 87 octane of Shell, Amoco, and Exxon. The only other big chains around here are Mobil (aka Exxon?) and Sunoco. Perhaps I will kick it up to the 89, but I remember hearing that the Explorer is designed to run on 87. Any opinions?
I average anywhere from 14mpg to 20mpg on a weekly basis in mixed driving. I see 14-16 much more often than I see 17-20mpg. The main issue I have is that the fuel gauge isn't the most accurate thing in the world. When it reads Empty, there is still 4 or 5 gallons in the tank. I have had other vehicles like this, so it is more of just a very small nuisance than anything else.
My parents average 15-17mpg with their 4.0 SOHC Mountaineer, so the mileage is very similar to the 4.0 OHV engine.
Extended warranties - I learned a long time ago that extended warranties are a waste on new vehicles. The manufacturers will refund the unused portion of the warranty should you sell or trade the car, but the refund is minimal. Generally the extended warranty runs concurrently with the standard bumper to bumper. When you trade the vehicle and request a refund, you are given a minimal refund. They take into consideration both time and mileage when they calculate a refund. If you keep the car 3-yrs and then request a refund they will automatically consider the extended warranty "used" for 3-yrs. Similarly, if you buy a 6/60 warranty, and put 50,000miles on the car in 3-yrs, you will end up with a refund for the remaining 10K miles you did not use the warranty. A great deal for the manufacturers as they charge approximately $1,000 for a warranty you will likely never use on the new car. If they need to issue a refund, you end up with $150 and a "thank you".
They make much more sense on used vehicles for which you are concerned about how the vehicle was maintained.
by the way, $1,540 sounds quite high.
as to mileage... our '97 p.o.s. exploder 4.0 ohv with firestone at's was getting 13 to 14 in mixed driving. switched to michelins m/s and the mileage is now right around 15 in mixed driving.
as to engine malfunction codes... if you are positive that the code is not serious, you can generally clear it by disconnecting the battery for a couple of moments. you will lose the radio presets, but the dash light should stop blinking.
ace
You are probably not engaging the Low range gear if you turn the knob while in Drive. I dont know why the light does not come on for 4x4 high, but it works fine on my truck.
Ace10,
I agree with you 1000%. The warranty is a bet, and if you have a big repair, you win. If you dont have a big repair, they win the bet. But, (and this is mentioned in bluewovalnews.com) FORD has been putting quality control is job 100 for the past 3 years... I hope I don't have the aggravation that some of the posters here have had with their vehicles. but I can tell from the sounds that my tranny and rear axles make that they are going to give me problems soon.. and by the way, the dealer repair shop says that there is nothing wrong...
Ryster,
Tires on all explorers built since 1996 have either 235/70R15 or 255/75R16 on them. The bigger ones go on the Eddie Bauer and Sport with premium Sport group.
Tires on 1st Generation Explorers were 215/70R15 or 23570R15 (built between 1990-1995)
NJDEVISLRN,
Its ok to use gumout in your gastank, just dont go crazy with the stuff. It also should ride best on 87 octane.. you will get poorer gas milage with higher octane (the reason is a long story)... also maybe try a different gas station.
IN ORDER TO PUT YOUR TRUCK IN 4 LO YOU MUST FIRST STOP THE TRUCK AND PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND KEEP YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE IT SHOULD THEN GO INTO 4 LO. YOU THEN CAN PUT IT IN GEAR AND GO.YOU ALSO HAVE TO STOP THE TRUCK AND PUT IT IN NEUTRAL TO TAKE IT OUT OF 4LO. THIS IS A SAFETY FEATURE BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSE TO GO OVER 10MPH IN 4 LO.IF YOU JUST SWITCH IT IN 4LO IT WILL NOT ENGAGE.
After I bought it I began to notice a vibration in the steering wheel and can actually feel the front end shake at certain speeds..mostly highway. I had the old tires balanced..helped a little. At the recommendation of Sears I replaced all four with 235/75R15 Pirelli Scorpions. They balanced and added weights on the outside as well as inside of the aftermarket rims. It pretty much went away but is still present. Now they say "Maybe a bent axle"?
What should I do to make this vibration go away?
TIRES: went from my original 235-75x15 to a wider 255-70x15, much better handling. this size is acceptable for the explorer.
I too have a 95 Explorer with about 65000 miles and my overdrive light is flashing as well. I'm taking it in this week so I don't know what the problem is. It's been on for a while but I've been driving it anyway. I don't know whether something is really wrong with the car or it's just a computer glitch. The check engine light comes on once in a while too. As of right now I'm ignoring it but I might have to pay the price later.
if you are sensing any vibration from the car that is newly present, or the transmission is shifting oddly or roughly, or it is dropping out of gear, then the tranny is definitely gonzo.
it shouldn't hurt anything to continue driving it, but i wouldn't be anywhere that i couldn't call a tow truck. stay local. is the transmission current on servicing???? does it have fluid? maybe the light is telling you to do some regular maintenance??? maybe?
ace
the going rate for a complete tranny job (rebuilt tranny housing and mostly new guts) should be in the $2,500 to $3,000 range form a f.o.r.d. dealer.
good luck,
ace