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Ford Explorer Maintenance and Repair

6385 messages,  Last post on May 05, 2013 at 7:47 AM

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Messages Page 145 of 639

#1435 of 6385 re: Warranty Gold by gregb882

Jun 07, 2002 (11:23 am)

Yes, I had the Warranty Gold on a 1999 300M. I was VERY happy with it. I did buy their top plan which is an exclusionary plan. That means they tell you what it DOESN'T cover as opposed to what it does - a much better way to go. They pay the repair shop with a national credit card so the shops have no problem with using them. Of course, because I had a good warranty, I didn't have enough claims to completely pay the cost of the plan, but it worked perfectly every time I used it.
 
I'll also admit that I bought Ford's top plan on the 02 Explorer I bought back in October. It was close to the cost of Warranty Gold and they would roll it into the 0% financing so I took it. Haven't had to use it yet but I'm sure it will be fine when I do.
 
Good luck!

#1436 of 6385 clean intake valves by mookie14

Jun 08, 2002 (4:20 pm)

how do you clean the intake valves on a 2000 explorer? or can you do it or a mechanic has to do it. not getting no power so i think it could be the intake valves r dirty any help thanks.

#1437 of 6385 mookie: lots of elbow grease by swschrad

Jun 09, 2002 (5:12 pm)

ha, ha, ha ha ha, hic, oops sorry.
 
SERIOUSLY, you've got to have been burning the old boat and lawnmower gas of everybody in town to have gooped up valves so soon, assuming you are 30,000 or less miles.
 
my v8 AWD has plenty of zip, albeit I have noticed a little stumble at idle, a/c on, humid days, with the wheels crabbed and slowly backing into a parking spot. since I have a tow coming up into the middle of no-goldarned-where, MN, at the end of the logging trail, I am going to replace plugs and any wires that arc when hit with a refreshing mist in a dark garage (so I can see where they are damaged inside.) you can also go hunting for bad plug wires by taping a neon bulb to the end of a dry yardstick and passing that over the wires.
 
and yes, the cost of factory wiring harnesses and double-platinum plugs is obscene and repulsive, thank you for asking. my dealer is routinely taking advantage of new flexibility from Motorcraft by whacking the list prices down 30 to 50%.
 
it is also a big help to clean the wires first with a wet rag to get salts and dust off them.
 
is your air filter clean? 90%-plus of what enters the cylinder through the valves is air. if that isn't flowing freely, you will have issues.
 
is your oil clean and the right grade? it helps.
 
all this stuff about 120,000 miles between plug changes and 30,000 between air filters and so on is frankly sales nonsense. yes, the car will run within normal standards. no, it won't run like new.
 
as for the valves, if you really want to do something about them, pour in a can of Chevron Techron cleaner and follow the cleanup routine on the bottle.

#1438 of 6385 swschrad by mookie14

Jun 10, 2002 (5:13 pm)

well man good laughs hee hee well check this out 4-03 or 5-03 ill will not have this thing no more. so i guess i was curious i did put chevron with Techron in and well it did it. just curious that intake valves is what make cars & trucks get power plus the engine. to my oil ac delco filter castrol sytec. air filter changing i think i need to. what is a cabin air filter? other than that thats all she got 48300 on her so as you see not new last thing rear brakes sqeaking looked at the pads fine. rotors little rust should i replace them before next yr see ya

#1439 of 6385 mookie... by swschrad

Jun 10, 2002 (6:31 pm)

I had a little brain fade as well, gooped injectors can also cause loss of power, and the techron will clean 'em out. didn't think you had so much mileage.
 
the cabin air filter, where availiable, is an inner filter in the ductwork that traps material down to dust and pollen that would otherwise be blowing out the bezels into your face. taurus has 'em, exploder doesn't, I think the escape may also have them. wish I had one.
 
however, it appears to me from descriptions that this actually is placed between the evaporator and the cabin. real dumb move. you are still going to plug the a/c evap fins with tree seeds, cottonwood fluff, bird feathers, random dirt and guck, and the usual mess that costs hundreds and hundreds to have the a/c disassembled and the yuck blown out.
 
in fact, damn dumb move. it should be the basic minimum of design engineering that there should be at least a paper filter between the air intakes for the body and all coils. trap all the crap before it gets anywhere.
 
sometimes the collective herd instinct of car engineers causes me to boil over. times like this, I could take two or three of those pretty little pills and an extra beta blocker, and have an unscheduled nap.
 
grrrr grrrr grrrrrrrrrrrr.
 
anyway, that's what a cabin air filter is... half a loaf, and the cheaper cut, but it cuts the dust down where you sneeze. isn't worth thinking about cutting holes to try and retrofit one, you'll just whack off some damper doors and be hot in the summer and cold in the winter.

#1440 of 6385 Tires by g159

Jun 11, 2002 (12:38 am)

It is unfortunate that some have had trouble with tires. I recently replaced tires on my SUV with Goodyear Wrangler AT/S replacing Goodyear Wrangler aquatred. I have been happy with them, for the first 10 feet I was worried that I lost roadfeel with the all terrain design, but now that the tires have some miles on them It seems to have better handling. The ride is actually better with the AT/S, which amazes me. Havent seen snow yet, of course. The RT/S suprisingly aren't known for being very good in the snow, but have been standard equipment on Explorers, durangos,etc. The Michelin Cross Terrain might be the best new tire. The LTX M/S is a proven good tire. There have been recent consumer report tests that have rated the LTX M/S high, although I don't think they have tested the Cross Terrain yet. When I was at goodyear they seemed to mainly sell the RT/S and the Fortura. The main reason that I didn't get the michelins, besides likely being $100 more, is that there aren't michelin only dealers where I live. The telephone book lists Michelin dealers, but they arent the best garages in town. So it was basically buy Cross Terrains at Sears, (cross terrains are still expensive), or special order LTX m/s through tiresplus or buy LTX a/t at Sam's. I wasnt sure how convenient these places would be for replacement, free rotations or repair. So just wondering where you guys buy your Michelins at. If they had a standalone store, like Goodyear or Firestone do, then I would have considered them more. I still would strongly recommend the Michelins to others. I would also recommend the AT/S if you need the best snow and ice traction, but they may not last as long as the Michelins.

#1441 of 6385 RE: Tires by g159 by bioman3

Jun 11, 2002 (4:22 am)

COSTCO is the place to purchase Michelins. You'll get a very fair price that includes mounting, valve, balance and road hazard protection. They do a brisk business in the LTX's. I purchased a set of Michelins for my Integra, XGT V4's, and was very pleased with the experience. They even tighten your wheel lugs with a torque wrench!!!

#1442 of 6385 Door Pillar Rattles by hombreverde

Jun 12, 2002 (11:49 am)

Our 02 has had a rattle in the door pillar since it was new. Been in 8 times and still not fixed. The latest news from the Ford engineer is that it is a weld in the door skin and they want to replace the door which means re-painting on a car we didn't even get to wreck.

#1443 of 6385 hombreverde by ryster

Jun 13, 2002 (10:17 am)

Sounds like the ordeal I went through with my '00 Explorer about 7 months ago. I had bad body seam welds and a misaligned b-pillar. Just make sure that if they do any work you check the vehicle closely when you get it back. My truck is starting to rust now (it is only 19 months/24,500 miles old) because when the dealer did the welding they didn't cover up the exposed painted surfaces. The sparks from the welding got on the paint and burned down through to the metal in little spots on the roof and my sport style running boards/step bars. Now, of course, the roof is starting to rust in the area around the top of the b-pillar. I have to treat it with cleaner wax to keep the area clear of surface rust.
 
I am desperately looking to get rid of this truck, but can't really find anything that I like out there right now. As soon as I do, though, bye-bye Explorer.
 
Best of luck to you in getting your issue resolved. I would have gone for the lemon law way before letting the dealer work on it 8 times.

#1444 of 6385 2 bits for your thoughts on '97 explorer xlt by vlanicki

Jun 13, 2002 (12:32 pm)

Have owned '91 escort wagon for 5 years and has been a good/reliable car. I was thinking of moving up to an suv; I looked at/test drove a '97 4dr 4x4 explorer xlt with the base model engine (4.0L ohv)and really liked it. I have since been reading many of these posts and now wonder if I should bother making an offer on this vehicle. Anyone who has owned this specific set-up '97 explorer, or anyone who has comments/advice, I would be glad to hear what you have to say. Has 69,000 mi.;asking $9,995; very clean. Obviously there won't be those engine problems they had with the SOHC V6, but are there other things I should be wary of? Tranny or suspension troubles, etc., etc.?
Also, other than edmunds.com are there any other good sites with info. on explorers (used ones)?
 
Thanks for your input mates!

Messages Page 145 of 639

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