Ask the Car People.SM


Ford Explorer Maintenance and Repair

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

You are in the Ford Explorer Forum.

What is this discussion about? Ford Explorer, Mercury Mountaineer

    

Go to NHTSA to file a safety complaint.

Or call Monday-Friday (8 am to 8 pm ET) (888) 327-4236 TTY: (800)424-9153

Messages Page 245 of 640

#2434 of 6385 Buying a used 2002-2003 Explorer by jodar96

Feb 23, 2004 (7:58 pm)

I am looking to buy a used Explore XLT with V-6 and trailer hitch III (not II)
 
I have seen good and bad here and still would like to get an Explore. I have had bad (1990 Ranger) and very good ( 1993 Ranger) luck with Ford. Has anyone pulled campers with these 2002-2003's? How is the gas mileage on highway with/without camper? How does it drive with camper behind it?
 
After looking at two side by side in the showroom, one with 2 row seats and one with 3 rows, I decided two row ones have a lot more space for storage, and with much flatter folded seats, I can take a 2-3 hour naps during our camping trips.
 
I am surprised at how little legroom there is in the second row. Our 2001 Lexus RX300 has a lot more leg room, and the second row seat slides and back part tilts. Ford's doesn't do either.
 
My other question is the paint. How durable is it against chipping.
 
I did look at Honda Pilot. It is well built vehicle, but you can not get those for 15-18K and Pilot can't pull like Explorer either.
 
Thanks,
Joe

#2435 of 6385 Door Ajar by akangl

Feb 23, 2004 (8:23 pm)

Anyone had a problem with an Explorer thinking the door is open when it isn't? I'm not sure if its a sensor it goes off of or what.
 
My 04 seems convinced that the pass side front door is open even though its not. If the door is opened and closed in the cold the dome light comes on, door ajar light comes on and stays on until the next time the door is opened and closed after the truck has warmed up. The dome light usually goes off after I put the truck in drive. Its only the pass side front door and only happens when the truck is cold, once its warmed up and the door is opened and closed again its fine. This started after we washed the truck last weekend. Any ideas?

#2436 of 6385 akangl: sticking sensor in door latch by swschrad

Feb 23, 2004 (10:36 pm)

thick crusty grease may be the fault. whether you can fix it by spraying isopropyl alcohol into the exposed part of the latch, and then some silicone, and then white-grease the exposed striker parts I don't know, as I haven't had the issue. as the old alka-seltzer ad said, "try it, you'll LIKE it..."
 
but there is a sensor, probably a microswitch, that doesn't click over until the latch is fully seated. the important part is that this is worse in cold weather... that tells me there is a gob of lube someplace that is allowing the actuator for the switch to flex instead of push the switch button in.
 
you are going to want a good white lithium grease on the contact parts of the latch to both insure consistent lubrication and reliable operation... and to keep water out of the latch assembly from road spray and car washes. but most of the rest of that mechanism doesn't want gobs 'o' grease on it. pumping a grease gun full into that latch until the window smears is not proper maintenance of the assembly.
 
I haven't had this door latch in my hands. but those I have seen with the door liner off, you have an eccentric of some sort that is pulled by a rod to open and locked by a vertical rod that clicks a spring-loaded bar across the eccentric's path. the latch that surrounds the lock bolt on the door frame is also spring-loaded, and is flipped into a "set" mode as the lock bolt pushes against the latch. someplace in that path is going to be either a hall-effect sensor (overkill IMHO), a pin switch like the dome light switch on a 1960s car, or a microswitch to signal door-shut. if it's a pin switch, you need to clean the gob of dirty thick crusty grease off it, and just lube with silicone. if a microswitch, you don't want any grease anywhere in the travel path of the actuator arm or the switch actuator button the actuator pushes against.
 
that's essentially what you have to resolve by cleaning and relubing to clear the latch's issues. I make no warranties, but likely shooting a bunch of 99% isopropyl alcohol or mineral spirits into the latch assembly in several stages, hitting it with silicone, then edge-greasing the latch with lithium grease should accomplish the task without taking the door inner panel off.
 
anybody with greater insight, correct whatever fumbles I wrote.

#2437 of 6385 brand new explorer rattling by nand12

Feb 24, 2004 (4:31 pm)

Hello everyone I have a brand new 2004 ford explorer xlt 4.0 L with 510 miles on it. Yesterday, I had the hood open and the engine running because I needed to fill washer fluid. In any case I noticed that the engine was rattling almost like a diesel engine. Upon further research I noticed that there was a recall for the timing chain and tensioner assembly for the 4.0 L SOHC's in previous years. The symptoms that indicate a timing chain problem in my explorer are not present (i.e. I cant hear a chain dragging on the ground between 2500-3500 rpms). Someone on another board mentioned that he had the same noise with his 04' explorer and another member posted that it could be the IAC valve rattling at idle since thats the only time i can hear it (I had a friend rev the engine in neutral and the rattle went away but returned when the engine rpms reduced). Can a few of you 04 explorer owners observe the noise that your engine makes at idle with the hood open and can you tell me if its normal or if its the IAC valve rattling?

#2438 of 6385 Jodar by nvbanker

Feb 24, 2004 (5:47 pm)

IME, my wife's V-6 Mountaineer does ok pulling a light trailer, the power is not bad. It's a bit light on the rear suspension for rocking, but some additional shock support would solve that. I rarely use it for towing though, usually use my other truck. But, if you're going to do much towing at all, I'd get a V-8. Mileage is nearly as good, power is exceptional.

#2439 of 6385 For the mechanics out there by blnewt

Feb 24, 2004 (8:15 pm)

Just curious since I've yet to get under our new 2004 XLS. What items are owner serviceable? I'm talking about any suspension parts w/ grease fittings and any other item that the Do-it yourselfer can maintain. I know more & more parts are factory sealed but curious as to what I can do? Thanks for any info :o)

#2440 of 6385 blnewt by akangl

Feb 24, 2004 (8:30 pm)

In a word, not much. We had my 04 XLS up on a lift right after we got it, no greasable suspension parts, tranny is sealed, front and rear end look like they are fairly easy to service, possibly the tcase. I'm not a mechanic, but have learned a lot over the past year of having older vehicles. I'm sooooo glad to have a new car under warranty now. We did switch the engine to synthetic a couple hundred miles ago.

#2441 of 6385 Thx akangl by blnewt

Feb 24, 2004 (10:27 pm)

I figured it'd be minimal at best, thanks for the info. Guess I can leave my grease gun in the back of the shed where it's been untouched since I had my Jeep CJ, LOL!

#2442 of 6385 nand12: Rattler by wijoco

Feb 26, 2004 (6:57 pm)

Mechanics I've talked to have all said the 4.0 is a noisey engine. And very noisey for the first hundred miles. Give it 2,000 miles or so and see if it quiets down a bit. Your late model 4.0 was built with all the updated parts, so yo don't have the same chain tensioner problems as owners of late 90s vehicles.

#2443 of 6385 Talk about bad luck by spinachetr

Feb 26, 2004 (7:14 pm)

Got a 02 Explorer with almost 50k. Had it to dealer 4 times for back-end whine / howl. Replaced ring and pinon and replaced the 45 mph whine with a 65mph one. It's going back again cause it hasn't been 12k since they fixed it the last time. Where is this service fix for the rear end problem I've heard about since Sept? Next time I'll get a nice American built foreign SUV. To top it off...I was stupid enough to plunk down $1500 for an extended warranty through warranty gold about a year before they went belly up.

Messages Page 245 of 640

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement