Ask the Car People.SM


Ford Explorer Maintenance and Repair

6386 messages,  Last post on May 27, 2013 at 6:07 PM

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 599 of 639

#5978 of 6386 Re: Dashboard bulb@Grinding Noise from the Rear [hoptoad] by electricdesign

Jan 23, 2008 (8:23 pm)

Replying to: hoptoad (Jan 22, 2008 9:54 pm)
For a 1997 Ford Explorer, a 1995 may be similar:
It is a pain to do this. Lots of screws amd lots of plastic to carefully and patiently bend and remove.
 
1. Remove the lower plastic panel under the steering wheel, it has 2 screws from underneath on each side, and 2 screws to remove on the hood release. Once the screws are out on the bottom, grab the panel at the top corners and pull it straight back towards the rear of the vehicle. It will come off, but notice it has 2 "prong" fasteners, one on each side. Take a good look an them to see how they come apart and go back together, because you will see more of these. Set the lower plastic cover and screws aside.
 
2. The plastic cover that surounds the radio and air condtioner control comes loose next, It has 2 screws that are located below the radio, they screw upwards. Remove the 2 screws and then pull the cover along with the radio and a/c control out from the dash a bit. Carefully try to move it out from the dash as far as you can without unpluging anything, maybe an inch or two. You will need all the slack that you can get.
 
3. The plastic cover above the steering wheel comes off next. It surrounds the instrument cluster. It has 2 screws at the bottom, and 3 screws right above the instrument cluster, that screw upward. Remove all the screws, and pull the panel outward, pulling at the top corners, as each top corner has a "Prong" fastener that pulls out of the dash support. This part takes a lot of patience and "fanagling" to get it out. If you have a tilting steering wheel, you will have to angle it down. You will have to lower the gearshift lever down. The Panel will have the headlight switch and the dash dimmer module with wiring on the left side that will REMAIN connected. You must try to carefully wiggle the cover out to clear the dash and raise the right side up and rotate it to the left side.
 
4. Once the panel is out and swung to the left side, and safely hanging by the headlight switch wires, you will see 4 screws that hold the instrument cluster in, two on each side, top and bottom. Remove the 4 screws and carefully pull the instrument cluster part way out. It has 3 electrical plug connectors on the back that are very hard to reach. They must be unpluged if you need to remove the instument cluster. You may not have to completely remove the Instrument Cluster, as I was able to reach behind mine and change a light bulb, leaving the electric plugs untouched. The light bulbs are special made to screw onto the printed circuit board, they twist and turn to come out, and go back in the same way. Be careful to not damage the printed circuit board. Once the bulbs are replaced, be sure to turn on the dash lights and test them to be sure that they work, before fastening the Instrument Cluster back in place.
 
5. Once the panel lights are working ok, put everything back together in reverse order of dissassembly and test them again.
 
For the moderator, I have never seen any pictures in these messeges. Is there a way to post pictures in these messeges or to attach them some way? It would make explaining things a lot easier.
 
Good Luck,
E.D. in Sunny Florida

#5979 of 6386 Re: Dashboard bulb@Grinding Noise from the Rear [electricdesign] by hoptoad

Jan 23, 2008 (10:10 pm)

Replying to: electricdesign (Jan 23, 2008 8:23 pm)
Wow. Thanks E.D. I'm not sure I want to tackle that. This is what I found on WikiAnswers:
Q. How do you replace the lights in the dash of 1991 through 2001 Ford Explorer all models?
A.
Remove the screws from the top of the instrument panel. Set the parking brake and pull the shift lever down to improve access. Rotate the instrument panel to gain access to the back. The black bulb holders house the panel lights, the tan bulb holders house the sensor lights. Reach behind and grip the back of one of the holders. Twist it counter clockwise and pull outwards. Burned out bulbs will have a black coating. Replace with an identical bulb (194).
 
I didn't think it could be that easy. What are they talking about?
Thanks again,
Jim from Sunny and COLD Colorado

#5980 of 6386 Re: Dashboard bulb@Grinding Noise from the Rear [hoptoad] by electricdesign

Jan 24, 2008 (8:19 pm)

Replying to: hoptoad (Jan 23, 2008 10:10 pm)
Wow, Colorado, it must be beautiful there, with that Rocky Mountain high and all. I've never seen it, wish I could. I'm stuck down here in all this warm sunny weather!
 
Yes they gave you the very short version of how to do it. Their version is oversimplified, but it's not so hard that you can't do it. Just go at it slow and careful and you can do it. It will be good experience and it will help you to appreciate the "good old days" when you could just reach up under the dash and change the dash light bulbs.
 
You must remove the lower panel under the steering wheel, because the top of it covers the 2 lower screws of the panel above the steering wheel. It comes off just like I said.
 
You must remove the plastic cover that surrounds the radio and a/c control because the left side of it covers the the right side of the panel above the steering wheel. It comes off just like I said.
 
The simple instructions said to pull down the shift lever for better acess, same as I said.
 
The simple instuctions said to remove the screws from the top of the panel above the steering wheel. I said to remove those 3 screws plus the two at the bottom of that same panel. It pulls out and you rotate it to the right, leaving the headlight switch wires attached. It comes off just like I said.
 
Once the panel above the steering wheel is out of the way, you see the instrument cluster and the 4 screws that hold it in. You remove the 4 screws and pull the insturment cluster out. It comes out just like I said. You may have to only pull it out part way to reach the light bulbs you need to replace. It is more difficult to remove it entirely because you have to twist it around and unplug the 3 electric connectors from the back of it.
 
Once you have acess to the back of the instrument cluster, it is just like the simple instructions and I said, you simply twist the plastic bulbs and pull them out. The smaller tan ones are the smaller indicator light bulbs. The larger black ones are the dashboard illumination light bulbs.
 
Just go ahead and do it, and you will see how everything fits as you go along. It will be fairly obvious as you go along. Just go one step at a time, one panel at a time. If you should get stuck, you can always put it back together. Print out these messeges so that you can have them beside you for reference as you do the job. You need some small 1/4 inch drive sockets or small nut drivers to remove the hex head screws.
Let us know how it goes.
Good Luck,
E.D. in Sunny Florida

#5982 of 6386 Re: Loud Mountaineer [daryll44] by nvbanker

Jan 27, 2008 (7:11 am)

Replying to: daryll44 (Jan 22, 2008 6:11 am)
Yes, it can - but usually not the case with Michelins.

#5983 of 6386 2005 Explorer front end noise by jlc10719

Jan 28, 2008 (10:03 am)

My car has 44k miles and driving over speed bumps or slow turns makes a strange sqeaking noise. Does not feel like the car is handling any different but the noise is getting a little worse. I do have an appt later in the week, was just hoping to get more info before speaking to the dealership.

#5984 of 6386 Re: 2005 Explorer front end noise [jlc10719] by explorerky

Jan 30, 2008 (1:57 pm)

Replying to: jlc10719 (Jan 28, 2008 10:03 am)
I have an '02 Explorer and it made front end noises on speed bumps, turns, etc. My front right arm had to be replaced.

#5985 of 6386 intermittent wipers by d1725829

Feb 02, 2008 (11:03 am)

My windshield wipers sometimes only work on high speed. I was told there is a governor in the wiper system that goes bad and causes that. Anybody here this before ? Does anyone know where the interval wiper module is located on a 1991 Explorer ?

#5986 of 6386 Haunted Ignition 2000 XLT by movieguns

Feb 05, 2008 (3:35 pm)

I have a 2000 Explorer XLT V-6 that keeps showing the Check Engine light. Also, the engine chugs, pops, shudders and shivers. My local dealer (Galpin Ford) is unable to diagnose the problem. I have been forced to install new spark plugs about every 2000 miles, when the engine begins acting up. In addition to new plugs, I have new plug wires, new ignition module, I run 91 octane gas and I have had my injectors cleaned. A second delaer confirmed the diagnosis of the first and that is, "we don't know what the problem is". The only code shows fouled plugs. HELP!!!!

#5987 of 6386 Re: Haunted Ignition 2000 XLT [movieguns] by electricdesign

Feb 05, 2008 (8:33 pm)

Replying to: movieguns (Feb 05, 2008 3:35 pm)
I also have a 2000 Explorer XLT, but mine is a 5.0L V8, but there are a lot of things about engines that are similar in general. I am amazed that 2 different dealers can not figure out what is wrong with your vehicle. I doubt I can do much more over the internet, but I'll try, and I'm a little short on time tonight. So, explain exactly what is happening to the spark plugs that requires them to be replaced. Mine lasted 100,000 miles and still looked pretty good when I replaced them. If yours foul, are they wet black or dry black? Any sign of any physical damage, like to the electrodes or insulator? If they are fouling, it has to be determined if they are fouling with fuel or with oil. Do all the plugs look the same or similar? If the engine is running this bad, the exhaust will be polluted and will damage the catalytic converter. Check the exhaust to be sure the exhaust gas is coming out freely. What about the running of the engine, what happens as the problem progresses? Does the problem first appear as a high speed miss? Or bad idle or what? What DTC does the computer throw when the check engine light comes on? We need to check fuel system, ignition system, and exhaust system. Any possiblity the cam timing could have slipped? When the plugs are replaced, does the engine run as good as it's supposed to? Just give us as much concise information as you can, and we will see what we come up with.
Good Luck,
E.D. in Sunny Florida

Messages Page 599 of 639

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