22nd Sep 2009, 23:45
I would advise everyone to stay away from the 4.0l, they are a worthless motor, the 302 (5L) is your better option, hell the old 302s used to run forever, basically all they did was switch it over to injection.
As for the 4.0l, sure they'll put out a little bit of power, but the design flaws in both engine and transmission make it just a giant pain of a vehicle.
9th Nov 2009, 12:31
First of all, mine has over 327K kms on it, and still runs extremely well. Secondly, the motor that actuates the door for the heater controls is an easy fix that doesn't need dash removal. You can get to all four screws through the glove box and only need to use an 8mm in the end of a box end wrench to get to the two rears, motor cost $54.00 new and took 1.5 hours to replace, given having a few beers while working.
There are two different 4L motors available, the SOHC is a German design from Cologne that is rock sold and seems to be holding up better than the 5: I have in my other Fords, though I do love the 302's and 351W's.
What's funny is the bad comments you read about Explorers are always from people who have no mechanical experience to save their lives (in which case they should buy newer, cheaper cars under warranty), and are from people who just throw money at problems expecting them to go away.
As for the guy who said the dash had to be removed to replaces lights in the instrument cluster. It takes less than 5 minutes to remove the plastic bezels around the steering column, then two screws hold the cluster in place, it flips forward and you can replace the bulb and have it back together in minutes.
27th Nov 2009, 22:35
"What's funny is the bad comments you read about Explorers are always from people who have no mechanical experience to save their lives (in which case they should buy newer, cheaper cars under warranty),"
I could not agree MORE!! As a car enthusiast who performs all his own servicing and repairs, it just boggles my mind reading these OUTRAGEOUS comments from people who have no idea what a "cylinder" is, or what "front-wheel drive" means. I've seen figures of $1500 for a BRAKE JOB!! My last brake job took me 15 minutes and cost me a whopping $17. People with no knowledge about cars should be required to take basic car care classes before even being issued a driver's license. Even my wife can perform basic maintenance and do such super-simple procedures as brake jobs. I insisted she learn such things for her own safety and security. She also knows to NEVER run the engine with the oil light or overheat light on. That sort of thing alone can save many thousands of dollars. My totally clueless best friend drove his expensive sports car until the engine got so hot it seized. The repair cost? $9000. The problem? A 25-cent overflow tank hose with a pinhole in it that my dog could replace blindfolded in 30 seconds!!
26th Jan 2011, 14:23
I own a 97 Eddie Bauer with the good old 5.0 and full-time AWD system. I am incredibly happy with the performance and longevity of this setup, with over 220,000 miles, and no signs of oil consumption, no ticks, clunks, or bangs.
I am having intermittent problems with the automatic climate control, it seems to randomly decide to stop working altogether (except the rear heat). If any of you guys have any comments about this problem, please share.
This truck is the best bang for the buck I ever came across, argue all you want. Air ride, heated leather, message centre, GREAT motor, and a great working AWD system.
28th Jan 2011, 15:59
To the guy with the auto climate control going in and out; on the heat plenum under the hood, on the fire wall, passenger side, there is a part with two screws holding it in, and I think it was called control module. I fixed mine about a year ago; was not hard. Google it and you will find the part. It is a small part that slides in the plenum towards the bottom.
8th Nov 2007, 20:16
Yeah, I have to agree with the above comment. I also own a 1997 Ford Explorer (Eddie Edition) and love it. I bought it for a really good price and the guy took care of it like a loving dad... This SUV is built with a few quirks and stuff (the AC/Heat unit on mine is fantastic, but the blower only blows on high and not on low..) and the minor faults are not anything that bothers me to a large extent. This thing has plenty of power and speed with large comfy seats that blows away a Jeep Cherokee in a heartbeat. Also, the 4x4 High setting can pretty much take any weather like it was a cakewalk. Some of the things that do go bad are: the door trim seems to collect water and there is some rust (bad design from ford; they should have sloped the lower door jam slightly to allow for water runoff) ; the other is the brakes going out so quickly: the brakes need to be changed quicker than expected; and finally, the shocks and rough riding of this vehicle is slightly pronounced. I, too, feel every little bump in the road to a large extent, but I feel that is something that you can get used to in time. I might look into a really good pair of shocks that stiffen the ride, so I don't bounce all over the place (although, it will make every pothole that much more apparent).
So, I really can't complain too much.. I have fallen in love with this vehicle from the very moment I drove it off the driveway. It is comfy, roomy, and quite capable of maintaining the road in all sorts of conditions. Furthermore, it handles almost like a car in that it turns on a dime and has incredible punch off the starting line.