Jimbo74's 96 Xplorer

[jimbo74]

some of you may have seen that i have a new 4x4, an 84 toyota... its not running quite yet, but isnt too far off, well, i got a deal i can't pass up... here is the story on it... 1996 explorer 4x4

It’s a 96 xlt 4x4 explorer 4dr, its been In the family since at least 98, was bought used from a realtor (my dad’s bosses wife @ the time) that upgraded. Leather interior, truck now has a lot of mileage, heads and upper end rebuilt @ 110k because my mom overheated it and cracked the heads…. 3.73 LSD d4, 8.8 c-clip rear end 31 spline axles with disc brakes, pushbutton 4x4 (well rotary switch on dash) good condition 235/75/15 bridgestone dueler, not the at, but hl I think is the model. Tranny went out and was replaced once. My dad said it slipped once on him after the rebuild but has been fine since…. The 4x4 works sporadically…. A/c is still cold, heater still blows hot. CEL triggers almost everyday. Truck needs to be smogged to be registered

Truck has all the options, power doors, alarm, windows… my mom decided to try and pass a bobtail, that wasn’t stopped and the rear door is crunched, but it didn’t touch the fenders or anything, door still opens and window still rolls up and down. Dings here and there, but it is 12 years old

it said o2 bad, we replaced the 02 behind the cat, code came back, we think it’s the cat now, as truck does have a bit of mileage on it. I think there are 3 o2 sensors on the truck… I might just replace all the sensors and the cat. Shouldn’t cost too much….

after driving it a little, its got a 0401 and a 0420

lots of people here have said the 0401 is most likely a bad dpfe sensor
the 0420 goes along with the cat

truck has about 210k on it, and still seems to run strong... does seem to have a misfire or lope though..... also it sounds a little bit louder than it used to be, but i still drive it hard and it isnt showing any issues

heres the plan of action:

run seafoam through it crank (before oil change), gas tank, brake booster
clean out throttle body with spray cleaner for tb
oil change
air filter
plugs and wires
change out dpfe sensor
fuel filter


pray it clears both codes and runs right.... i need it to pass smog

if it still has issues, i want to take it to glacier on explorerforum and have him analyze fuel trims etc on it (that guy knows his stuff!)


and it needs a rear pass door, and a right foglight, interior trim around the drivers window switch, big crack, almost cut me today --- and a can of touchup paint

[jimbo74]

OK here is the rundown, everything i plan on doing, shouldn't cost too horribly much:

run seafoam through it crank (before oil change), gas tank, brake booster
clean out throttle body with spray cleaner for TB
oil change
air filter
plugs and wires
change out dpfe sensor
fuel filter


push bumper like a copcar
right side oe fog light
new door (can probably find one from a wrecked truck, color is common)
trim piece on drivers window switch
slight torsion bar twist, camber adjusters
rear add a leaf or shackles (maybe both) (already have the add-a-leaf, might have the shackles too)
real spare rim (i have an alloy from my 94 already)
euro clear corners and headlights
upgraded harness for headlights?
some type of brighter headlights
billet grill off ebay
flowmaster or similar
tow hitch
upgraded battery
air intake kit or k&n type filter
valve body upgrade for tranny ($300 have it sent out)
possibly a computer programmer sct xcal2
some touch up paint

seems like a lot, and would be another project, it is also the new daily driver and none of these mods would put it out of service for an extended time, but its a lot newer and has amenities.... considering the truck itself was free, not a bad deal... it still trade in blue books for $2275-3400

[rocket]

It's a POS...sell it while you still can.

[jimbo74]

go ahead and call it a pos all you want, it runs and runs pretty well, eventhough its got some issues.. i get 18 mpg even with my heavy foot. i can put my daughter in it safely. even if i put $1000 into it, its still worth quite a bit more.... blue book shows low $2200 for trade in, i have seen others like it easily sell for $4k

[fustercluck]

Don't let Rocket get under your skin, Jimbo. He speaks his mind frankly and while the message may bite, it is admirably unambiguous. I'm sure his council is well intended.

From my perspective, every car has it's own idiosyncrasies regardless of maker. I prefer Yotas (and Aston Martins :D), but can understand the value in any reliable vehicle. From what I've gleaned, you're willing and able to service your own trucks. At that point, any ride with which you still have patience....is worth it. :thumbup:

[jimbo74]

dont worry fuster, ive gotten a lot of crap for the ford... i really dont care, its running, and im a lot more comfortable in it than i ever was in my 85 yota, ive got a/c power windows, enough hp/torque to actually pass people... im happy with it, its even got rear air, compass, thermometer, 6 disc cd changer in the console, its prett nice.... and it was free :) so i have to put $1k into what i want it to be, but i could never find a vehicle that lush for so cheap

[ChickenLover]

:rofl:

[MTL_4runner]

after driving it a little, its got a 0401 and a 0420

lots of people here have said the 0401 is most likely a bad dpfe sensor
the 0420 goes along with the cat


Are you sure it was P0420 and not P0402?
They are so close it would be easy to make a mistake so I just wanted to verify.

Here's a good thread on your DPFE sensor and those codes:
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?goto=lastpost&t=164517

I would replace the DPFE sensor, pull the neg batt cable and see how you do. If you still have a P0420 code then start looking for exhaust leaks because that will often trigger that code and you did mention it was a bit louder than expected.

[jimbo74]

thanks mtl, im actually on explorerforum, haha, like the sites 3rd highest poster....

yup its 420 which indicates a bad cat, however it might be related to the 401 as i really need a tuneup, and to replace the dpfe. it does run a little rough....

im going to get to both of them just no $ to do anything

[DEATHRUNNER]

Well, if it were a good running explorer with no problems, I would tell you to get rid of it. Sell it and make some money.

Since it has issues, I'm not sure what I would recomend.Pour whatever you want into it, it's still a Ford.

[jimbo74]

its running and daily driving.... my toyota isnt running yet.... oh well...

new issue, haha, my seat recliner broke, its like laying back now... oh well, it's still driveable, ill fix it eventually....

i like the explorer, its got character..... and will be a good recovery vehicle for my yota....


also having enclosed cargo area is nice too....

[neliconcept]

is this your first ford?

[jimbo74]

nope, its my second explorer, we also have a 98 ranger in our stables as well

[04 Rocko Taco]

Found On Road Dead .

What do you expect on a Yota Forum?
Good luck with it. we've had an explorer, an expedition, and a couple of Rangers. I still recomend getting rid of the Exploder. :)

[jimbo74]

eh, i know its a yota forum, and ive got my yota as well..... this is my other and dd vehicle.... i really dont care if other people want to diss that is fine, im happy with it....

[04 Rocko Taco]

Thats what really counts, I was just diggin on it in good fun. My girlfreinds drives a Ranger, I mess with her all the time. All in all her truck would be okay if it would just be a little bigger, single cab Rangers are no fun.

[jimbo74]

ok, ill leave this post being the end all post.... to all that are joking around, thats fine, if you like the second truck, thats fine as well, if you dont, then thats fine, post all your crap you want about them in one post, so i dont have bandwidth wasted on a bunch of crap posts in my thread. i am done defending my other truck, if you still want to talk smack go right ahead. if you have something positive to say, then by all means, do and i will respond, if not, then just post whatever, and move on. thank you, have a nice day.

[fustercluck]

Jim, one thing I've always understood is that when a car or maker is undervalued and/or unappreciated, one can find a gem at a steal of a price. A good example is when the Infinity brand of Nissan vehicle first emerged, they were met with lack-luster interest. They were well designed cars with desirable appointments, but it seemed folks would rather have the Lexus or Acura premium brands. One could pick up an equivalently equipped Infinity Q45 for thousands less than the alternative. Back then, I couldn't avail myself of such an opportunity, but the principle remains today. I think with your willingness to service your own vehicles, you broaden the spectrum of potential gems. This explorer might be one of them.












A chronically reclined seat may make driving difficult, but depending on your prowess, make-out sessions could be more likely :D

[jimbo74]

lol, on the seat... eh, its an suv, i can just put the back seats down for um... making out ;)

both of my explorers are/were darn reliable, so is our ranger....

any vehicle has its problems... some more than others.... taking care of it is what makes any vehicle last.... explorers are pretty stout platforms... well the older truck based ones anyways, before they turned into unibody cars

[jimbo74]

This is a copy of a few posts on www.explorerforum.com in case anyone was wondering why it was so technical… but if you can help with any of this feel free

i was under the truck today to look @ the tbars and the pan, tcase, and crossmember have beads of atf.. hoping its the pan.....

tranny was rebuilt about 20k ago, but i dont really have much faith in the shop that did the work....

another issue, might be related or not, but 4x4 hi doenst shift on the fly, it will go in at a stop in gear, but not on the fly like its supposed to..... 4lo works properly and only engages stopped, foot on brake and in n or p

i want to have glacier do the upgrades to my valve body and do a shift kit (probably transgo) at the same time.... good idea? bad idea?

engine has 210k, top end was rebuilt (new heads and up) @ 110k ---- tranny went @ 180k and then was rebuilt (shop might not have done the best quality work though) i wnat to do the valvebody upgrades/fixes and shift kit

i want to get an xcal2 from henson..... best from what i have read... backlight? no backilight? whats the difference? how is hensons different from the one explorer express, fpn, doug?, bamachips, sct? diablo? sells? can i use the xcal on 2 vehicles at the same time? i have this 96 explorer and a 98 2wd ranger (140k all original)... i think i read that it stores the original data and you cant program another car until its restored? i would run both on 87 performance or possibly an 87 towing.... what about controlling shiftpoints? eliminating speed limiter? have heard it will increse line pressure, is this a good thing or a bad thing? do i wnat that with my setup? what

what tranny do i have? its a 96 automatic? i think its a 4 speed... is the shift kit avaialbe for that or only the 5? also what tcase do i have? i have 2wd, 4hi, 4lo

also, i want to run this muffler, is this a glasspack? can i shoot water up the tailpipe to make it sound better? how would one do that safely? if not no big deal. before everyone starts with the why would you put that on, i know it will be loud, i do not care, i do not care about drone, flowmaster and magnaflow are fine mufflers, i am just not spending that kind of $ on one
http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/3640/cherrybomb.jpg

pics, a little narrative will be posted above each one:

here is the armrest i recovered, no relief cuts (i didnt know about them then).. its a little beat up now and scratched, might be time to recover again. you can slightly see a overlap i didnt realize until after i was done... also see a staple that wasnt covered by the plastic.. there are 3 staples you can see from the underside. oh well, it still looks decent... i couldnt find the same grey, so i went with black, it still matches as the rest of the console top is black
http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/3640/Picture_94.jpg

here are far shots of the console
http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/3640/Picture_84.jpg
http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/3640/Picture_94.jpg

here is the door side that is fubared because my mom tried to pass a bobtail that was still moving... it didnt touch the fender or the front door though :) and the door still opens and closes and the window and lock still even works -- im going to find a replacement and bolt it on when $ and time allows
http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/3640/Picture_66.jpg
http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/3640/Picture_120.jpg

factory stereo, cassete deck in dash, 6 disc cd changer in console (no sub though)
http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/3640/Picture_316.jpg
http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/3640/Picture_412.jpg

white scratches were from a carwash with something broken in it a long time ago, did this to the hood and the roof, im going to clean them up and hit them with touch up paint (the little vials with the brush) it isnt too bad and im not too worried
http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/3640/Picture_55.jpg

[calrockx]

go ahead and call it a pos all you want


it's a POS.

[jimbo74]

ok, well so is my toyota in that respcet, at least the explorer runs.....

[rocket]

go ahead and call it a pos all you want


it's a POS.


x3 :flipoff:

Jimbo, just for the record, what fuster said in my "defense" was accurate. I don't mean anything personal.
Do i still think it's a pile of crap? Yes. Is it cool you got it for hardly nothing? You betcha.
But what do you define as reliable? I've never seen or heard of any Explorer that was reliable. My close relatives owned 4, yes 4 of them. My cousin still has a mint condition '96 with a 5.0 V8...it only has 115k but he's had a huge list of problems with it...the most recent one being a cracked manifold. I could go on forever about the one he had before that or the one my aunt had (blew motor w/95k) and the one my other cousin had. My family (starting with my Grandpa) were all die hard Ford fanatics...some still are but some finally realized what kind of crap ford makes. 30 years ago, i would of bought a Ford, but not today.
Look at the resale value comparisons to other makes/modles like Toyota and Honda...not much left to say.

[jimbo74]

the resale value on our 98 ranger is still $7k and its a 2wd! its got 110k on it

my explorer has 210k and still lists for about $4k, this explorer has proven to be reliable, yes its got a chunk of issues, but it is 11 years old....

my 94 explorer i used to have had 110k on it, and its life was only short becuase i drove it into the ground, literally.... like on its roof and then sucked the ground up through the intake (different occassions).....

our fords have been very reliable, before the explorers and ranger, we had a aerostar, that had 190k on it before the tranny blew and we jsut decided to get rid of it

now i am not saying fords are perfect, and if you dont like it that is fine.... i do like it, and its my truck... the truck i am daily driving

[ChickenLover]

:rofl:

[neliconcept]

being its a 11 years old, my father has a 22 year old mercedes with 300k and you have yotas older with mileage that are still being in very good mechanical condition

saying its 11 isnt much considering you have 11 year old 3rd gen 4runners that run a heck of a lot better.

[jimbo74]

being its a 11 years old, my father has a 22 year old mercedes with 300k and you have yotas older with mileage that are still being in very good mechanical condition

saying its 11 isnt much considering you have 11 year old 3rd gen 4runners that run a heck of a lot better.



it actually does run pretty well, it has issues, but most of them are related to lack of maintenance, my mom has driven this most of its life...

my 84 toyota doesnt run right now, and its got quite a few issues, but hey whatever flaots your boat. it is a reliable truck. it hasnt required any mroe or less work than any otehr vehicle i have owned, and im my second toyota now....

[jimbo74]

wow, i havent been here in forever..... well... the explorer is looking a little bit different now..... and it passed smog :)

[jimbo74]

pic

[ChickenLover]

:rofl:

[jimbo74]

whats the rofl for?

[jimbo74]

well, the explorer may be dead!!!!! long story short, it was raining outside, i was driving to work, hydroplaned, some spinning, hit the k-rail, some more spinning, ended up on the drivers side.. and this was going 65 on the freeway (limit)... only 2 windows on the whole truck broke, the rear right 1/4 is munched, other than that, all doors still open/close, all 4 tires have air...

only liability insurnace, its still in my parents name, and they said they are going to junk it..... they dont want to deal with it.... hopefully i can get it running again quickly and may be able to convince them to let me keep it


http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/3640/83.jpg
http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/500/114.jpg
http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/500/46.jpg
http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/500/34.jpg
http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/500/53.jpg
http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/500/212.jpg
http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/3640/94.jpg
http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/3640/64.jpg
http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/3640/73.jpg
http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/3640/104.jpg

[ChickenLover]

How many self-caused, single vehicle wrecks can one person be involved with before said person is deemed incompetent and is stripped of his driving privileges?

[YotaGirl]

Bummer about your truck. Hope you weren't hurt or anything. What a way to start out the new year.

[calrockx]

YAY! one less pos on the road :clap:

[jimbo74]

a car hydroplaned in the same spot i did and hit one of the cop cars at the scene...

thanks for the concern, the rest of you jerks can keep your rude comments to yourselves and shove them where the sun doesnt shine