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Did I do good?

Saintly

New Member
Joined
February 25, 2017
Messages
3
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1
City, State
Lake City, FL
Year, Model & Trim Level
93 Explorer XLT
Hey folks, I just bought a 93 Explorer XLT. It is stock. No rust, dents, scratches or mechanical issues. I have found four problems with it: front windows do not work, radio does not work, gas gauge is stuck, and A/C blows mildy cold but could use some freon. Minor issues in my opinion for a 24 year old truck.The truck has 98k original miles and one owner. I paid $1,300 for it. I consider it a score. What do ya'll think?
 



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nice score! i believe a 93 uses the r-12, good luck with that. check fuses first for radio. check wiring between door and pillars for bad wires to windows. disconnect fuel sender connector on the driver side rear frame rail and use a jumper wire for y/w and o wires to see if the gauge moves. if it does the tank may have to come out.
 






I think you scored good, working inside the doors can be a pain sometimes when troubleshooting window motor/regulator.
 






That is an excellent price for a super low mileage first gen :chug:
 






Hey folks, I just bought a 93 Explorer XLT. It is stock. No rust, dents, scratches or mechanical issues. I have found four problems with it: front windows do not work, radio does not work, gas gauge is stuck, and A/C blows mildy cold but could use some freon. Minor issues in my opinion for a 24 year old truck.The truck has 98k original miles and one owner. I paid $1,300 for it. I consider it a score. What do ya'll think?
Nice work!

Plan on an A/C conversion if you want it really fixed. It'll blow cold once that's done by a professional. The factory R-12 never did a great job on my '91. Nobody wants to service those R-12 systems anymore either, they're terrible for the environment when (and they do) leak.
Must have been well taken care of to be in good condition.
When you say windows do not work, are they even trying? I've had the contacts for the switches corrode; they are cheap to replace. Drinks, humidity, and rain all eventually take their toll; the contacts and surface area are small. After that if you notice a current draw I would look into the motor and regulator. This all assumes you don't just have a blown fuse.
Gas gauge went out on mine for over a year due to a failed float on the sending unit. Unfortunately it takes a couple hours to repair if you have skid plates and other things in the way of the gas tank (which you need to drop) like I did, and you have to replace an entire assembly - fuel pump included. I went a certain number of miles every tank before just buying gas until I saved up to fix it. That was a long time ago and the AutoZone Chinese special is still working.

You've come to the right place. We'll help you get her to former glory.
 






Agree that you made a great deal! All the issues you mentioned are common to the GEN1 Explorers, and have solutions here. If you're mechanically inclined you can do just about anything, and especially with this site available to help. I'd recommend you change all of the fluids soon unless you know that it was done as scheduled. You mentioned the gas gauge, is it always on empty or is it stuck elsewhere? If always on empty it's very likely the sender float leaked and is at the bottom of the tank. I've replaced the driver side window switch twice on our '94 (and not yet on our '92, go figure). Both have over 225k miles.
Enjoy!
 






Thanks guys, I will be putting this forum to great use. My first endeavor is to fix the windows. The gas gauge is stuck on full. I'm guessing it's a wire, but being that it's just a matter of monitoring my miles, I'll probably make that my last fix since it will likely be the most difficult
 






If you push the window button and just hear a thucka-thucka-thucka sound, then it's likely just the bushings, which are available at most auto parts stores. Great find, by the way!
 






That IS a find!! Is it a 5 speed or automatic? 2WD or 4WD?
 












I just had to switch from a 93 XLT 5 speed to an 93 Limited automatic (bad knees), and I found a lot of info on this site about making an automatic last.

First is tow ONLY in D (not OD) per the owners manual (the owners manual also has tips on using the different automatic speeds).

The other top automatic tips I learned from this forum: add a secondary transmission cooler (if it doesn't have one), and add a external spin-on transmission filter (easy DIY or have a shop do it for you).

And I always recommend paying the $20 a year and getting an Elite membership to support the this site. The explorer forum has saved me a LOT of money over the last 18 years and I've enjoyed my 93 Explorer a lot more because of it. :thumbsup:

I think the first save was learning to fix a "broken 4WD" with a piece of oil hose - versus the nearly thousand dollar repair the Ford dealer said I needed, and that fix has lasted over 150K miles. :D

Enjoy your "new" Explorer!
 






I'm new to the scene myself, having just scored a 94 XLT with 47,000 miles! Anyhow, I'm no expert.... but I'm feeling the Explorer love, big time! The forum here is excellent, too....lots of great folks with good knowledge and advice! And I agree with the general consensus, that you done good, brother! I think I did too, lol!
 






A '94 XLT with 47K??? That's by far the best I've heard. Until now the best I'd been aware of was one for sale about 100 miles away with 95K (and the extra digit on the odometer to prove it). Yes, I was tempted.
 






A '94 XLT with 47K??? That's by far the best I've heard. Until now the best I'd been aware of was one for sale about 100 miles away with 95K (and the extra digit on the odometer to prove it). Yes, I was tempted.
I know, it's crazy ... truck was garaged and only used to tow a camper a few times a year, I guess ... I'm the second owner! I sure had a lucky day when I found her!! The headliner is a little ragged and the tape deck doesn't work, but otherwise she's super clean!
http://s613.photobucket.com/user/bradh8/media/20170201_145024_zpsowkqbbc9.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1
 






I know, it's crazy ... truck was garaged and only used to tow a camper a few times a year, I guess ... I'm the second owner! I sure had a lucky day when I found her!! The headliner is a little ragged and the tape deck doesn't work, but otherwise she's super clean!
http://s613.photobucket.com/user/bradh8/media/20170201_145024_zpsowkqbbc9.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1


I have to ask, did you find it in utah or colorado? An older gentleman here in the ogden area had one that was mint and looks very similar to yours for sale last year. I was tempted to check it out, but I had just bought my sport a few weeks prior.

Anyway, congrats on such a find!
 






Wow, bradh8, yours could be a twin to mine! Of course, I'm at 400,000 miles now.:D So I'd say you've got a whole lot of life left in it!
 






I have to ask, did you find it in utah or colorado? An older gentleman here in the ogden area had one that was mint and looks very similar to yours for sale last year. I was tempted to check it out, but I had just bought my sport a few weeks prior.

Anyway, congrats on such a find!
Found her in Colorado, yup ... got at small mom-n-pop dealership in Longmont.. they had scooped at auction, meaning to give it to their teenage daughter ... but she didn't think it was "cool" enough, haha! So my lucky day, for sure!
 






Wow, bradh8, yours could be a twin to mine! Of course, I'm at 400,000 miles now.:D So I'd say you've got a whole lot of life left in it!
I hope so!! Looking forward to many happy miles! She's a great truck so far!!
 






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