BD's 2000 Explorer Limited

2000 Explorer Limited

-Picked her up (10/13/2010)
-140,093 miles when I test drove it
-5.0 V8, AWD
-Pearl White
-Dark grey leather interior

My dream explorer basically, no more old ones, no more sports, I finally have an Explorer that I love everything about!

I absolutely love the limited, its got:
-Seats w/ headrests
-Memory power seats
-Heated/Puddle mirrors
-Better mirror without all the buttons, just the slider
-Painted to match bumpers and grille
-Woodgrain radio bezel
-Digital HVAC controls
-And its got the homelink visor with a nifty little voice recorder that I will probably never use LOL

And alot more, but im just in awe over its nice features compared to my previous rides. They even recently (In the past few months) had a brand new hitch installed and the trailer harness all wired up.

I dont have any set plans for this one yet, I do have hopes and dreams though, and im stoked about the V8 that has so many options.

Dream list:
-Torque Monster headers
-Custom Tune
-LED tails (Something custom maybe, I just need to study up on resistors and whatnot)
-BMW projectors in a blacked out housing

It does have a few problems that id like some help with, (Fixed all, besides this one)
1. The blower only works when its on all the way high, (Same thing in my grandam, but it was the blower motor resistor then everything worked great) is that a common problem on the digital HVACs?


"For sure" plans include:
-New rims, id like to get a nice 5-spoke set of 20's with a beefy tire
-Paint job in the spring, black
-Some interior accents (Id like todo another metallic blue color like I did in my grandam)

He was asking 3400$ in the ad, but I talked him and his wife down to 2900$ because I was pointing all the little problems out that I mentioned above.

I didnt get a chance to really take any pictures, as it was raining, and almost dark by the time I got home.

I was bored on the way home so I took some random "driving" pictures

My friend was driving my Grand Am in front of me, I have a Avic-F700BT in there that will also be going into the Explorer, he was using the GPS to get us back home

I was extremely happy also, I was averaging 16.2 MPG driving with a decently heavy foot getting the feel for the V8 I was controlling

Edit- 1/21/11
New parts!

Hubs
Tie rod ends
Lower ball joints
Upper ball joints (Control arms)
Tires: Firestone Destination A/T's 255/70/R16's
Brake Pads

Soon:
Slotted (And drilled maybe) Rotors
Better pads
New shocks
Leafs
Shackles
Amsoil (In everything!)
Rebuilding tranny (And possibly a valve body kit)

 

[BrianDye]

And if anyone has been wondering, I have NOT replaced my trans yet. Ever since I got the Fiesta and cut down driving the Explorer from 85+ miles per day, she hasnt been acting up! It doesnt slip now when I take off, it RARELY shudders like it was doing under load around 40mph. So I figure ill keep it in and drive this one til she gives the ghost.

 

[sport97]

And if anyone has been wondering, I have NOT replaced my trans yet. Ever since I got the Fiesta and cut down driving the Explorer from 85+ miles per day, she hasnt been acting up! It doesnt slip now when I take off, it RARELY shudders like it was doing under load around 40mph. So I figure ill keep it in and drive this one til she gives the ghost.

Could have something to do with the temps. All winter mine was getting hung up in 4th, and not going into OD, or sometimes not shifting out of 3rd, and just being generally clunky and shutter-y all around(worse when i first started driving). Now that its summer it works flawlessly and smooth. Not sure whats up

 

[BrianDye]

No kidding? Thats strange...im contemplating on flushing it and putting some new fluid in just to hopefully stretch its lifespan out a bit longer. I hear nothing besides great stories behind the 5.0 drivetrain, so it shocked me when my tranny started acting up.

And now that you say that, I believe my first problems started more towards winter time, I cant quite remember when the last time it shuddered/slipped is though. Its been a good 2 months AT LEAST.

 

[CDW6212R]

Those are signs of it needing some help. Most often those can be cured permanently with a VB kit. When you do that it's wise to also have the Sonnax upgrades also to do, and replace the EPC solenoid, TCC and SS1 too while you're at it. Pulling the VB and installing the kit is not clean and fast, but the other parts might add 5-10 minutes to the job while it's out.

Find a trans shop which will work with the VB kits, some places don't and those are inferior shops.

 

[shadowless127]

No kidding? Thats strange...im contemplating on flushing it and putting some new fluid in just to hopefully stretch its lifespan out a bit longer. I hear nothing besides great stories behind the 5.0 drivetrain, so it shocked me when my tranny started acting up.

And now that you say that, I believe my first problems started more towards winter time, I cant quite remember when the last time it shuddered/slipped is though. Its been a good 2 months AT LEAST.

whatever you do, dont flush. I did this last month and my trans only had 107K miles on it, and it sealed the deal .

$1100 and a month later I got a transmission that has 78K miles and new filters gaskets and fluid.

 

[CDW6212R]

Flushing a trans can clean out some things, but it also risks moving debris into the VB. The VB is the key trans part, it is most likely to have issues(some built in), and almost all problems are fixed with a VB kit. Flushing a trans just increases the chances of getting something foreign into the VB, and that is never good. Rarely will flushing do more good than harm.

 

[BrianDye]

Still needs some minor adjusting, but it looks a million times better!

Only costed:
Full tank of gas (Well im sitting with about 4 gallons)$
$59.XX
$13 of McDonalds for the both of us
and
6 hours of time.



Maaco wanted 400$ to repaint JUST MY HOOD. And thats IF I DID the bodywork myself.

I think this was damn well worth it.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Well done... Did you grab anything else?

 

[BrianDye]

Nah, most of the X'es there were picked clean. The Limited smelled like arse inside too! I was looking for the piece on the side of the drivers seat where the controls are, but all the ones I found were also broken like mine

I was gonna snag the keypad, but the buttons were all worn off, EW!

I kept my hood, ill post it up on craigslist for dirt cheap, or free for any forum member who wants it.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Nah, most of the X'es there were picked clean.

Hmmm... That's odd... :shifty_ey

 

[BrianDye]

Right!

 

[CDW6212R]

Was the Limited seat still there? You should have flipped the seat over and bought the memory seat module, it's harness, and maybe the seat track or just the motors(if they sell them apart). Those are the unique parts of the memory seat system. With those you can add the feature to any 95-01 Explorer power seat.

I'd like to have an extra seat motor set etc, to add to my Mark VII.

 

[BrianDye]

I have memory seats, but the plastic piece on the side of the seat itself where the adjustment/heat/lumbar buttons are, the mounts are all broke so it just kind of hangs there.

The seats were gone though out of that one

 

[sport97]

Looks good Brian, that rust was nasty. Nice work finding it, Joe.

 

[BrianDye]

Thanks

And dont worry, I scrubbed the front end, now shes clean.
SOOOO MANY BUGS!

 

[CDW6212R]

I have memory seats, but the plastic piece on the side of the seat itself where the adjustment/heat/lumbar buttons are, the mounts are all broke so it just kind of hangs there.

The seats were gone though out of that one

If your seat switch covers are intact, that can be repaired. My 93 Limited had to have bodywork as I bought it wrecked. The seats were fine when I got it, but the control covers were both broken while they had it.

I used plastic epoxy to repair both of them. They have survived since then, and in my 99 Limited I think I've broken one of the same tabs myself.

Look at your carefully, if the pieces are still there, but just broken, you should be able to repair them. The design is fragile, sitting on the outer edge of the seat will break them, such as getting out of the truck. You have to step out, not slide out and roll weight onto the seat edge. The running boards save those trim pieces, if you use them to step out with. The problem is that the Limited seat control covers are too large, they are higher up along the seat than the normal seats.

 

[BrianDye]

Thanks; ill give that a look tonight or tomorrow morning.

I LOVE the Limited seats over the non-headrest style, but they dont have ANY support (Bolsters), and theyre not comfy on long (300mile) trips.

Im ordering new hood struts from RA too, mine are being a PITA lately.

 

[CDW6212R]

You might try to find a nice set of 93-95 Limited seats, if you want a more comfortable seat. Most people prefer the normal power seats to the 96-01 Limited seats, as they aren't flat like the late Limited seats. I have the 99 seats from my 99 wrecked Limited, and I chose to use the 93 seats. You may not find any that are worth having, but even another power seat would be more comfortable than the flat seats. You would lose the heated seat function though, but might be able to retrofit that. I never tried, I'm fine with these.

 

[BrianDye]

Im that guy who can sweat in the dead cold of winter, while wearing shorts and a tshirt. Trust me, I wear a tshirt (And hoodie) and shorts all winter.

Heated seats are meaningless to me; now cooled seats, I would kill for!

 

[BrianDye]

What seats will bolt up? (Besides first/2nd gen Expo seats, how about other vehicle seats? Id love black leather or cloth seats...