Water leak

[Ron McIntire]

Have a slow water leak behind right tire. Not getting water on floor of passenger side and the radiator is staying full. Not using AC so I am perplexed. Bought this 2000 For Explorer with 5.0 engine 5 days ago. Not overheating or even rising in temperature! Haven't had time to search for leak yet. Please help me. Retired sub teacher after 30 years.

 

[Turdle]

The ac compressor will run in every mode except full floor hot. This is to keep the seal moist and remove moisture from the windshield and cabin area.

If the dripping fluid is pure water ( with no taste, color or odor) you are ok.

If the dripping fluid has a coolant smell, color or odor , I would suspect the heater core has soprung a leak. You may not see the coolant level in the reservoir drop, but it might pay to take a look in the radiator by removing the cap. It is not uncommon for the radiator run dry, while the reservoir stays full due to a clog in the bottom of the reservoir housing. If someone used a "leak fix" to try to save the heater core prior to your purchase, it may have clogged the reservoir return.

Welcome to the forum. I have moved this thread to the stock 2nd gen sub forum for better responses.

 

[96firephoenix]

Welcome to the forum!

I'd suggest to first check the fittings and hoses from the water pump to the heater core. They will be on the passenger side front fender, running back to the back of the engine compartment.

I wouldn't necessarily take "the radiator staying full" to mean that you aren't losing coolant.

 

[Ron McIntire]

Thank you for responding. I will check those hoses and fittings when the sun warms up outside; freezing cold here today!

 

[koda2000]

You may not think you're running the A/C, but the A/C system my run automatically in any HVAC setting other than VENT or FLOOR. It runs to remove moister from the cabin and/or to defog your windows. Water dripping from the area behind the right front tire is completely normal when the A/C has run. Don't worry about it.

 

[Ron McIntire]

The ac compressor will run in every mode except full floor hot. This is to keep the seal moist and remove moisture from the windshield and cabin area.

If the dripping fluid is pure water ( with no taste, color or odor) you are ok.

If the dripping fluid has a coolant smell, color or odor , I would suspect the heater core has soprung a leak. You may not see the coolant level in the reservoir drop, but it might pay to take a look in the radiator by removing the cap. It is not uncommon for the radiator run dry, while the reservoir stays full due to a clog in the bottom of the reservoir housing. If someone used a "leak fix" to try to save the heater core prior to your purchase, it may have clogged the reservoir return.

Welcome to the forum. I have moved this thread to the stock 2nd gen sub forum for better responses.

THANK YOU...just bought this 5 days ago. The fluid was completely clear! I did check coolant in radiator and found it a little low so topped it off with coolant. Now to drive it again today and see what I find. It is my birthday today so I need to find good news. Thank you for your reply. Ron

 

[koda2000]

If you find you have to consistently add coolant directly to the radiator (rather than the expansion tank) you may have a leak in the radiator (nothing to do with the fluid/water behind the right front wheel). The radiator should push/pull coolant to/from the expansion tank because it's supposed to be a sealed system. If there's a leak in the radiator, or the small hose leading from the rad to the tank, the fluid in the expansion tank will not be pulled back into the radiator when the engine cools.

Just keep an eye on the fluid level in the radiator (when cold) to make sure it remains full. Typically what can happen is that the seals in the sides of the radiator fail. If they fail near the top of the radiator, the fluid level will drop slightly after refilling, then remain constant. If this is the case, it's no immediate cause for alarm, but the radiator should eventually be replaced. If this is what you find is happening, don't bother adding fluid to the radiator, as it will just leak out. The cooling system will work fine being an inch or two low. You just don't want it to continue to leak beyond that point.

 

[Ron McIntire]

The ac compressor will run in every mode except full floor hot. This is to keep the seal moist and remove moisture from the windshield and cabin area.

If the dripping fluid is pure water ( with no taste, color or odor) you are ok.

If the dripping fluid has a coolant smell, color or odor , I would suspect the heater core has soprung a leak. You may not see the coolant level in the reservoir drop, but it might pay to take a look in the radiator by removing the cap. It is not uncommon for the radiator run dry, while the reservoir stays full due to a clog in the bottom of the reservoir housing. If someone used a "leak fix" to try to save the heater core prior to your purchase, it may have clogged the reservoir return.

Welcome to the forum. I have moved this thread to the stock 2nd gen sub forum for better responses.

Thank you for your reply. I found later some coolant coming from as high as radiator cap and replaced it. The leak from there stopped. Brand new radiator put in by previous owner, must not have replaced cap. Still looking closely since new vehicle to me only 6 days now. This 2000 Explorer idles smooth and runs smoothly. Hoping for the best.

 

[koda2000]

The 5.0's are by far the best engine/trans combo. With regular maintenance they can easily go 300,000+ miles. The SOHC automatic V6's are the weakest combination. We have four 5.0's in the family that we've had for going on 6 years now. Very few repairs have been necessary. Seems like I can't go more than a week or two w/out needing to do repairs on my 4.0 SOHC ST.

 

[Ron McIntire]

The 5.0's are by far the best engine/trans combo. With regular maintenance they can easily go 300,000+ miles. The SOHC automatic V6's are the weakest combination. We have four 5.0's in the family that we've had for going on 6 years now. Very few repairs have been necessary. Seems like I can't go more than a week or two w/out needing to do repairs on my 4.0 SOHC ST.

Thank you for your reply. I ova been seeing online and hearing from others that the 5.0 is a solid engine and that pleases me; hoping I have made a good choice and it will run well for a good long time. 170 k on engine right now. Retired sub teacher after 30 years, need things to be good. Ron

 

[koda2000]

Thank you for your reply. I ova been seeing online and hearing from others that the 5.0 is a solid engine and that pleases me; hoping I have made a good choice and it will run well for a good long time. 170 k on engine right now. Retired sub teacher after 30 years, need things to be good. Ron

I'm retired too. I've found that the Explorer is not without it's weak points, but thankfully most of them are easy fixes and parts (both new and used) are readily available and inexpensive. This forum is also a great resource for the DIY'er.

 

[Ron McIntire]

I'm retired too. I've found that the Explorer is not without it's weak points, but thankfully most of them are easy fixes and parts (both new and used) are readily available and inexpensive. This forum is also a great resource for the DIY'er.

In your experience what has been the Explorer's "weak points" so I may be looking out for them. Good to hear that at least they are easy fixes. The plastic thermostat housing is on Eddie Bauer Edition 5.0 ? Why would anyone use plastic? Not a good plan. Only issue I have at the moment is rear windshield wiper not working; have not looked into it yet.

 

[koda2000]

In your experience what has been the Explorer's "weak points" so I may be looking out for them. Good to hear that at least they are easy fixes. The plastic thermostat housing is on Eddie Bauer Edition 5.0 ? Why would anyone use plastic? Not a good plan. Only issue I have at the moment is rear windshield wiper not working; have not looked into it yet.

Common '95-'01 (AKA Gen II) Explorer problems that come to mind:

Rear wiper either doesn't work at all, or the blade only hits 20% of the rear window

Exterior door handle springs break and then you get the "floppy door handle"
Interior door handles don't open doors, because they break

Door lock motors strip their gears and no longer open/lock doors automatically

Front sway bar end-links tend to break and/or eat their bushings

Overhead interior lights (one or both bulbs) don't work even though bulbs are good

Overhead temp/compass display doesn't work

Premium Mach radio display (radio with RDS button) doesn't work or the display blanks out

Coolant leak from timing cover gasket

Parking brake problems (especially if rarely used)

Front door power windows go down slowly and may jam the glass in the rear window channel, which if forced can damage the window regulator.

Front ball joint wear (upper and lower) must be monitored

AWD/4x4 front hub bearing assemblies

Serpentine belt tensioner and pulleys wear out

Radiator end-tank seals start leaking at around 150k-170k (your radiator is new)

Fuel pumps tend to start operating intermittently when miles get up to between 170k-200k and need replacement. This always starts happening as soon as the weather turns cold.

Everything else I've had to repair are common repairs that any high-mile vehicle would need.

These issues are pretty common, but a lot of the fixes cost little-to-nothing. I'm not going to try to explain how to fix these things here. If you have a particular problem, just ask the forum and someone will give you advice. 90% of the advice will be good advice, 8% not so much and 2% may be bad advice..Go with the consensus. I'm sure other's will add to the list, but these are all things I've dealt with.

 

[Ron McIntire]

Common '95-'01 (AKA Gen II) Explorer problems that come to mind:

Rear wiper either doesn't work at all, or the blade only hits 20% of the rear window

Exterior door handle springs break and then you get the "floppy door handle"
Interior door handles don't open doors, because they break

Door lock motors strip their gears and no longer open/lock doors automatically

Front sway bar end-links tend to break and/or eat their bushings

Overhead interior lights (one or both bulbs) don't work even though bulbs are good

Overhead temp/compass display doesn't work

Premium Mach radio display (radio with RDS button) doesn't work or the display blanks out

Coolant leak from timing cover gasket

Parking brake problems (especially if rarely used)

Front door power windows go down slowly and may jam the glass in the rear window channel, which if forced can damage the window regulator.

Front ball joint wear (upper and lower) must be monitored

AWD/4x4 front hub bearing assemblies

Serpentine belt tensioner and pulleys wear out

Radiator end-tank seals start leaking at around 150k-170k (your radiator is new)

Fuel pumps tend to start operating intermittently when miles get up to between 170k-200k and need replacement. This always starts happening as soon as the weather turns cold.

Everything else I've had to repair are common repairs that any high-mile vehicle would need.

These issues are pretty common, but a lot of the fixes cost little-to-nothing. I'm not going to try to explain how to fix these things here. If you have a particular problem, just ask the forum and someone will give you advice. 90% of the advice will be good advice, 8% not so much and 2% may be bad advice..Go with the consensus. I'm sure other's will add to the list, but these are all things I've dealt with.

Thank you very much for taking the time to help me understand this newly purchased SUV. I will keep these things in mind. The 302 is a good motor; that's important and the transmission isn't mentioned here though I have heard the V^ engine/trans combo is problematic.

 

[koda2000]

Thank you very much for taking the time to help me understand this newly purchased SUV. I will keep these things in mind. The 302 is a good motor; that's important and the transmission isn't mentioned here though I have heard the V^ engine/trans combo is problematic.

The V8's transmission is the better transmission. It is quite robust and reliable. The V6's transmission is the one that tends to be problematic.