wtf

[Aaron93921]

 

[Rcflyer330]

WOW I have never seen that before. any other info you could give? was there a small fire? how did you discover it? things like that.

 

[Aaron93921]

just drove it home and looked at it and a while later that was there things all messed up all the lights are on the seat moves up and down by itself the driver seat while you're driving down the road I read that one form with the not the wiring harnesses to all the sensors like the map sensor someone thing looked at it and thinks it's the exhaust leaking out of the muffler but I don't think it gets hot enough to do something like that might be the radar sensor in the back for the thing I looked at the wire though it was not touching nothing but I guess I'll tear it apart and look at it

 

[Rcflyer330]

Interesting I have heard of the exhaust melting bumpers on other cars but its not very common. but that would be my guess for a melted hole that big. if it was a shorted wire I would think a fuse would blow before it melted the bumper with that big of hole. i believe what you are seeing now with the lights, seat and another things is due to the now melted and shorted wires in the rear. you may want too look along the underside for any other signs of melted plastic or heat. you could also check and see if any fuses blew then you may be able to use a wiring diagram to see what system that fuse controls that may help if it was a electrical problem.

other than that i have no idea i have never seen that on a 4th gen explorer

 

[ThunderbirdSport]

holy ****!

First thought was exhaust, but on second thought...almost looks as if there were a fire. Be careful with it...especially until you figure out the why of it.

 

[boominXplorer]

Make sure your tailpipe isn't bent up. It looks like it melted from underneath the truck and there's really no wiring back there besides hitch and reverse sensors. That's melting from heat not fire.

 

[07EddyB]

Exhaust is on the other side. Looks pretty close to the trailer harness wiring. But the wiring I can see appears to be intact. Look underneath closely for wiring that is burnt through completely. Account for all wires - one may be hanging loose now further back toward the front that you wouldn't notice.

 

[boominXplorer]

The exhaust could be bent from backing into something.

 

[Aaron93921]

I think it's the exhaust that comes out of the muffler itself but I can't imagine it getting that hot back there cuz it muffler it's not hot like it is wiggling between where the tailpipe exhaust attaches to the muffler

 

[Scorpion8]

The real question is why something hot enough to melt the aluminum bumper did NOTHING to the rubber traction grip covering that OP shows folding back to reveal the damage? Was this an earlier incident covered up by a previous owner with a new bumper cover? It would have been impossible for that heat damage not to also have destroyed the grip covering.

 

[Rcflyer330]

The real question is why something hot enough to melt the aluminum bumper did NOTHING to the rubber traction grip covering that OP shows folding back to reveal the damage? Was this an earlier incident covered up by a previous owner with a new bumper cover? It would have been impossible for that heat damage not to also have destroyed the grip covering.

The bumper is plastic and yes that is a little weird it did not melt the cover. my guess would be the melting point of the black trim is a lot higher then the painted bumper.

 

[Explorer_PL]

Maybe you were parked over some manhole and a stream of steam shoot from under ?

Or parked near a construction site where they were laying a fresh hot blacktop ?

But then the tires would have signs of that .......

 

[07EddyB]

Just to clarify - are you sure that this just happened? Or did you just find it when the electrical started acting up?

 

[Scorpion8]

... and yes that is a little weird it did not melt the cover. my guess would be the melting point of the black trim is a lot higher then the painted bumper.

Not possible. The flexibility of that plastic means that it would melt or possibly burn at the temperatures needed to melt aluminum and make a hole that big. I think we're being scammed here, honestly. That picture series is akin to getting shot in the chest but having no blood on your shirt or no hole in your shirt.

 

[Rcflyer330]

Not possible. The flexibility of that plastic means that it would melt or possibly burn at the temperatures needed to melt aluminum and make a hole that big. I think we're being scammed here, honestly. That picture series is akin to getting shot in the chest but having no blood on your shirt or no hole in your shirt.

I get that but the bumper cover that is melted is entirely made of plastic and the frame of steel. It melted the plastic bumper not the steel. aluminum melts at just over 1700 degrees f and nothing in that area can get that hot. Now I looked at mine and a video on youtube on how to remove it and saw no aluminum in that aera only the frame and plastic bumper cover.

 

[07EddyB]

I still want to know if it was already there from perhaps a previous owner or if it just happened. If it was already there then all conjecture is out the window. For all we know the PO could have backed it up over a campfire and went to bed.
Yes - I know people like that sadly.

 

[07EddyB]

Three posts - all in this thread. Last post on Wednesday.

Won't hear from him again.

I'll guarantee that no one here is in danger of having the same problem.

Really - nothing to see here - just move along

 

[Scorpion8]

Seriously. My guess is somebody laid something on that portion of the bumper as a support, and tried to cut it with a plasma torch or welder. Then said "Oops" and found a new bumper cover for the torched rubber part to cover up their goof. Even seen someone lay something on a sawhorse and then cut thru the sawhorse with a circular saw?