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)

 

[Joe Dirt]

Oh, well that's original...




At least mine says what model I have, and I have a BUMPER!!!

Maybe someone will come by at night and bolt on a nice pine 2" x 12" and slap a git-r-dun sticker on the back window...

 

[BrianDye]

NO! I had mine BEFORE you did

And trust me, ive already been on eBay looking for one that says Limited on it.

(I didnt think back when I ordered it that I should find one that says limited, well really I didnt even know they were all-in-one badges, I still thought they had XLT/XLS/Limited/EB stamped in the other side)



AND FOR THE RECORD!!!
When I do have my bumper back on and done, im gonna retake pictures of EVERY picture ive taken of my X that showed the rear, and replace them with pics that have a bumper on it!

 

[shadowless127]

The other taillights you had were better.

 

[BrianDye]

Stock ones?

 

[shadowless127]

Stock ones?

yeah but didnt u have ventshades on them?

 

[BrianDye]

No, they were tinted with the VHT Niteshades.

I got sick of that look real fast, ive done it to every vehicle ive owned basically.

 

[BrianDye]

Idk why this pic is warped, my Epic (Samsung 4G phone) seemed todo that alot...

 

[shadowless127]

Idk why this pic is warped, my Epic (Samsung 4G phone) seemed todo that alot...

imo those look a lot better, but thats just me.

WhiteLimited had his stockers tinted except for the reverse lights and they looked sick as well.

 

[Joe Dirt]

I bought my first Ex when you were in, like, 1st grade. So technically you lose.

 

[CDW6212R]

As for the badges on the back, you can use many different versions, just find the one that you like the best.

Since I used the 93 rear body to fix my 99 Limited, it had only the word Explorer on the hatch. I found a 95-97 Limited badge because it directly fit over the original badge. This one is for the Limited, and below it says Control Trac 4WD, which is the V6 version. I like it for this truck, and this was originally just like yours, but in puke green.

 

[BrianDye]

I bought my first Ex when you were in, like, 1st grade. So technically you lose.

I was dreaming about them wayyyyyy before that :

 

[BrianDye]

As for the badges on the back, you can use many different versions, just find the one that you like the best.

Since I used the 93 rear body to fix my 99 Limited, it had only the word Explorer on the hatch. I found a 95-97 Limited badge because it directly fit over the original badge. This one is for the Limited, and below it says Control Trac 4WD, which is the V6 version. I like it for this truck, and this was originally just like yours, but in puke green.

Yea, after seeing how much better the chrome/black badge looks, im gonna rip off ALL of the gold badges (Limited on the hatch, both front fenders, and the V8 on both sides) and find some OEM chrome replacements. I refuse to get those tacky AutoZone badges, or the chrome letters.


Im gonna end up taking the new one I just put on off, and replacing it with this one:

And then just take the "Limited" off the other side of the hatch and clean it up real nice.

 

[BrianDye]

 

[shadowless127]

Yea, after seeing how much better the chrome/black badge looks, im gonna rip off ALL of the gold badges (Limited on the hatch, both front fenders, and the V8 on both sides) and find some OEM chrome replacements. I refuse to get those tacky AutoZone badges, or the chrome letters.


Im gonna end up taking the new one I just put on off, and replacing it with this one:

And then just take the "Limited" off the other side of the hatch and clean it up real nice.

Damn you, now you've got me thinking about whether I should do the same to mine.

 

[BrianDye]

I love the newer style badges. I never really cared for the "Italicized" first and second gen lettering.



Anyone remember when I had ripped my interior out, I had a few questions on why my rear speakers werent workig, and why my cig lighter wasnt working; someone had told me the rear speakers go through the rear seat controls so since my console was out, they didnt work. Well I assumed something simaler for my cig. lighter not working.
(Put it all back together, still no cig lighter )

So tonight I thought geniously, I should check my fuses. Sure enough, 17 was popped. God did I feel dumb.

 

[CDW6212R]

I love the newer style badges. I never really cared for the "Italicized" first and second gen lettering.



Anyone remember when I had ripped my interior out, I had a few questions on why my rear speakers werent workig, and why my cig lighter wasnt working; someone had told me the rear speakers go through the rear seat controls so since my console was out, they didnt work. Well I assumed something simaler for my cig. lighter not working.
(Put it all back together, still no cig lighter )

So tonight I thought geniously, I should check my fuses. Sure enough, 17 was popped. God did I feel dumb.

The cigarette lighter socket next to the radio is on a very low powered fuse, easy to blow. What was it again, a 7.5 amp fuse, or 10? I learned that when I tried to run my tire air pump with it years ago.

 

[BrianDye]

Ha, yea its a 7.5 I think. I bumped it up to a big 15 :

I also just wired up a switch so I can turn my radio on without a key (Kind of a ghetto delayed accesories switch)

I can turn the radio on without a key, start it still with the radio on, and turn the key off with it still on.

I really only did it because alot of places my gf wants to go shopping, I sit in the truck waiting, and it gets annoying turning the truck right from on, to acc and having to wait for my radio to reboot itself. (Pioneers wonderful 20-30 second booting up time sometimes)

 

[CDW6212R]

Did you include a diode in the main radio power wire? If you just fed a new source to it, then other accessories will be live too with the radio. In my 99 Limited I added many new circuits, one of which feeds the radio. I didn't test to see what else could be powered, I installed a diode at the same time. With my accessory circuits main switch, my radio will work, and I used that most times that I worked on the truck.

 

[BrianDye]

Not yet, I have to get to work in about an hour, and I have NO clue on how diodes work, where to get them etc.

Can you school me real quick? (I know they only allow power in one direction, but is that all theyre for?)

 

[CDW6212R]

Yes, for DC power they are just a one way device. Any electronics store should have them. Just ask for one that can handle the radio power, figure 12v times the fuse rating. Do be sure to ask which way to install it, they have markings on them but most of us don't know what it means. Just ask before you install it.