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The everything Aviator thread.




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Autozone said they couldn't pull codes for the airbag light. Were they just giving me the run around?
 






Absolutely zero response from keypad. No lights or lock action. Fuse somewhere?
Good source for aftermarket parts: lighting, audio, etc.??
 






I use my obd reader so far is good, it came with the book where are the codes description
 






It will be on the corner of the sun roof pocket. Open the roof and look in the front corner under the wind deflector.

You have to remove the visor and then pull down the door trim/seal then pull the headliner down and get a small hand to push the tube back on. I should have put on a small zip-tie but I didn't.

There is a thread here somewhere with a couple pictures, maybe in the 3rd gen section.

Finally I did remove the sun visor cover what a pita it was, and the drain hose from the sunroof was off, put it back with a long nose pliers.
Thanks guys!
 






Now my driver side window regulator broke the wire, I had one from the wrecker but the wires came off the plastic pulley, does anyone knows how they route in back? I noticed there is 1 long wire and the other 2 are attached to the motor asy.
 






2005 Lincoln Aviator Driver Side Seat Controls Do Not Function

Bought the vehicle recently and the drivers side seat will not move in any direction. Seat heater does not work either. Is the problem the seat control module?
 






Looking to Buy

Hi,

After considering several makes and models, such as an Envoy Denali and ML500 (w163), I've decided to go with an Aviator. I've read every post in the thread and everywhere else I can find on the net and believe I know what I'm in for. Seems like the reliability is a whole lot less risky than a ML500.

Other than the anti-roll sensor after '03, is there any reason to seek out a particular year?

Without having a mechanic check the compression, anyway to know if there is a pending valve problem? It seems the valve issue often happens around 70K. If that's true, if it has higher miles is it one of the good ones or wishful thinking?

What else should I watch out for and how to check for it?

Thanks
 






This is a reminder to myself to get to a computer soon and answer some of the above questions.


Benjam :D
 






Hi,

After considering several makes and models, such as an Envoy Denali and ML500 (w163), I've decided to go with an Aviator. I've read every post in the thread and everywhere else I can find on the net and believe I know what I'm in for. Seems like the reliability is a whole lot less risky than a ML500.

Other than the anti-roll sensor after '03, is there any reason to seek out a particular year?

Without having a mechanic check the compression, anyway to know if there is a pending valve problem? It seems the valve issue often happens around 70K. If that's true, if it has higher miles is it one of the good ones or wishful thinking?

What else should I watch out for and how to check for it?

Thanks

If it were me, I'd shoot for an 05. Supposedly the heads were fixed by this year. Other than that, these trucks are pretty much the same over the years. 05's also have an all chrome grill that sets it apart from the other years.

As far as reliability.. Keep in mind the newest Aviator is now 9 years old. My dad has an 05 and loves it but it is getting to the age where it will nickle and dime a little bit. His has about 120k on it with the original drive-train as far as we know. Valves haven't been done, again as far as we know.(Knocking on wood!:rolleyes: )

In the last two years we've replaced:
a front hub
one of the climate control seat's switch
one of the climate control seat's blower motor
visors have been repaired (Retaining plastic breaks apart. Dorman now makes a fix for this)
Rear Trim piece that cracks (common on explorers too)
Valve cover gaskets
Both front and rear pinion seals
Struts all the way around
Upper and lower ball joints on both left and right front
PCV valve and hose (Vacuum leak)

It currently needs:
The other climate control seat blower motor
Front pinion seal again...:thumbdwn:
Rear blower switch is acting goofy
The other front hub

I'm not trying to scare you, just letting you know what you could be getting into. Most of this stuff isn't a big deal for us because I'm a mechanic by trade.

When you look at a potential aviator check for:
  • Misfires
    Roughness in the engine under load, ignition coils are a very common failure on these 4.6 4 valve engines and will cause a misfire when they go.
  • Front Suspension
    Jack the front end up, check for any play in the ball joints and tie rods.
    Also note any groaning noise that gets louder as you increase speed, this is an indication of a Wheel Bearing(Hub) starting to fail.
  • Climate controlled seats
    Hit the switch and watch for it to light up, also listen for the blower to turn on. If the switch lights up for two seconds then goes back off, there is a code in the system. I've found this to be a blower motor located in the seat but YMMV. When the switch went bad the light would come on but it was stuck on the lowest setting, 1.
  • Visors
    Try to fold down the visors and put them back up. If they don't stay up the plastic retaining piece has probably broken. There is a fix out there for this that my Dad did, and recently Dorman has made a kit.
  • Rear Trim Bezel
    Just like the explorers, the rear trim piece cracks right by the Lincoln logo.
  • Leaks
    Check for wet differentials, engine, transmission, etc.

On the positives, Aviators are really nice vehicles. They have plenty of power, ride great, and are quiet. They can be expensive to maintain, but it is a used luxury vehicle. You're buying a truck for 7-11 grand that sold new for 50 grand. That's how I look at it.

Any other questions let me know! There are a few of us here that are pretty well versed with these Aviators.

Benjam :D
 






Benjam,

Thank you very much. I think I will print out you post and carry it with me when I look at some. From the research I've done, I agree... 2005!

As you can see to the left, I have an '02 Explorer now. It has 180k on it and you can bet it's had some repairs, but it would be silly to think it wouldn't. It's been a great vehicle and I don't think twice about it's repair bills. BTW, no cracked in the back panel. didn't even know that was an issue for Explorers.

A 4th gen Explorer limited seems to be few a far between and going for a premium price. The thousands I'd save with an Aviator can pay for a lot of repairs and I'd have a way nicer (& faster) vehicle to boot.

Are the replacement ignition coils improved or are they still a weak link.

How are the transmissions for failure - normal, better or worst?

How are Aviators on rust?

I think I've spotted two different covers over the hitch area where a receiver would go. One seem flush with the bumper and one bulges out a bit. Is the second one actually covering a receiver?

How about the nav, given it's age is it any good? I know it's voice activated, but it doesn't sync with a phone for hands free calling does it?

CORRECTION: I see now the voice button is for "navigation voice guidance."

Why do I read reviews of some people getting way better mpg than listed (fueleconomy.gov). People are speaking of near 20 on trips. I live out in the country with 80% of my driving on county highways, I'd be thrilled get an average of 15-16.

Thanks again for your comments. You put some though and time into this and I appreciate it.

Brian
 






Benjam,

Thank you very much. I think I will print out you post and carry it with me when I look at some. From the research I've done, I agree... 2005!

As you can see to the left, I have an '02 Explorer now. It has 180k on it and you can bet it's had some repairs, but it would be silly to think it wouldn't. It's been a great vehicle and I don't think twice about it's repair bills. BTW, no cracked in the back panel. didn't even know that was an issue for Explorers.

A 4th gen Explorer limited seems to be few a far between and going for a premium price. The thousands I'd save with an Aviator can pay for a lot of repairs and I'd have a way nicer (& faster) vehicle to boot.

Are the replacement ignition coils improved or are they still a weak link.

How are the transmissions for failure - normal, better or worst?

How are Aviators on rust?

I think I've spotted two different covers over the hitch area where a receiver would go. One seem flush with the bumper and one bulges out a bit. Is the second one actually covering a receiver?

How about the nav, given it's age is it any good? I know it's voice activated, but it doesn't sync with a phone for hands free calling does it?

CORRECTION: I see now the voice button is for "navigation voice guidance."

Why do I read reviews of some people getting way better mpg than listed (fueleconomy.gov). People are speaking of near 20 on trips. I live out in the country with 80% of my driving on county highways, I'd be thrilled get an average of 15-16.

Thanks again for your comments. You put some though and time into this and I appreciate it.

Brian

To be honest, Ignition coils is just one of those Ford things.. Kind of like how noisy power steering pumps are a Ford thing? As a mechanic I've replaced dozens of Coils in the Coil over plug application, in Ford V8s and some V6s.

That being said, Ford increased the warranty on the coils in these trucks to 100,000 miles and I think 10 years? Whether the new ones are better than the old, I don't know.

I actually forgot to put that on the "Parts replaced" list.. We've put 2 or 3 coils in. We've used the premium NAPA coils (ECHLIN) and Motorcraft with good results.

Supposedly what kills them is heat. A lot of the mustang guys with this setup swap to the older coilpack with spark plug wires design. With the current design, the coils are in the middle of the head with a cover on them. Where will the heat go? So they get heat soaked and fail. On the plus side, coil replacement is super easy.

Transmission: The Aviator is plagued with the same style transmission as the Explorer, but mated to a bigger engine. We haven't had issues with ours yet, knock on wood, but I've heard these transmissions were only meant to last 90k. We will see.

We haven't touched the fluid in ours yet, however I did add a spin on filter to it. The way I see it is if the fluid hasn't been done, I don't want to shock it with all new fluid. So the plan is to put an external, spin on filter on it, change that after a few thousand miles, then drop the pan and do a transmission service. After that we'll replace the external filter every oil change and top off as needed. I can post pictures of this if you would like.

Also, there is no dipstick on the Aviator transmission. Not sure if your explorer has one or not.

The only rust my Dad has is some real slight surface rust on parts of the frame, mostly seams where the factory(?) undercoating is starting to wear off. It looks very good for a rust belt vehicle. I don't see a lot of Aviators as a mechanic but I would expect them to be on par with your explorer as far as rust. Hopefully other guys with Aviators will chime in here, because I've really only crawled under this one and one other.

The hitch cover on ours covers a 2 inch reciever.. Looks like this I believe http://i3.ytimg.com/vi/iU2atKed-is/hqdefault.jpg

Oh now that we are talking bumpers, another thing ours needs is one of the sensors for the park assist. It's been bad since he bought it but a replacement sensors is IIRC $160? Of course it isn't compatible with explorer sensors which are dime a dozen..

Can't say anything about the NAV, ours doesn't have it.

Gas mileage: I want to say My dad sees about 14mpg between town and highway. I'll have to ask what he gets for highway but I don't think he's ever hit 20mpg. Also remember these run on Premium fuel. I think 15-16 is very doable.

You're welcome. I'm just glad I can help.

Benjam :D
 






Couple quick questions as I'm starting to look at Aviators in my area.

Not sure I fully understand the wheel options. Seems to be standard or base wheel which appears to be aluminum alloy. Then there's what looks like an aluminum alloy 7 spoke and a chrome 6 spoke.

Do the '05 chrome wheels still have the problem of the chrome coming off? Between the 7 spoke alloy and the chrome, which is more desirable or beneficial?

Sometimes the transmission is referred to as a "shiftable" automatic. But I don't see the typical slot in the shifter gate like shiftable automatics normally have. Do they mean move the shifter from 1-2-3-4? Or is this just a misprint?

Brian
 






The chrome wheels on dad's 05 have some peeling going on on the back side of the wheels. Nothing that is scraping and making noise though.

With alumimum wheels you will have to deal with corrosion on the beads over time, causing bead leaks. This problem usually rears its head in winter time. Also, the hubcaps on the aluminum wheels seem to corrode and peel.

The pros to chrome wheels are none/less bead corrosion and better hubcaps. I also think they look better but that is a matter of opinion. The con is the chrome peels over time.

IIRC the shifter goes something like PRND321. There is also a button to turn off overdrive

Benjam :D
 






Still looking everyday. I test drove two '05's a couple weekends ago, both at dealers. One was thrashed and the other was priced too high at 12k. The higher priced one had 87k on it and by the interior wear, looked like a kid hauler and the truck smelled like an ash tray. Otherwise it was in pretty good shape with a nav and chrome wheels.

I'm pretty convinced I want to stick with an '05, but they don't pop up as much as the previous years. So the hunt continues.
 






I have a chance now to buy an '05 with only 56k miles on it for 10 grand. It's about 100 miles from me. Seems to be in very good condition. My only dilemma is that it's black and very low on my color list.

Should low miles/price/condition trump color choice!
 






I have a chance now to buy an '05 with only 56k miles on it for 10 grand. It's about 100 miles from me. Seems to be in very good condition. My only dilemma is that it's black and very low on my color list.

Should low miles/price/condition trump color choice!

With only 250,000 ever made you will either have to scour the entire country to find one in good mechanical condition in the color you want or settle for color or mechanical.

I got extremely lucky getting both but that was several years ago and I paid $18k back then.

In short, I vote for mechanical over color.
 






Thanks Albino, I appreciate the moral support. It's not that I dislike the color black. It's how easily it shows the dirt. I live in the snow belt and with all the salt and crap on the roads, the truck will never appear clean.

But then 56K miles is going to potentially feel like brand new, so I can't (won't) ignore this opportunity. I see so many black vehicles that it seems an awful lot of people just don't worry about it, maybe I just need to lighten up.
 






Update on our 2004 Aviator. It just turned over 80K miles and started to misfire again. I pulled fuel injector harnesses one at a time to isolate the bank and figured out it was #3 . Went to the Lincoln dealer to inquire about the TSB which covered coils for 10 years or 100K miles and discovered that it has been EXTENDED TO 11 YEARS AND 120K MILES! This is good since the 10 year mark was Feb 2014.

Anyway, they replaced #3 and also #5 . Everything was great for a week, and then it started to misfire again. We went back to Lincoln and they basically washed their hands of it and said, "Its not the coil its something else."

So I did a compression test and every cylinder was kicking azz - 220-240 psi range. All the plugs looked perfect too except for #3 which had some trace amounts of oil on the electrode side. Hmmm. Only way I can figure that it's making great compression and consuming oil is a bad valve seal or multiple seals. So I went to the auto parts store and bought one single NGK Iridium plug with the fine wire electrode for $8 and put that in there. Those things can tolerate all kinds of abuse without fouling. I also gapped it down to .45 for good measure.

It runs smoother than silk now with no misfiring and will continue to digest trace amounts of oil cause I'm not pulling the timing chains/cams for a stupid valve seal.

I also recently discovered that the OBD2 port won't communicate with the code reader. I have absolutely no idea why that can be happening, but got tired of trouble shooting it for an hour. I did find the cigarette lighter port didn't work, which shares the same circuit as the OBD2 port, but the fuse was good. I smacked the auxiliary port back in the cargo area and suddenly everything lit up. Still no communicating with the scanner though.

P.S. At 80K miles the front diff has finally started growling pretty good.
 



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Misfiring issue is back!

I've got 5 original coils at 81,000 miles, and 3 have been replaced under the TSB. So I ordered a set of 8 new Accel coils to see what happens. Stay tuned.

P.S. Still can't read the computer from the OBD2 port.
 






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