When to throw in the towel....

[phil_ex05]

Folks

I have a 2005 Explorer with 172k miles.
I've owned it since 07 and 40k miles and feel like its been well maintained..
So recently it started throwing an occasional check transmission message up and the check engine so i took it into the dealer where they changed out the ecv (?) sensor but didn't find anything else..that got rid of the check engine but the check transmission still appeared...its also been running rough and "surging" of late.
So I took it to a transmission shop and they diagnosed no 5th gear and time for a new transmission $1600 ($2200 installed)
They also diagnosed that 2 of the 3 cats were blocked or something similar and that a new cat to the tune of 1000 was needed.
SO...
while 2005 seems way to new to be throwing in the towel i'm also looking at 4 new tires this winter and a front brake job if i keep it...
Thoughts....

My other question would be can i cut out the cat and drop in a straight pipe ? (my county does not require emissions tests)

and finally...its worth pointing out that this is not my only ride..i have a 08 suburban with 90K miles....i prefer taking the explorer when i can to keep the mileage of the burban (and its a darn site smaller...)

Look forward to your opinions...

Thanks

 

[Dave8338]

Personal opinion... IF you remove the cats and replace with straight pipe(s) you can get away with that fix. Tires and brakes are maintenance items and need to be done on anything that one drives. Transmission is the big ticket item on the truck. $2,200 is a fair price for that repair AND... if the truck makes another 6-months you'll be back to a break even point meaning: replacement vehicle monthly payment of $400 per month and after 6-months, you'll have $2,400 into another vehicle that may still need tires, brakes, ect.

Just my opinion, but I work for Ford on the sales and finance side so I'm not suggesting something that I don't do, myself.

 

[jakedrew]

Or drop the cat and hollow it out.

Tires- check a local junkyard, they might have some decent used ones.

Brakes- maybe just throw some el cheap'o pads on it.

Transmisson- Run it till it wont move anymore. If they are going to put a new one in, who cars how "toasted" it is.

 

[dersch6221992]

My opinion is dont throw the towel in.
Tires look at Amazon and Walmart. i picked up some 32's for about $150 shipped a piece to my door!
Transmissions are super common problem for those gen exploders. My recommendation is to do the replacement yourself. you have another DD. So why not do it yourself? take your time work on it as you can.

and straight pipe is super easy and sounds better

 

[ponkotsu]

Interesting comments about the cat. Mine are still okay, but I'm sure they will go eventually. Is it really okay to bypass them? Not worried about inspections, just will it run okay? Possibly need to have the ECM remapped?

Regarding the OP, I agree with the concensus here. The devil you know is better than the devil you don't know. Brakes and tires are required on anything you own. Thats not a good reason to trade in. The tranny sucks, but if you buy another used car, you have a 50/50 chance of being in the same boat soon. 172k is getting up there, so might need some significant engine work soon also. It really comes down to dollars. How much is a new tranny and engine work compared to a new car? My wife drives a new car that we pay $330/month for, plus more expensive insurance. Thats about $4,000 per year, or $12,000 for the 3 year lease. And after that I get to give it back to the dealer with zero equity. I can put a heck of a lot of work into my 05 Aviator and not even come close to that $12k. And, when I'm tired of it I can trade it in for at least what I paid for it. Cars are a major expense no matter what.

 

[exploreinstile]

I don't own an Explorer yet. But even after everything I've read on here, I'm still thinking of buying one. 175K is very good for any vehicle. It seems a short time ago that anything with 100K had 1 foot in the grave.

That being said. What I would do, is look at the frame. Is it solid? Any rust? Look at the body and interior. If it's all in good shape, wheel bearings, brakes, tires are all maint. items. The worst you'd be out after the trans is motor work. I didn't see if you mentioned if you had the 4.0 or the 4.6? But I agree with the other guys, even if you spent $4000, you're still ahead, and will have something that will go another 150K miles.

Now if you're bored of your Ex, or want something new, or your heart just isn't into it, well, then, maybe its' worth trying to trade it in on something you'd rather drive now.