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Those types really piss me off. Some days I wish I had the whole front end of my Ex rigged with LEDs so that if some fool is running down the road full-on with their lightbars going, I could just turn the dark road into full daylight for 'em.

OT...I can't stand those guys. They've got the sky-high pickups running blinding blue HIDs in a reflector housing *and* LED lightbars in the grille, bumper, roof rack, etc. We're on a county road people, not deep in the pitch-black woods for cryin' out loud.

Yep...I'd bet that's it. See my prior post about the tire difference I had...had Firestones up front, BFGoodrich on the back. The BFGs were newer and the Firestones were practically bald. About a good 3/4" difference in overall diameter between the two. Once I got 4 new BFGs on there, the...

When the vehicle is in 4X4 AUTO, 4-wheel-drive only kicks in when it's needed...basically if the system detects enough slippage to warrant 4WD, it will engage 4WD. When you're just driving around, it's in 2WD mode. What do the tires/treads look like?

The tires are certainly a good place to start. When I first bought my current '03 XLT, the front tires were one brand and the rears were another. While they were the same size all around, the fronts were more worn than the rears. So I would also get a "bucking" feeling under hard acceleration. I...

Seems like a logical guess. Where exactly is it located on the front bumper? I've been over just about every square inch of the lower trim on my '03 and have not noticed a door anywhere. I'd be willing to bet it's for an engine block heater.

I have just over 195,000 miles on my '03 XLT. I've only owned it since December 2015 and it had 167,500 miles on it then. Between March and July of this year alone, I put about 10,000 miles on it while my other ride was at the shop getting repainted. During that time it was not only my daily...

Thanks! At least I know just the latch is available and don't have to get the whole panel. $60 seems a little steep, but I'll check around.

Does anybody know if the latch assembly for the under-floor storage can be obtained separately, or would I need to get a whole new floor panel? The latch for my floor storage panel has broken where the pins hold it in place, so it makes it tricky to get into the storage area should I need to...

Same here...but I was overpaying for homeowner's and didn't fully realize it. When I first bought my house in 2013, a townhouse, they quoted me at $1300/yr for homeowner's insurance. The lender thought that seemed rather high but me being uneducated still stuck with it. I found out my parents...

Gotcha! And it only flickers when the switch is in the automatic position? It could be something in the wiring or the switch...I'm not sure...someone else probably has a better idea, so might be best if someone else knows. :)

What might you mean by "flicker"? Is it dark out when the headlights are on and they're flickering? Or is there some daylight still out and the headlights go off and on? If the latter, that would be normal. The sensor is in there at the top front of the dashboard so it probably isn't...

Prices increasing seems to be the trend lately. Guess more people are forgetting how to drive, causing more wrecks, and everyone is left to pick up the pieces on soaring repair costs. I was with Safeco until last fall. When it came time to renew then with them, my monthly premium would've gone...

I was just messing with ya ;)...but yeah, definitely do the "real world" testing rather than relying solely on the car's computers. My girlfriend starts panicking when her car gets to the 1/8 tank mark and if I'm there to fill it up, it's usually got about 5 gallons left in it at that point. Her...

My dad's 2005 must be broken then. LOL. His reads lower than actual...it's always showing around 14 and he'll actually get 16ish. I took it on a road trip from MD to Myrtle Beach one time and got 18 mpg out of it. I think that's been the most it's gotten on the highway even though he has the V6...

Yeah, I certainly can't rely on the "CHECK GAGE" light in the Ex...and even the fuel gauge has some degree of inconsistency to it. I've filled up when the needle is around what would be the 1/8 mark, and 19 gallons will go in. I've also filled up when the needle is hovering over the "E"...

Sucks you had to find out the hard way! :) I've made it a habit on my current '03 to fill up when it gets "near" the E mark, or maybe around the 1/8 tank mark. Since this doesn't have a proper "LOW FUEL" light or the Message Center, that CHECK GAGE light is too inconsistent for me to truly...

In the few vehicles that I've owned, it's always been press and hold to spray the washer fluid. All Fords.

I've used them for the past couple years as well; never had an issue. The key to ordering from them - as previously mentioned - is to know exactly what you need. As far as brands go, it is a mixed bag that's available. They've got some bigger names, even Motorcraft...and then they've got some...

Will do. I might crack into it this week if I get a chance. I noticed today once as I was exiting the vehicle, I hit the lock button on the arm rest and all the doors locked but then the driver door unlocked right away...I hadn't even closed the door yet.

@SyberTiger Was there any resolution to this? Did you have to do anything further and is the lock operating properly now? Sorry to resurrect a thread that's a few months old, but I am now experience the exact issue you encountered. I noticed it the other day when I (thought) I had locked the...

I'm getting about 17 mpg out of my 2003 4.0L 4WD now. It's gone down since I got new tires...the old tires were pretty much bald, so less rolling resistance...LOL. Now that the tires have some real tread on them, it's dipped a bit and my driving hasn't really changed. A lot of mixed driving...

Yep, certainly not a bad idea to do both hoses. Especially if they haven't been changed in a while.

1. Yes, it would just be the lower radiator hose. It may end up looking like it goes 3 ways; one side comes off the reservoir/overflow, one side goes to the radiator, and the third end goes into the engine. 2. Wouldn't be a bad idea; if you get the hose from the dealership it'll probably come...

Any further findings from yesterday's adventures?

Glad to have helped narrow it down for you. Good luck with the fix! Sorry I can't be of more service as electrical is probably my weakest area...I hate electrical gremlins! That combined with the previous owner's shoddy work just makes things worse. EDIT: I did confirm this morning that with...

I just checked this as it made me wonder as well. I do know that the puddle and dome lights will shut off when the dimmer wheel is turned off. But I never noticed when the dimmer wheel is on... With the vehicle parked and engine off, the puddle lights and dome light do turn on when the dimmer...

This is also what mine do. They will turn on when I unlock the vehicle with the fob, or when I open the door to get out of the vehicle. The puddle lights will stay lit for a short time (I don't know exactly how long but maybe about a minute) after I have walked away, or they will turn off...

For my dad's 2005, it has 90K on it now and the rears were just done. I can't remember the mileage when the front one was done, but it was probably about 5 years ago. He bought that Explorer new and it just doesn't get much road time now...it's his second vehicle as he has a Fusion Hybrid for...

Brand new. Granted, they weren't Ford factory parts but they fit perfectly and looked great. Much better than the faded, hazy units they replaced.

I can't completely speak to the first 3 questions...I can say that between the 2 3rd gens I've had and my dad's 2005, each has had at least one rear wheel bearing replaced...dad's just had both done. Dad's '05 also had a front one replaced a few years back. For the rears, each one cost about...

I bought the whole headlight assembly (lens, housing, and all...they even included bulbs!) for like $40 each on Amazon.

For the Explorer, I'll take it through a car wash when it gets dirty enough. For the Mustang...well, lately it hasn't been much (the clearcoat on the hood and roof have failed) but in it's prime, a "quick" bath would still involve the 2-bucket method, a nice soft wash mitt of some sort...if the...

I hope I can explain this without needing a picture...here goes... From inside my '03 XLT, I can hear air coming in while driving. The sound is coming from the passenger door around the window seal or weatherstripping. If I push on the black strip, then it makes it seal up and there's no more...

I say it all the time...first check the air pressures. Even the slightest drop in pressure can affect the mileage. And if you got a larger diameter tire, that will impact it as well.

I would definitely check tire pressure first. I keep my tires at 35 and I'm able to get between 17-20 mpg (depending on type of driving, city vs highway). This is on a 2003 V6. I do monitor the gas mileage on my cars and any time it starts dipping, the first thing I check is tire pressure...

I'm assuming the 2008 is also a V6 based on the power output (sorry...I'm in the US and can't translate those ads too well without assistance). One thing a little odd to me is the power rating on the 2008 is lower than the 2005. The mileage is lower on the 2008, and the newer V6 is a little...

I just found the source of the leak. The underside of the upper radiator hose was split because the alternator pulley is rubbing against it. It was of course doubly hidden due to being on the underside of the hose, and the NAPA sticker was still wrapped around it.

I don't think there's an aftermarket intake manifold on there...it looks like the factory one to me. I've only had this one for just over a year and I'm not sure of its full history with the previous owner. I'll start with the cap...seems easy enough. Would be great if that's all it was.

Being off work today and with the weather fairly cooperative (albeit it still a bit on the chilly side), I finally managed to change the oil in both of my vehicles...the Explorer and the Mustang. Both were overdue...the Mustang just crept over the 3K mark, while the Explorer last had it's oil...