Alberta Canada

I bought the girlfriend a 2003 Ford Explorer 4X4
(for our great Canadian winter months.)
Paid $2,000 and the vehicle looks great.

We have discovered a few minor problems.

- The alarm system randomly goes off and drains the battery.
- The transmission is late shifting into high gear.
- The headlights and tail lights have condensation inside them.
- The heater 'temperature' blend door is missing the drive motor.

where in Alberta? that's probably the reason you got it cheap.. disconnect the alarm system... transmission is probably valve body/solenoid issues, may need a service, replace headlights/tail lights or reseal them with clear silicone and dry them out,

Si

I live 45 minutes northeast of Calgary. The vehicle has not been in the flood or hail storms, so that's a relief.

- I downloaded the anti-theft schematic. I'm going to ground out all of the 'door ajar' switches at the module. From what I've been reading on this forum, the RAP and CSM are the same sort of device. I've found the CSM inside the interior wall panel, (aft of the rear passenger seat.) When I bought the vehicle, I used this panel to figure out the keyless entry code, as the previous owner could not remember the number.

- I've got the ATSG service manual for the transmission from www.scribd.com The poor shifting problem could be a number of things. Low fluid, band tension, sticky solenoid, worn out servo port, etc. I will have to systematically test one part at a time.

- the headlights / tail lights can be dried out with a hair dryer and sealed as per the TSB from Ford.

- the heater 'temperature' blend door will be modified to a mechanical push-pull cable. The previous owner cut a hole in the driver's side cover, so I have easy access to the door lever and where the drive motor once resided.

blueka said:

where in Alberta? that's probably the reason you got it cheap.. disconnect the alarm system... transmission is probably valve body/solenoid issues, may need a service, replace headlights/tail lights or reseal them with clear silicone and dry them out, Si

Click to expand...

We carry headlight and taillight kits for your Explorer. On the transmission, you may want to try to flush it out, and add a new filter and gasket on the tranny. Sometimes all it takes is a small piece of debris floating around in the fluid, to have the valve body or a governor up.

Explorer Headlight Kits

Explorer Taillight Kits

Explorer Automatic Transmission Filter

Welcome to this forum! Do you have a check engine light or a flashing O/D light?

No warning lights initially. O/D light comes on after a few minutes. It's been a while since I drove her vehicle, so I'll have to check again.

BrooklynBay said:

Welcome to this forum! Do you have a check engine light or a flashing O/D light?

Click to expand...

The headlights / tail lights can be dried out with a hair dryer and sealed as per the TSB from Ford.

I finally got around to driving this vehicle today. The main problem is that the shift to 2nd gear is delayed. It also does not shift into 5th gear. Also the O/D light will flash. I've tested it many times. When driving normally, 1st to 2nd gear, the tach reads about 3,000 rpm before it will shift. If you put the pedal to the floor, you will redline the engine (6,000 rpm) before the shift to 2nd gear. Either way, it does eventually shift. Perhaps, the overdrive band needs adjustment?

BrooklynBay said:

Welcome to this forum! Do you have a check engine light or a flashing O/D light?

Click to expand...

The band might be broken or it could have a damaged servo or bore.

Thanks for that info. I was reading about the very same thing online. I'm not looking forward to laying on my back underneath this vehicle. I have the service manual for this transmission, so I'll have to test it, step by step.

BrooklynBay said:

The band might be broken or it could have a damaged servo or bore.

Click to expand...