2000 Explorer Limited 5.0

[johnb6597]

Greetings, All: Quick preface...I am not a mechanic, nor very mechanically-inclined. You could fit everything I know about cars and combustion engines and how they work inside a matchbook cover, scrawled with a crayon. On the other hand, my Dad was a professional Evinrude/Mercury inboard/outboard mechanic, and my two closest friends are professional auto mechanics, so I do have some rudimentary sense of how wrenches are supposed to work. Nice to meet you guys, thanks for having me here. I bought a 2000 Explorer Limited V8 back in 2002 from a Ford dealership right outside Boston. Promptly drove it to New Mexico, where it has remained for the last 20 years. No significant repairs or damages during those 20 years...replaced the fuel pump in 2015, and that's pretty much it. Currently have 207,x.. miles on her, did the major tune-ups at 100,000 and 200,000 miles. Never had a single problem, until about a year ago, I noticed there was a very minor oil leak on our driveway...maybe a drop per day. Lived with it a year, then couldn't take it anymore, so took it to our local hometown Ford dealership to figure it out & make it stop. Three weeks later, they tell me it needs a new RMS, new oil pan, and new left manifold...maybe a few bolts along the way, since they expected some would break as they did the work. I pre-approved everything they needed to do. Six weeks and $4200 later, they tell me it's all done and healthy again. I made it a mile down the road before the CEL came on, and in 3rd gear at 40mph-45mph, she hesitated badly and consistently. No problem replicating it for the Service Manager and Technician. Another 3 weeks and 2 more return trips to the dealership later, CEL still comes on and stays on after 4 or 5 trips around town, and she still badly hesitates as I previously described. Dealership has basically washed its hands of the whole matter, so I can't take it back and hope for any better outcome. Oil leak does seem to be fixed. The CEL now stays on. I'm frustrated and angry, mostly because I know 100% for certain something is wrong, but I lack the skills and knowledge to figure it out myself, and now I can't trust the local Ford experts to get it right. Figured I'd toss it out here, see if any of you much smarter folks might have some thoughts or suggestions. I hate driving a car I don't feel I can trust, and I love my Explorer...so I'd really like to sort it out.

 

[Turdle]

2nd gen issues? Try this first!

Sometimes a gremlin can be caused by the smallest thing. There are 2 large wire bundle connectors on the firewall. Both are held tight with a 10mm bolt. Any bad connection in either plug can cause just about any issue. from bad transmission shifting, bad o2 sensor readings, no start, no...

www.explorerforum.com

Welcome to the forum.

Since the oil pan gasket surely required engine removal, the problem could be as simple as a loose connector. Try the link above.

 

[Mbrooks420]

$4200…….hope the rear main seal came with a remanufactured engine wrapped around it.

 

[johnb6597]

Dealerships...what more can I say?

 

[1sicbronconut]

Dealerships...what more can I say?

Some dealerships, not all and none of the ones I've ever worked for, been a Ford technician since 1988. You would have thought they would have checked firing order or a plug wire issue, do you have the code that it's setting? I lived in Farmington from 1998-2011 where are you at in NM?

 

[johnb6597]

Alamogordo...Vision Ford is our dealership. I don't have the OBD-thing that tosses the CEL codes, so can't answer that question right now. Owned my Explorer 20+ years and not once did it ever throw a CEL...until Vision replaced the RMS, oil pan, and left manifold...never ever faltered or hesitated, until...well, you know the rest.

 

[Josh P]

An OBD2 scanner would be a good investment now that the car is getting old enough that it will need some repairs.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Greetings, All: Quick preface...I am not a mechanic, nor very mechanically-inclined. You could fit everything I know about cars and combustion engines and how they work inside a matchbook cover, scrawled with a crayon. On the other hand, my Dad was a professional Evinrude/Mercury inboard/outboard mechanic, and my two closest friends are professional auto mechanics, so I do have some rudimentary sense of how wrenches are supposed to work. Nice to meet you guys, thanks for having me here. I bought a 2000 Explorer Limited V8 back in 2002 from a Ford dealership right outside Boston. Promptly drove it to New Mexico, where it has remained for the last 20 years. No significant repairs or damages during those 20 years...replaced the fuel pump in 2015, and that's pretty much it. Currently have 207,x.. miles on her, did the major tune-ups at 100,000 and 200,000 miles. Never had a single problem, until about a year ago, I noticed there was a very minor oil leak on our driveway...maybe a drop per day. Lived with it a year, then couldn't take it anymore, so took it to our local hometown Ford dealership to figure it out & make it stop. Three weeks later, they tell me it needs a new RMS, new oil pan, and new left manifold...maybe a few bolts along the way, since they expected some would break as they did the work. I pre-approved everything they needed to do. Six weeks and $4200 later, they tell me it's all done and healthy again. I made it a mile down the road before the CEL came on, and in 3rd gear at 40mph-45mph, she hesitated badly and consistently. No problem replicating it for the Service Manager and Technician. Another 3 weeks and 2 more return trips to the dealership later, CEL still comes on and stays on after 4 or 5 trips around town, and she still badly hesitates as I previously described. Dealership has basically washed its hands of the whole matter, so I can't take it back and hope for any better outcome. Oil leak does seem to be fixed. The CEL now stays on. I'm frustrated and angry, mostly because I know 100% for certain something is wrong, but I lack the skills and knowledge to figure it out myself, and now I can't trust the local Ford experts to get it right. Figured I'd toss it out here, see if any of you much smarter folks might have some thoughts or suggestions. I hate driving a car I don't feel I can trust, and I love my Explorer...so I'd really like to sort it out.

it would be very hellfuk to have some kind of obd reader, our prefrence is forscan (also inexpensive) in orde rto know the ocde. without it theres a million things it could ve

 

[CDW6212R]

An OBDII code reader should be common for about $50-$75, the Forscan people like now are about half but require the PC cable and software etc.

I think you need a better mechanic, and the code reader can help to figure out most of the worst issues. What the dealer did is criminal and unethical in the extreme, but you will find more of that in this new age.

Work on the basic mechanical stuff, which on here you can easily learn which are important, which are easy to DIY, and which are less so.

Happy New Year to everyone.

 

[410Fortune]

the check engine light is on so you need to find out what trouble codes are in memory, then we can help you fix the truck
It is likely something simple
The dealership should have at least pulled the codes and shared with you what they are and what it points to being the problem

 

[CDW6212R]

the check engine light is on so you need to find out what trouble codes are in memory, then we can help you fix the truck
It is likely something simple
The dealership should have at least pulled the codes and shared with you what they are and what it points to being the problem

How is it there after the early Winter all over the country, just normal stuff for you there I hope? The extreme cold is not fun for most, it makes you think of warmer places for Winter.

 

[1sicbronconut]

How is it there after the early Winter all over the country, just normal stuff for you there I hope? The extreme cold is not fun for most, it makes you think of warmer places for Winter.

If 410FORTUNE is anything like me he likes he cold because it keeps a lot of folks from moving into the area Hoping the OP gets some codes so we can try to help. I don't quite understand dealerships like that especially in a smaller town like Alamogordo NM.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

If 410FORTUNE is anything like me he likes he cold because it keeps a lot of folks from moving into the area Hoping the OP gets some codes so we can try to help. I don't quite understand dealerships like that especially in a smaller town like Alamogordo NM.

from what i hear from jamie, its the atv on tracks that does it for him ok well other things too, but ya know

 

[Astrobuf]

A quick way to get I fo is to take your Exploder to an O'Reilly or an Auto Zone when they are not too busy, so say early weekday afternoon! They will pull the codes for you with their scanner and give you some ideas as to what they mean

A CEL can come on for items as minor as a loose gas cap.

The services your dealer cited are all quite common for a vehicle with the years and milage you cite.

All kinds of things can go wrong randomly at 200k+ miles: bad fuel injector, bad O2 sensors, bad Catalytic converters, Vacuum leaks, Flat cam,....

Dealer mechanics are not trained to work on 20 year old cars. The old guys who are there get slotted to work on newer vehicles, the newbies get the old cars and they generally have no idea how to fix them.

I'd say this most likely is a related issue to the service you had done, but at the moment either they are not telling you something, or they are and you are not understanding it.

The code reader is the place to start.

Like medical matters, then get a 2nd opinion from a trusted alternative.

Astrobuf

 

[CDW6212R]

A quick way to get I fo is to take your Exploder to an O'Reilly or an Auto Zone when they are not too busy, so say early weekday afternoon! They will pull the codes for you with their scanner and give you some ideas as to what they mean

A CEL can come on for items as minor as a loose gas cap.

The services your dealer cited are all quite common for a vehicle with the years and milage you cite.

All kinds of things can go wrong randomly at 200k+ miles: bad fuel injector, bad O2 sensors, bad Catalytic converters, Vacuum leaks, Flat cam,....

Dealer mechanics are not trained to work on 20 year old cars. The old guys who are there get slotted to work on newer vehicles, the newbies get the old cars and they generally have no idea how to fix them.

I'd say this most likely is a related issue to the service you had done, but at the moment either they are not telling you something, or they are and you are not understanding it.

The code reader is the place to start.

Like medical matters, then get a 2nd opinion from a trusted alternative.

Astrobuf

Going to a dealer to fix a leaking oil problem, and them taking three weeks, charging $4200, that's criminal if there is no reasonable explanation.

Evidently the dealer replaced the oil pan, and the rear oil seal, plus one left manifold. Any decent mechanic capable of removing an engine or transmission, could have R&R that in two days easily. The rear main seal and various gaskets and bolts don't cost much more than $100. The oil pan never needs replacement unless it's damaged severely, such as being cracked from dropping the engine on the floor and it breaking. The manifolds are junk cast iron or thin steel, likely to crack at this age, and they cost $100-$200. At a Ford dealer they will use the Ford parts, prices will be at the top end of the scale.

Without problems the materials cost should be under $100(plus the new manifold), a new oil pan that they broke should cost nothing(their fault). Changing the rear seal and oil pan, plus manifold, should be a couple of hours tops. Labor for about two days of work should cover all of that easily, experts with dealer facilities could do it all in a day. The three weeks was likely mostly waiting on parts, given current supply issues.

So where is the reason for $4200, which includes what should be maybe $300 of justifiable items. Most of us here could do the job for under $200 of total costs, plus our time. Some huge fact/detail is not known here in this thread story.

The current issues are probably related to R&Ring the engine, they likely messed something up, even if it's simply not connecting a sensor or connector properly, or damaging something like those very things. They should have found their mistakes, and corrected them, before returning the vehicle. Something is not known, and it seems more likely to be the dealer and the lack of explanation for the extra near $4k cost.

 

[1sicbronconut]

A quick way to get I fo is to take your Exploder to an O'Reilly or an Auto Zone when they are not too busy, so say early weekday afternoon! They will pull the codes for you with their scanner and give you some ideas as to what they mean

A CEL can come on for items as minor as a loose gas cap.

The services your dealer cited are all quite common for a vehicle with the years and milage you cite.

All kinds of things can go wrong randomly at 200k+ miles: bad fuel injector, bad O2 sensors, bad Catalytic converters, Vacuum leaks, Flat cam,....

Dealer mechanics are not trained to work on 20 year old cars. The old guys who are there get slotted to work on newer vehicles, the newbies get the old cars and they generally have no idea how to fix them.

I'd say this most likely is a related issue to the service you had done, but at the moment either they are not telling you something, or they are and you are not understanding it.

The code reader is the place to start.

Like medical matters, then get a 2nd opinion from a trusted alternative.

Astrobuf

You work at a dealership? I'm a 35 year Ford veteran technician and just finished working on a 02' Explorer with 200k miles on it last week. Tomorrow I'm pulling a battery out of a 2022 Mach E, things are different for every dealership out there and a lot won't even touch older vehicles the Explorer I worked on was a mess due to the owner and others working on it and turned out it had plugged cats and we referred the owner to a local exhaust place for further repairs.

 

[CDW6212R]

The cars are just getting harder to work on, the newer they are the more training it takes to decipher the puzzle of how they arranged the smaller pieces into the cars. Good common sense and skills can handle 99% of old car tasks and problems.

I bet that 68 Bronco is heaven to work on compared to any newer stuff.

 

[1sicbronconut]

The cars are just getting harder to work on, the newer they are the more training it takes to decipher the puzzle of how they arranged the smaller pieces into the cars. Good common sense and skills can handle 99% of old car tasks and problems.

I bet that 68 Bronco is heaven to work on compared to any newer stuff.

Yup and my 92' explorer as well I just turned 60 and really looking forward to getting out of the trade in a few years, we've lost 2 experienced technicians this year folks are leaving the trade because of the tech and lack of pay to work on it.

 

[Astrobuf]

You work at a dealership? I'm a 35 year Ford veteran technician and just finished working on a 02' Explorer with 200k miles on it last week. Tomorrow I'm pulling a battery out of a 2022 Mach E, things are different for every dealership out there and a lot won't even touch older vehicles the Explorer I worked on was a mess due to the owner and others working on it and turned out it had plugged cats and we referred the owner to a local exhaust place for further repairs.

Chevy dealership. You are correct though, each service manager has their own strategy. Our's puts the Senior guys on the newer car big ticket items first.

This job smells like a newbie screw up. The Service manager does likely not know what happened here and the OP is so auto clueless wrt the vehicle that he cannot defend himself.


Astrobuf

 

[johnb6597]

I do plan to jump on these suggestions this week...checking those two electrical bundles, and retrieving the OBD codes...holiday weekend set me back a day or three. Will report the codes here once I have them. Thanks to everyone who replied.