2002 V8 4.6L online repair manual

[cgfreebairn]

In an isolated part of Oz (Torres Strait) & trying to buy a Haynes online manual but told by their website its only available for US & Canadian residents. Wasn't aware Explorer manuals were covered by national security protections! Can someone direct me to locations to download/buy one?

Also, re Repair Surge online manuals - BEWARE. They purport to provide them for all kinds of cars but actually provide only links to manufacturers web sites, claiming most now allow their download, but this appears not to be so.

I've discovered with some relief & a little annoyance that my Explorer suffers problems many others report, with the door ajar issue & alarm going off at night when wet or rainy. My chime has quit & door ajar message permanent. I cant lock car as it thinks a door is ajar, & interior lights seem not to function as they should so I have the dimmer switch turned right down. I've not had problems with windows or auto locking/unlocking whilst driving. So I think I must have a broken wire rather than sensor issues!?

I have a few other problems - rear end has sagged badly & I guess that will be shocks - how do I know if I need to replace the springs too? Front driver side (that's RHS for me folks) spring is squeaking, but maybe because rear is now at a different angle to where it shld b.

Rear brake pads & rotors need replacement - using it to launch my boat on the beach in a very rust prone area, prob not a great idea.

Another annoying issue I wonder if others've had is high idle revs. This started during the cooler time (but here cool means below 25 C overnight) & I'm told is to do with dust etc buildup in the air intake area, perhaps a sensor obstructed or not working properly so it thinks it is cold & needs 'choke'. Occurs at start, revs drop when she warms up but stay higher than normal. Car runs & transmission handles the revs OK, but one is on the brakes a lot more than wants & its a pain.

And finally, I'm thinking of doing a lift if I need to do rear shocks anyway. Any experience out there with doing it & costs?

Cheers

 

[1Aauto]

Welcome to the site, it's great to have you here.

Tony:wavey:

 

[cgfreebairn]

Thanks 1ATony,
Ive already learnt heaps browsing threads, which has been vry helpful. I'm amazed at the commonality of Explorer problems (or is that anything to do with Ford problems?), perhaps we shld be thankful since this means lots f ppl working on fixes & can post helpful info.

So far my problems r common ones, & relatively minor (no transmission failures or other multi,000$ issues), but its a worry these trucks seem plagued with fiddly irritating nonsense things that half decent manufacturing wld've prevented. It also seems Ford has a crap reputation for knowing their machines &/or supporting them in a half decent manner (wrong parts etc - imagine waiting days/weeks for a part to find its wrong & have to wait double that time for turnaround 4 new one & still not sure it'll be the right bit?). For business people that kind of incompetence means big $s lost & fleet buyers wont touch that kind of unmanageable whole of life cost drama.

All this business with codes, replacing this part & that & still no fix is so frustrating u want to tear ur hair out (& thats just reading abt it ..). Whats the point of fancy diagnostics if the answers are so vague or off the mark? Error this, error that, replace this replace that .... & the problem is a gaping hole in a rubber elbow manufactured to last a few years.

I accidentally left a hose/wiring ass'y off my TB when putting it back together after investigating the fast idle problem & then experienced most of the symptoms many have described with slow idle to almost stalling, followed by revving to 3000 rpm etc. A qualified mechanic ought have a simple diagnostic pathway that checks those obvious issues 1st (hoses, vacuum loss), before going to anything else or recommending replacing expensive electronic bits that are probably fine.

With this kind of nonsense it's little wonder the likes of Toyota r laughing.

I've also noticed a lot of threads here are old, & wonder if all Explorers are now running fine or their owners finally spat the dummy & ditched em?? I had an old Mercedes 280S 30 years ago & this stuff reminds me of it. When they're running u feel great driving & don't want to part with em, but before u know it they're back in shop & way too much of the hard earned departs in a hurry!!

Anyway, this kind of negativity is not useful when trying to fix stuff, as it leads to frustration, rough handling & .. even more expensive visits to the shop, which in my case is on another island!

Cheers & thanks for your welcome,
Chris

 

[Cikker J n]

Lay the wire aside and place a spark plug socket over the spark plug. Attach a ratchet to the socket and turn the ratchet counterclockwise, loosening the spark plug. Lift the socket, ratchet and plug out of the bore, or hole, in the cylinder head and discard it.