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Ford Explorer Community - Maintenance - Modifications - Performance Upgrades - Problem Solving - Off-Road - Street
Explorer Forum Covers the Explorer ST, Explorer Sport, Explorer Sport Trac, Lincoln Aviator, Mercury Mountaineer, Mazda Navajo, Ford Ranger, Mazda Pickups, and the Ford Aerostar
Depends on where you go and how much they try to screw you. When I was at AT this year, the day I left my GF's (now Fiance) check engine light went on so she took it to midas near her parents' house. They charged her $700 for spark plugs (double platinum), wires, fuel filter, and air filter.... on A FREAKING 1997 TAURUS!
She got screwed. Since I wasnt there to help her and she couldn't get a hold of me she got screwed big time.
If you are looking at a tuneup for your V8, it wouldn't be very hard to do it yourself. You just need to be careful and not torque down the spark plugs too much and end up stripping them out.
Tune up would most likely be: plugs, wires, air filter, fuel filter.
It really does depend on what is included in the tune-up. The plugs are not anything special, but as jaydez said, be careful that you don't strip the head, which is a common problem with the Ford modular motors. Along with the plugs, the 4.6L V8 doesn't have spark plug wires, as it is a coil-on-plug setup with an ignition coil mounted directly above each spark plug. The air filter is absolutely nothing special at all, and a new paper one can be had for less than $15 and takes about 1 minute to replace. The two items that I can think of that may add a bit of cost is the fuel filter (as its location is not the easiest to get to and requires a few items like a heat shield to be removed to access, and since that adds about 3 minutes to take off, they'll no doubt add another $50 to the price) and the serpentine belt (if that is included in the tune-up, its installation definitely requires two people, which again will probably add another $50).
Go somewhere else. There is nothing special about the spark plugs on an Explorer, so they are trying to pull one over on you. Go elsewhere that will be honest.
Holy ish 350 wow lets just say 90% of that is labor good plugs 6.50-7 bucks a piece air filter is changed with oil change or should be at least, fuel filter (KALI its directly underneath the drivers side door it looks like a small can of beer) is maybe 10 bucks this is the one that takes a little more effort cause you have to bleed the fuel line, if they change the belt that price may fit cause you should have two people to do it. it depends how valuable your time is if you have any at all...all the things listed can be found how to do on EF good luck
Holy ish 350 wow lets just say 90% of that is labor good plugs 6.50-7 bucks a piece air filter is changed with oil change or should be at least, fuel filter (KALI its directly underneath the drivers side door it looks like a small can of beer) is maybe 10 bucks this is the one that takes a little more effort cause you have to bleed the fuel line, if they change the belt that price may fit cause you should have two people to do it. it depends how valuable your time is if you have any at all...all the things listed can be found how to do on EF good luck
This is incorrect, as Kali2024 has a 3rd Gen with the 4.6L V8 and not a 2nd Gen with the ever-so-conveniently-placed-fuel-filter that I miss so much from my 2nd Gens, so the fuel filter is located almost directly beneath the glovebox on the passenger side of the vehicle, tucked up inside the trans-tunnel behind two heat shields, inches away from the exhaust Y-pipe. Bleeding the fuel line is not excessively difficult, as you can pull the fuse for the fuel pump and start the car until it runs out of fuel and dies, to which you then swap the filter and then replace the fuse and cycle the key a few times to properly prime the fuel filter and line.
This is incorrect, as Kali2024 has a 3rd Gen with the 4.6L V8 and not a 2nd Gen with the ever-so-conveniently-placed-fuel-filter that I miss so much from my 2nd Gens, so the fuel filter is located almost directly beneath the glovebox on the passenger side of the vehicle, tucked up inside the trans-tunnel behind two heat shields, inches away from the exhaust Y-pipe. Bleeding the fuel line is not excessively difficult, as you can pull the fuse for the fuel pump and start the car until it runs out of fuel and dies, to which you then swap the filter and then replace the fuse and cycle the key a few times to properly prime the fuel filter and line.
To add to the dogpile...nothing of Blazepet7's post is accurate. Spark plugs should only cost a few bucks a piece, air filters go much longer than one oil change, and the belt is a simple single-person endeavor.
i say u buy all the stuff yourself and only do spark plugs fuel/air filter and save a pretty penny, im in the market for a tune up soon on my 2002 v8 and refuse to pay anything close to what is mentioned above casue i plan on doing it myself with help from all of the awesome info/pics on this forum.
I have yet to change the fuel filter, but everything else is simple enough to do yourself if you have the time, resources, and a warm place to do it. That price this guy is trying to charge you is mostly labor at about 75.00/hr. The parts are cheaper than that. Thats why most of us do most of the work on our own!!!
You have to be really careful with the plugs on the 4.6's. If they are not installed properly they can blow out, damaging the threads in the head. Before removing the old plugs blow out the dust and debris from the plug hole, remove the old plug, install the new plug started by hand and hand tightened. DO NOT apply anti-seize to the threads. And finally, use a torque wrench to torque the plugs to the specs. I think it is 13-15 ft/lbs. I have done many plug changes on 4.6/5.4's and have never had one blow out yet(knowing on wood).
