4th Gen Shopping

[leftoverture]

I have been looking at 4th gen Explorers and Mountaineers. Today I found an 06 Mountaineer, 4.0 liter, loaded with leather seats and all the options. I found a coolant leak around the radiator, but couldn't figure out where it was originating from. The dealer will repair the leak and if all goes well, I could complete the purchase on Monday. So before I pull the trigger, I'm looking for any advice on other things I might need to check unique to this vehicle. This Mountaineer has 122k miles. It could use new rear shocks, but otherwise it seemed to run and drive flawlessly.

 

[berny13]

Run the A/C and heater controls for through all the settings. Make sure it blows hot and cold when it is supposed too. Turn temp control all the way from cold (blue) to hot (red) and listen for any clicking. Common issue on Fords.

If it has third row seats, make sure they function as well. Can be expensive to fix if they are powered seats.

Check the plastic thermostat housing (should be obvious signs if it is cracked or leaking).

Other than that, not much I can suggest.

The Rear windows defroster was the only thing on my car that was prone to repeated failure.

Enjoy your new ride if you get it.

Berny

 

[leftoverture]

Thanks for the input! How durable have these engines been? Any reason to be concerned about the miles?

 

[berny13]

The only concern at that mileage would be timing belt chain guide wear. Common on high mileage 4.0L engines.

A more genuine concern at that mileage would be the transmission. Some will last 100,000's of miles and some quit before before 35,000 miles. It really is hit or miss. Search this forum for issues.

Keep in mind, the 4.0L Explorer/Mountaineer isn't a towing vehicle.

Are you buying from a Ford/Lincoln dealer? See if you can get a free extended warranty. At least a power-train warranty.

Ford threw in extended warranties on my last two used cars (2009 Expedition and 2010 Explorer) at no cost. However, they don't typically cover electrical issues.

 

[leftoverture]

Do you think the 4.6 V8 is a better bet? I have an 06 with 130k miles also on my list of vehicles to check out. It is the 4.6.

 

[berny13]

2006 4.6L would be great for gas mileage and towing. The only down side to the 4.6 is the spark plug issue. Cost me about $350.00 to change mine for my 2005 4.6L Mustang - and that was a bargain with a $200.00 discount at the time. It costs about $500.00 to $650.00. They are prone to breaking off. Some dealerships charge additional money for each one that breaks.

All said and done. The 4.6L is a better option in my opinion. Wish I had gotten the V8 myself now.

Other people should chime in about their experience, but the consensus is that the 4.6L has a better satisfaction rating among Explorer owners.

 

[leftoverture]

I have not yet test driven the 4.6, but I went and looked it over today and it's the cleanest 06 I've seen, so if it drives as good as it looks, I will make an offer.

 

[96eb96]

Watch for broken exhaust studs on the V8. They sound like diesels and it is not a fun repair.

 

[Explorer_PL]

Sorry all the v6 guys, but I think the 4.0 SOHC is a ticking bomb, so is the tranny 5r55.

My v8, although I swapped the motors at 200k (unnecessarily, I still have the old motor in my garage just in case) has 226k miles on original tranny, and I work it hard. I know it will go south one day, but from the way it shifts I can easily see 250-300k out of that combo.

The v6 is just hit or miss in my opinion.

The spark plugs, once you do them once, turn them out and back in every few months and you are good.

 

[beauboy]

Whoa! Time out Berny! As for gas mileage with the 4.6L, V8, be prepared to experience the worst mileage you've ever seen! I have buddies who are driving around V8 F150s getting TWICE the mileage I get with my V8 Explorer (13.5 mpg). That's after I've replaced my plugs and coils, fresh oil and filter, new air filter, properly inflated tires, etc. Love my truck, but absolutely hate the mpg.

 

[MNgopher]

Not sure how you are driving yours to get that mileage, but my '07 V8 4x4 I get an average of 15.5 mpg. Our Fleet Explorers with the 4.0 SOHC get about the same. Your mileage is worse than I get it mixed City driving in below zero weather when the remote start gets a workout...

I'd also love to see a F150 getting 27 MPG average...

I will state my mileage is lower on average than my '97 got with the 4.0 SOHC. Freeway mileage is much better in the '07, City mileage is worse...

YMMV

 

[thebrakeman]

Watch for broken exhaust studs on the V8. They sound like diesels and it is not a fun repair.

Yep. If you test drive a V8, tell them you want it cold. Pop the hood when you arrive, and make sure the exhaust manifold is at ambient temp. If it's warm, tell them you'll be back the next day when it's cold.

If any manifold bolts are broken, it will tick for 1-2 minutes (longer in winter) until things heat up a bit. Then, things seal up and the noise goes away.

If you get a ticking sound when cold (sounds like lifter-noise), but goes away in a few minutes, tell them you need them to first replace the offending manifold at their cost.

And like someone said, make sure they can prove that the spark plugs have already been changed. If they have not, have them do it first at their cost.

 

[leftoverture]

So I drove the V8 tonight. No ticking so that part is good. It actually ran and drove perfectly. But...I found two things I want opinions on.

1. The radiator appeared to be filled with mostly water. It was pretty clear, I could feel a little stickiness from antifreeze but it sure didn't look right. I could not detect any leaks, and the dealer says they will flush it and refill it, but I can't help wonder why it's so light on antifreeze in the first place.
2) The A/C is weak. I can see in the Carfax the PO tried recharging it about 6 months ago. The dealer also said they would fix, but I have to trust they will actually fix it and not just recharge it and let me find out it doesn't work again in 6 months.

I looked the engine over and it looks easy enough to try the spark plugs myself, but I do worry a bit about the whole blowing the plugs out of the engine thing.

Thoughts? Opinions?

By the way, the dealer with the Mountaineer is putting a new radiator in tomorrow and will have it ready for me to try again if I want.

So I could use any and all input. Thanks.

 

[Bill MacLeod]

4th gen explorer's had/used Ford's Premium Gold Engine Coolant from the factory. It is almost clear in colour and has a bittering agent in it. Likely what is in the one you checked.

Blown out spark plugs was a 2v (or 4v) problem. This is not the issue with early 3v plugs. Early 3v (2006 to 2008) were 2 pc plugs that could break-off in head if not removed using proper procedures.

 

[JeepGuy25]

I will also give a very enthusiastic vote for the 4.6 over the 4.0!!! I drove several 4.0's, one with VERY low miles. They all felt horrible to me. Just didnt want to move that big thing down the road. Also two of them were leaking antifreeze out of the t-stat housing.

As for the A/C...I would request they do a leak check, not just refill it. The A/C in my 2010 (and others Ive drove) is the coldest A/C Ive ever had in a vehicle. Granted this is also the newest car Ive owned. But it should just about freeze you out.

No worries about the plugs blowing out. Deal with them breaking off when you need to. If you are mechanically inclined, you can get the tool and do it yourself.

Things to check. Take it from me...try all ranges of the transfer case. Assuming it has the "4x4 AUTO", "4x4 HIGH" and "4x4 LOW" buttons, try putting it in and out of HIGH. Then, come to a stop, foot on brake, trans in Neutral and try the LOW button. After it engages, put into drive. The truck should lurch forward and you should be in gear. If not...thats bad. Haha.

Take a peek at the wiring in the engine bay. Check the condition of the wires near the electrical connections. Some of them have a habit of deteriorating near the connections.

I LOVE my v8. The guy up there that said they get the worst MPG of anything...there must be something incredibly wrong. Mine gets better MPG than the my buddies 4.0. I consistently get 18-19 with mixed driving. I was prepared for way worse going from a Subaru to this....but its actually the same as my turbo Legacy haha. I was feeling buyers remorse as I was signing the paper work thinking "why did I just buy a V8 SUV when I commute on the highway" haha. Also no F-150 is getting high 20's. I just had a 2014 5.0 and it got 18.5 easily. But no way was it breaking into the high 20's. Maybe rolling down hill for 20 miles.

Good luck with the purchase!

Justin

 

[bobward737]

Go with the 4.0..

I'll be the contrarian here. I've had two 4.0 and have not had ANY problems with the core engine itself. I tow 6x a year, that's all and the 4.0 handles it well. I get 21 mpg highway at 70 mph and can get it to 22 if I go 65.

The radiator is the main threat regardless of teh engine. It is not properly supported. Have put 2 in each of my explorers. $800 for a dealership if not under warrant. Many after-market warranties DO NOT cover the radiator.

The other check to do regardless of engine is the air conditioning blend door. run the air through vent, floor defroster, vent a few times. If you hear any hesitation, rubbing, groaning, etc.. it needs a new blend door actuator. Again, another costly after warranty repair.

My latest is a 2010 with SYNC. Having fully integrated audio and phone was a huge improvement in my driving experience.

Good luck!

 

[leftoverture]

Well, I decided not to buy the Explorer. Mostly because I didn't trust the dealer to fix the A/C properly. Partly because I don't really want to mess with the spark plug issues. With 133k miles, if they are still the original plugs, I am certain to have problems from what I have learned. Still waiting for the other dealer to get the radiator in the Mountaineer so I can look at it again. Not sure how I feel about the 4.0 at this point but nice to see at least one person have good luck.

 

[beauboy]

Jeep and Gopher -

Have you replaced your xmission fluid yet, and if so, did that greatly effect your MPG? I've read on other threads that it will. I have the proper fluid and filter and now just have to find the time to do the replacement.

When I bought my 07 EX 2 years ago, I registered 17 mpg, but has gone down steadily since. I'm hoping the xmission fluid swap will work wonders because the engine is running extremely smooth otherwise.

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but my low mpg has me going crazy!