98 XLT with AWD?

[farmtruckman]

Looking at a 98XLT with AWD. Didn't know that the XLT's came with AWD. Had good clothes on so I couldn't crawl underneath and will look at again. No switch on dash either. Thought AWD came in only Limited.

Anything else particular to the 98's anyone can tell me to look for?

FTM

 

[jlsparky7]

I have a 96xlt awd v8.

 

[X6StringerX]

AWD was, in fact, and option for the XLTs with the 5.0. I think '98-'01 is the sweet spot for a 2nd gen Explorer. The 5.0s from that year range have the desirable GT40p heads and I find the rear hatch of the '98+ much more appealing than the rear hatch of the previous years. In '99, the front got a facelift with a new style bumper, but removing the plastic air dam from the '98 style bumper allows for a better approach angle than that of the '99+ style if you're into offroading.

Things to look for:

-Check all of the obvious things (fluid levels, leaking fluids, noises, etc)
-Listen for exhaust leaks around the manifolds (this is common)
-Check the CV joint of the front driveshaft to ensure there are no tears in the rubber boot
-Check the CV shafts of the front axle to ensure there are no tears in the rubber boots
-Test drive and listen for binding or a metal-to-metal sound that could indicate the chain in the AWD t-case is stretched or broken
-If you park on an incline, watch to see if the vehicle rolls while in park... if it does, this is an indication that either the transfer case may be bad or the front driveshaft itself is missing, but you would notice that when looking under the vehicle, lol.
-Ensure all of the tires are the same size with about the same tread depth (AWD transfer case is very sensitive)
-Check the A/C and heat to ensure the blend door properly functions (expensive and/or time consuming to fix this the "right" way, but there is another route you can take)
-Check the power lock switch on the driver's door to ensure it locks and unlocks (if it doesn't, this is an easy fix... a wire commonly breaks)
-Check the driver's door lock to see if it functions smoothly (I've had 3 Explorers and all three had worn out actuators)
-Check the rear wiper (two common things are the motor dying and the wiper arm not touching all of the glass... the latter can be fixed for free)
-Check the radio display to see if it lights up

Many of those things are trivial, but they seem to be some of the most frequent things that go bad. I'm sure others will chime in with things I have forgotton.

 

[kjgces]

auto trans

one thing i failed to do when i bought one a few months ago was FULLY check the functions of the transmission. mine is bad and now will be lots to fix. they work differently (maybe) when hot and cold. drive it for AT LEAST 20 miles before the trans is fully up to temp, it is a lot longer than the engine temperature. try shifting it with light throttle and then with heavy throttle. it should not slip at all in any areas and should shift firm and secure. if it doesnt, my advise, walk away. now others might tell you, blah blah blah, change this do that, etc etc but my two cents, i would not want you to make the same mistake i did. i did the normal test drive of 5-10 minutes and nothing showed up, it shifted fine. i bought it with no warranty and on the WAY HOME it started flared shifts and delayed shifts, all signs of a worn transmission that will need something . my truck has 165k so i should not be surprised but just wanted to give you a heads up. also try shifting it into the settings other than "d", try 1 and 2 also and try using reverse going backward up an incline to make sure it is STAYING in reverse, mine wasn't , shame on me. good luck.

 

[X6StringerX]

While checking the transmission is good advice, you should know that the 5.0 Explorers do not share the notoriously weak transmission that the 4.0 Explorers have. The 4R70W in the 5.0 Explorers is a far superior transmission and can stand up to a beating. Many transmissions in 4.0 Explorers have failed with less than 100k miles, so I would count myself lucky if I had one last 165k.

 

[kjgces]

re:

he never said it was a v8 or what trans it has, he just said 98 awd?

 

[X6StringerX]

The only 2nd Gen Explorers that have AWD are 5.0 Explorers. The only transmission available with the 5.0 Explorer is the 4R70W.

 

[farmtruckman]

Guys,

Thanks for answers. It has the 5.0, btw. Not sure I will pick it up. It only has 70K on speedo and been serviced by Ford for everything. It is owned by a customer's dad who is 83 (can't drive anymore) and has been stored in my customer's garage outside St. Louis. If I can't get it for the price I want (since I really don't need it but my 95 XLT has 165K on it), I will post his number, if he allows it for anyone else looking for a deal. From the cursory look I did in the Boeing parking lot, it is really clean.

FTM

 

[Carguy3J]

wiper arm

......-Check the rear wiper (two common things are the motor dying and the wiper arm not touching all of the glass... the latter can be fixed for free)......

My '99 has the wiper arm deal. No matter how I try to bend it, it either misses some part of the glass, or it gets stucks on the lip of the glass as soon as I turn it off, and then it won't even get to the glass. What is the fix for this? Anybody? (Don't mean to hijack, but I saw the comment about, and it caight my eye.)

 

[X6StringerX]

FarmTruck,

Just to let you know, I paid $3200 for my '98 5.0 AWD with only 76k miles last August and it came from a dealership with a warranty. I thought I was extremely lucky to get it for that price... in fact, I drove 300 miles to get it. I've been doing some price research lately and I cannot find a 5.0 in comparable condition with low miles for less than $4500. The 4.0s are a dime a dozen, but the 5.0s seem to be a tougher find. If the Explorer you're looking at is in good condition, I think you'll be very pleased with it. I made the mistake of selling my last one a couple of months ago, but I've been talking with the guy and hopefully I'm getting it back today. I'm supposed to meet him at noon.


Carguy,

All I can recommend is rebending the arm and possibly detaching the arm to reposition it on the shaft so that it parks correctly. A good quality wiper blade can do wonders. My last Explorer suffered the hit and miss wiping and I replaced the old worn out blade with a Bosche blade. The blade alone solved my problem. If you can find one in the correct size like a Bosche Icon... you know, the one that doesn't have pressure points, I think that would be the best route.